Sustainable Fiber, Yarn & Fabric | February 2019

February 2019 A Textile Today Initiative l Published with Volume 12, Issue 02 l Pages 61 to 78

Several innovations in

natural fibers to boost sustainable

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fashion industry

February 2019

Researchers to manufacture graphene-based wearable e-textiles commercially Design of an agro-textile cultivation bed for spread rooted plants with hydrogel through soilless vertical farming

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S u s t a i n a b l e F i b r e , Ya r n & F a b r i c

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Several innovations in natural fibers to boost sustainable fashion industry Abir Basak From the prehistoric time, people are making their clothes masterly by cotton, silk, jute, viscose etc ingredients.

In spite of having a little bad impact for body or planet petroleum-based fibers like nylon, polyester, acrylic and spandex are being manufactured nowadays. What if we could make new textiles from trash?

What if we could invent new sustainable alternative products along with conventional behaving like cotton? It is high time to think different. The world of the textile industry has been implementing new technologies and developing new fibers which are both innovative and better for the industry from the sustainable social and environmental point of view.

We know that our fashion industry depends on cotton more as it is a comfortable and incredible gift from nature. According to WWF, cotton production currently accounts for approximately 2.5 percent of the world’s arable land. But its farming accounts for 24% of the global sales of insecticides and 11% of pesticides, most of which is directly released

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into the environment. This, in turn, has dire consequences on the health of the farmers who are exposed to these chemicals on the daily basis and also contaminates the water and soil of the surrounding communities.

Cotton consumes a vast amount of water-approximately 10,000 liters of water are needed to grow one kilo of cotton fiber. This is why innovative textiles, such as fabrics made from coffee grounds, lotus, bamboo, seaweed, pineapple leaves or bamboo are so important as they are the foundation of the future greener fashion industry.

1. Lotus fiber Lotus fiber is an organic & ecofriendly fiber to use. Lotus plants

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are pure by virtue and they disperse this purity through their fibers. By wearing fabrics made from lotus fiber, one feels calm, peaceful and meditative. Countries like Thailand, Cambodia, India and Myanmar's villagers have been using lotus fibers for special rare fabrics for centuries.

The process of making is quite time-consuming but fiber produces luxurious, finest fabrics in the world that feels like a combination of silk and raw linen. It is also stain-resistant, lightweight, soft, silky and extremely breathable. Good quality lotus thread comes from lotus stems harvested during the monsoon season when the tides are high and the mud is fertile.

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Figure: Serenity scarf made of lotus fiber (50%) and natural silk (50%)

Figure: Lotus flower

The quality of the lotus fabric is superior that there has been an attempt at commercial use but its price is the most expensive.

According to Fashion United, Binoy Ravjani, Co-Founder and CEO of Jaipur based Hero’s Fashion Pvt Ltd from India said, “Lotus fabric is the most ecological fabric in the world. Waste is transformed into a quality textile that doesn’t use any polluting resources such as oil, electricity, gas or any toxic chemicals during any stage of the production process. NoMark Lotus shirt is just the best white shirt ever made and stain resistant which price is 135 Euros.”

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smoothening. Wearing products made out of orange fiber is like wearing a vitamin cream; it’s nourishing for the skin and the effects are guaranteed for twenty washes, for now.

According to ORANGE FIBER and BBC, two girls from Sicily of Italy, Adriana Santanocito (fashion design student) and Enrica Arena have made a dream come true creating Orange Fiber, using the wastes coming from oranges (citrus) in 2011. Finally, the project is being developed now with the support of the Coca-Cola Foundation with a hashtag motto

#WearOrange.

Orange Fiber was patented in Italy in 2013 and extended in 2014 when the first prototype was produced. The two girl's invention has opened the new door of the sustainable sector. Their idea has won several awards attracting the interest of private investors globally.

3. Coffee ground fiber Most coffee drinkers simply throw away coffee ground after making their coffee. To produce a cup of Joe, only 0.2 percent of the coffee bean is needed, the remaining 99.8

According to channelnewsasian. com, to produce a square meter of pure lotus fabric, it takes a skilled weaver at least 40 days and requires at least 20,000 lotus stems. A one-meter-long scarf made of lotus threads is worth about US$ 450 & jacket US$ 5,600.

2. Orange fiber A new hope for sustainable textile & fashion industry that orange gives us more opportunity to produce greener and healthier fiber. It is a biodegradable fiber like silk; soft to the touch and shiny appearance, suitable to be woven with any type of existing yarn.

Inside are also positioned, with the aid of nanotechnologies, essential oils in the form of capsules that dissolve in contact with the skin,

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Figure: Orange

Figure: Orange fiber

Figure: Orange peel

Figure: Orange yarn

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Figure: Coffee bean

Figure: Shoes made of coffee grounds (photo source: S.Café)

Figure: Jeans made of coffee grounds (photo source: S.Café)

percent become coffee grounds (coffee waste) and most likely thrown away. But it is an important raw material that can be used to make eco-friendly coffee ground fibers.

that Coffee grounds can take away the body odors. Jason took the suggestion seriously and after he launched the brand S.Cafe with one motto 'Drink it, Wear it', pouring in four years of research and $1.7 million of investment money. S.Cafe became the world's first mill that converts leftover coffee grounds to the fabric.

Today, it has more than 110 clients including Patagonia, North Face, Timberland, REI, Adidas, American Eagle, and Victoria's Secret.

and quick drying time.

Taiwanese textile company Singtex’s modern technology combines the post-patented processed coffee ground with a polymer to create master batches before spinning it into yarn. One T-shirt can be made with three cups of coffee grounds and five recycled plastic bottles. Coffee grounds are free, and recycled plastic bottles have smaller carbon footprints than their non-recycled counterparts.

The idea came up in 2005 when Singtex CEO and third-generation textile maker Jason Chen and his wife Amy were sitting in Starbucks and sipping coffee. Amy joked

Figure: Stinging nettle plant (Courtesy: Alamy stock)

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The resulting coffee yarn is multifunctional and can be used in a variety of products, from outdoor and sports performance wear to household items used every day. Singtex has developed a wide range of products made from S.Café, such as underwear, bedding, and even footwear. This attire offers excellent natural antiodor qualities, UV ray protection

4. Stinging nettle fiber Stinging nettle fiber is similar to hemp fiber. Stinging nettle fibers are versatile, keep the wearer warm in winter and cool in summer. It can be grown with far less water and pesticides than cotton. The nettles are harvested in the summer for the production of the fibers and the stalks dried well. This removes the sting. After drying, the stalks are broken to separate the woody parts. Then the plant is combed to separate the fibers and to remove the leaf attachments. After that, the fibers are spun wet and then dried. Twisting those increases tear resistance. Super high fiber content is obtained from hybrid nettle plants using new spinning techniques, which are strong and flexible and have a good spinning length.

Figure: Raw fibers extracted from stinging nettle plant

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 S u s t a i n a b l e F i b r e , Ya r n & F a b r i c

spite of having many lacking.

Figure: Pineapple (photo source: Piñatex)

Figure: Pineapple fabric (photo source: Piñatex

The strength of this fiber is almost like jute. It has been examined that its tolerant capacity is about 36 centimeters per tex, where the tolerant capacity of jute is 25 to 40 continuation per tex. This fiber can be used for geo-textile, clothing, window screen, table or house accessories, and the cost of production will be low.

Figure: Banana fiber extracting process

Figure: Banana fabric

5. Pineapple fiber Everyone is aware of the terrible loss of artificial fiber around the world because it is harmful both for body and environment.

Pineapple fiber could be a solution though it is so expensive because it is beautiful as linen and its natural luminosity. Lightweight, easy to mix with other fiber, softness, and good texture than silk and easy to wash makes it more popular.

Fiber production has been started a few years back in Bangladesh.

Although the country's use and demand are very less export to abroad is quite profitable. If the proper initiative is taken then 800 kg pineapple fiber in one-hectare land and 16 thousand metric tons fiber in a year can be produced annually only from Madhupur in Tangail and Chattogram Hill Tracts area.

London-based research firm Ananas Anam has developed a natural and non-woven textile out of pineapple leaves, known as Piñatex, the result of years of work which is remarkably alternative to leather; a new type of natural tissue, which is 100 percent sustainable. In addition, it is also a strong, yet versatile, breathable, soft and flexible material which can be easily printed on, stitched and cut, then making it suitable for a number of fashion products.

6. Banana fiber Banana fiber is a natural, sustainable, hygienic fiber with high strength, which can be blended easily with cotton fiber or other synthetic fibers to produce blended fabric and textiles.

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Figure: Banana fibers are drying under the sun

It is made from the stem of the banana tree and is incredibly durable and biodegradable. The fiber consists of thick-walled cell tissue, bonded together by natural gums and is mainly composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Banana fiber is similar to natural bamboo fiber, but its spin ability, fineness, and tensile strength are said to be better.

India is the world's largest banana producer with an annual output of 24.8 million tones followed by China, the Philippines, Ecuador, and Brazil. India accounts for 22 percent of the global banana production. Recently in Bangladesh, this fiber production has been started commercially in

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According to promusa.org, a banana research website, the Banana tree is cultivated commercially in Bangladesh about 50 thousand to one lakh hectares of land. As per the average of 400 trees per bigha, the amount of banana cultivation is more than 29.5 million every year. According to Guardian, at least one kg of yarn is available from 37 kgs banana stems. As a result, the amount of fiber obtained in a year will be about 2 lakhs 95 thousand tons. The price of per kg fiber is estimated at Tk 20, but the price of fiber still will stand at more than Tk 590 crore! It's a big opportunity to boost Bangladesh economy in a hygienic way.

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 other is chemical. T-shirt, socks, garments, towel, decorative and more luxurious items are produced by bamboo. This fabric is far softer than cotton, closer to cashmere in feel. The strength of bamboo is higher, 45.6 (gm/tex) where cotton is 30.

Figure: Coconut

7. Coconut husks The growing demand for ecofriendly products in the market is where coir should fast step in. It is a lightweight, soilless growing medium made from the fibers which are found between a ripe coconut's shell and an outer surface. The fruit’s husks have fibrous qualities. A thousand coconuts can produce 10kg of fiber, and there’s usually a harvest every 30-45 days.

According to coir board of India, currently, the global annual production of coir fiber is about 350,000 metric tons. Yet, even in the world’s top two producers are India and Sri Lanka, which account for about 80% of global coir fiber production. Some coir fiber manufacturing factories have been built in Bagerhat, Bangladesh and they're exporting to the abroad

Figure: Coconut product

and meeting up local demands.

Mattress, sofa or other household products can be made by this ecofriendly fiber from husks.

8. Bamboo fiber Bamboo is the fastest-growing woody plant in the world, capable of growing up to four feet over night. Most of it is grown organically. It is considered one of the most sustainable plants because it grows quickly absorbing huge carbon-di-oxide and does not require chemicals, irrigation or fertilizers. Bamboo is a regenerated natural cellulosic fiber produced from the pulp of bamboo grass. Besides, its ingredients are available at 1/20 percent less cheap rate than cotton.

There are actually two methods of extracting fabric from the bamboo plant. One is mechanical and

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

India has one of the richest bamboo resources in the world, second to China and Brazil in bamboo production.

In Bangladesh, 10% of the total land area is hill tracts, mostly in Chattogram region. According to Chattogram Hill Tracts Development Board, there are about one lakh hectares of forest land in this area where bamboo is produced. Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) such as bamboo and rattan are involved with the livelihood of the people of this region.

The government has recently undertaken a project of Tk. 25 crores 65 lakh for the protection and extension of bamboo cultivation in the area. In this project, bamboo and cane production will be increased in 26 upazilas of Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban districts. In addition, fiber technologists believe that if Bangladesh produces fiber from bamboo on a commercial basis along with using in paper mills, new milestones will be created.

45.6

30 28%

7.7

Strength

7.5

Molsture%

Figure: Comparison between bamboo & cotton

65%

Asia

7%

Africa

America

Figure: Contribution of world bamboo resources by continent

Figure: Bamboo tree

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 S u s t a i n a b l e F i b r e , Ya r n & F a b r i c

Researchers to manufacture graphenebased wearable e-textiles commercially The market for e-textile clothing is forecasted to reach $5 billion by 2027, according to the market research firm IDTechEX. Textile Today Analysis Scientists have developed a simple and cost-effective method to manufacture graphene-based wearable electronic-textiles on an industrial scale. Graphene is predicted to be one of the most prominent materials in wearable e-textiles, nonetheless, there is no good way to manufacture them on an industrial scale.

The new technique could allow graphene e-textiles to be manufactured at commercial production rates of 150 meters per minute, researchers said. “To be able to produce graphene-based wearable e-textiles in scalable quantity at very high speed is a significant breakthrough for the rapidly growing wearable market,” said Nazmul Karim from The University of Manchester in the UK. Nazmul Karim further added that, “Our simple and cost-effective way of producing multi-functional graphene textiles could easily be scaled up for many real-life applications, such as sportswear, military gear, and medical clothing.”

In the new method, the researchers have reversed the previous process of coating textiles with graphene-based materials. Conventionally, the textiles are first treated with graphene oxide, and then the graphene oxide is reduced to its functional form of reduced graphene oxide. Instead, the researchers first reduced the graphene oxide in solution and then coated the textiles with the reduced form.

By making coating the ultimate step, it becomes possible to use a coating technique termed

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Figure: Graphene-based wearable e-textiles move closer to commercial production.

Source: University of Manchester.

padding, which is currently the most commonly used method of applying functional finishes to textiles in the textile industry.

For instance, water-repellent and wrinkle-free clothing are often made by padding.

A commercial pad-dry unit can process approximately 150 meters of fabric in just one minute—a colossal leap from laboratory methods for coating textiles with graphene that frequently involves multiple time-consuming steps. As the researchers write in their paper, they believe that using padding to manufacture graphene-based e-textiles will be an imperative step in moving from R&D-based e-textiles to real-world applications.

In their study, the researchers demonstrated that e-textiles made by a laboratory-scale pad-dry unit exhibited excellent electrical and mechanical characteristics.

Tests exhibited that the reduced graphene oxide forms a uniform coating around the individual cotton fibers, which results in good electric conductivity, tensile

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strength, breathability, flexibility, and overall comfort of the fabric.

The coated fabric also appears to remain electrically conductive after repeated washing cycles.

Graphene-based wearable e-textiles have a diversity of potential applications. One possibility, which the researchers demonstrated, is that sensors can be incorporated into the fabric for monitoring physical activity. A sensor mounted on the wrist, for example, can capture mechanical movements such as bending/ unbending, stretching/relaxation, and twisting/untwisting. Another possibility is to incorporate flexible heating elements throughout an item of clothing, along with flexible super capacitors to power them.

"Our future research plan is to look into other 2D materials and utilize their benefits for wearable e-textiles applications and we are also looking to commercialize these technologies in collaboration with industrial partners," Nazmul Karim concluded.

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 Reviewed Article

Design of an agro-textile cultivation bed for spread rooted plants with hydrogel through soilless vertical farming Md. Abdus Salam ① , Dewan Murshed Ahmed ② , Farabi Rahmat Ullah ③ ① Department of Wet Process Engineering, Faculty of Textile Chemicals Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles, Bangladesh ②

Department of Fabric Engineering, Faculty of Textile Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles, Bangladesh

③ Textile

Division, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), Bangladesh

The research has been done under Textile Talent Hunt 2017-18 organized by Bangladesh Textile Today Abstract: The research is aimed to develop a system to cultivate the plants in a soilless agro-textiles bed. Reduction of agrochemicals, maximization of crop p roduction on minimum land are getting prime issues in case of agriculture nowadays.

This paper shows a solution to the matters of integrating textile technologies with agriculture. Here a system presents agro-textiles based cultivation where plants are grown on textile fabric basements.

Hydrogel, a superabsorbent chemical was introduced within the textile fabric to make root support to grow plants. Organic fertilizer was used to provide the required nutrients (micro and macronutrients) and integrated with the beds.

Three agro-textiles beds were prepared with different textile structures (woven, knit and nonwoven) and wheatgrass seeds were sowed on them. It was found that with zero soil consumption plants are successfully grown on all of the beds. This process shows a successful medium to grow plants without soil, also proved eco-friendly approaches with optimum water and chemicals consumption, besides the implementation of vertical farming, enhances the production several times.

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Keywords Soilless; Hydrogel; Agro-textiles; Vertical farming; Modern agriculture 1. Introduction The land area for cultivation is getting collapsed with the rapid growth of population and civilization. In these urban areas, land consumption for the cultivation of our required crops or vegetable is very trivial. So, if there any scope is found of cultivation without the help of soil would be a great approach to resolve these frequent problems in our daily lives.

So far, there are some modern soilless farming techniques but still not in extensive practice due to various constraints.

Therefore, a new approach to soilless farming integrated with the capability of multiple productivities has been presented in this paper with the help of agriculture and textile technology. By this method, the implementation of the concept of vertical farming allows increased amounts of production.

The hydrogel is a superabsorbent polymer used in absorbent products. Its non-toxic polyacrylamide can be used for developing the soil-less cultivation system. The hydrogel is under developing stage to be used as

absorbent support for the soil to provide better water and mineral supply. This paper shows the overall method of production of such a system introducing hydrogel with textile materials.

2. Materials In this research three types of fabric structures were used to develop the soilless cultivation bed- woven fabric made by jute yarn of the following specification: EPI & PPI of 6 and yarn count of 28lb/spyndle, plain weave; knitted fabric of synthetic material (Nylon) with warp knitted 3D spacer construction; and a non-woven structure using absorbent cotton fiber such collected from the baby diaper.

The hydrogel was used in the bed for necessary water and chemical ingredients cushion. The hydrogel was collected from baby diapers.

To provide the plants with required macro and micronutrients, an organic fertilizer was used. The dissolved nutrients solution from the fertilizer was collected. And for farming, wheatgrass seeds were sowed to grow.

3. Methods 3.1. Preparation of nutrient solution The fertilizer was poured with the required amount of water and mixed well so that the salt content

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To prepare the woven bed, the fabric was kept on one of the trays, and hydrogel powder was distributed within the pores of the fabric on the tray. Then the nutrient solution was sprayed on the tray equally over the fabric until it absorbed the solution up to its saturation. The same procedures were applied to prepare the knit fabric bed.

In the case of non-woven cultivation bed preparation, the absorbent fibers collected from baby diaper was already included with hydrogel in its construction.

Thus, the fibers were taken on the tray and distributed equally; then the nutrient solution was sprayed to prepare the non-woven bed.

Figure 1: Preparing a nutrient solution.

within the fertilizer could be solubilized into the water.

Then the mixture was filtered using filter paper, and the filtered solution was collected. It was the nutrient solution for plant growth.

To prevent a bacterial attack in the solution, a small amount of alum was mixed with the solution.

With the help of water, the concentration of the salt in the solution was maintained.

3.3. Preparing vertical farming bed and sowing seeds Figure 3: Woven Bed.

3.2. Preparing agro-textile cultivation bed To produce the cultivation bed, the basic concept was introducing the nutrient solution with fabric basements. And to hold the nutrient solution for long time absorbent (hydrogel) material assisted the system. To make a comparison, a soil bed was firstly prepared taking soil from land into a pot to grow plants; it’s like the conventional farming techniques.

The vertical farming bed was made by assembling the three cultivation beds as a rack and then it was placed in a place where the plants can get easy access of required natural light and free air to grow well.

Before sowing the wheat-grass seeds on the beds, they were soaked into water for germination overnight. After germination, the

Figure 4: Knit Bed.

To introduce vertical farming into the system a rack of three trays was taken and three different beds with woven, knit and non-woven fabric were prepared.

Figure 5: Non-woven Bed.

Figure 2: Hydrogel Collected from the baby diaper.

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Figure 6: Vertical Cultivation Arrangement.

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the bed's wheatgrass plants were growing gradually and freshly. Figure 7 shows the grown plants in the beds after nine days of sowing.

(a)

The gradually increased height of the wheatgrass on different beds has been shown in Table 1 and it has been found that plants grew themselves in the three different beds successfully as well as grew in the soil bed.

(b)

(c)

It was found that the agro-textile cultivation beds were actually a function of supporting base for the growing roots of the plants. To understand well about the growth in different beds the plant heights of subsequent days were plotted in a graph (shown in figure 8) and found that plants were growing gradually and with a comparison to soil bed, those were not so deviant.

(d)

Figure 7: Plants grown in (a) Soil Bed, (b) Woven Bed, (c) Knit Bed & (d) Non-woven bed.

seeds were transfigured to the three agro-textiles bed as well as the soil bed softly and carefully.

Then the seeds were allowed to grow on the beds.

3.4. Observation and data collection

moisture supply for the plants, and the growth is observed and recorded. The height of the plant is measured with the help of a ruler every morning and recorded for evaluation of the cultivation.

4. Results and discussion

After sowing the seeds, each morning the beds were observed.

The trays were sprayed with fresh water to keep the regular

The experiment was continued for nine days and the data was being collected each of those days. After nine days it was found that in all

The plants grown on the woven bed were the highest among the

Table 1: Growth observation of the plants in different agro-textiles cultivation as well as soil bed.

Growth(mm)

Mean

Plant 6

Plant 5

Plant Length (mm) Plant 4

Mean

Plant 3

Plant 2

Growth(mm)

Knit Bed

Plant Length (mm) Plant 1

Mean

Plant 3

Plant 2

Plant Length (mm) Plant 1

Mean

Plant 3

Plant 2

Plant 1

Days

Plant Length (mm)

Knit Bed Growth(mm)

Woven Bed Growth(mm)

Soil Bed

1

22

22

19

21

21

21

22

17

20

20

22

18

20

20

20

23

19

21

21

21

2

50

52

54

52

31

53

50

50

51

31

45

48

45

46

26

50

53

50

51

30

3

99

102

105

102

50

85

89

81

85

34

76

79

85

80

54

78

83

79

80

50

4

148

155

147

150

48

105

111

114

110

25

99

92

94

95

41

103

98

99

100

50

5

177

182

181

180

30

148

153

164

155

45

119

113

113

115

74

118

123

119

120

70

6

190

192

188

190

10

163

161

156

160

5

122

121

117

120

46

128

124

123

125

55

7

203

198

199

200

10

182

175

183

180

20

124

129

122

125

79

136

129

125

130

75

8

201

206

208

205

5

186

181

188

185

5

137

142

141

140

61

152

149

149

150

75

9

208

210

212

210

5

201

204

195

200

15

155

148

147

150

89

166

159

155

160

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Soil Bed

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Woven Bed

Kinit Bed

Non - Woven Bed

250

Plants height (mm)

200

150

100

50

0

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Figure 8: Plant growth recorded in different agro-textile beds.

agro-textiles beds. This is due to the structural compactness and supporting capability to the roots. The spreading pattern of wheatgrass is shown in Figure 9, in this experiment the non-woven bed was very sophisticated to support the roots, in case of knit bed the pores among the structure was of more area to support the roots, but in case of woven bed the design was rather compact than the other two beds.

This was one of the basic factors to make growth variations in different beds. The spreading roots were easily entrapped within the inter-stitches of the warp and weft yarns of woven fabric, on the contrary in case of other two beds it was very easy to pick out the plants from beds than the woven bed. Roots were entrapped and spread through the woven bed with strong support, thus grows well almost like the soil.

The basic needs to grow plants were proper water and nutrients (macro & micro) supply, access to light and natural air. The soil is here support for the roots to grow and a media to hold and serve the nutrients and mineral water naturally. This research represents the combined action of fabric bed and hydrogel as the substitute of soil, thus the plants could grow in the beds since there was no absence of any required supply.

In modern soilless innovations,

this technique can hold a strong position between soil cultivation and hydroponics. It can bring hydroponics and soil cultivation together in a concept as well as offering much more variants of plants to grow by their root nature and spreading behavior in different fabric structures.

Due to the variation of different parameters, the results may show the difference in separate beds, it will require further study to establish various parameters for different plants and supporting beds.

5. Conclusion Plants are mandatory not only for the survival of lives but also for the maintenance of the atmosphere and ecosystem. But with the growing civilization since the land area for cultivation is rapidly collapsing, something new implementation is getting the crucial need.

Here the project presents the solution with the combination of agriculture and textile technology.

The introduced agro-textile beds and cultivation system will allow plants to grow with zero soil consumption.

Since there is no additional application except for the basic requirements of the plant, growth there may be a greater chance of getting freshly grown plants. Thus in case of urban areas where the roof gardening is getting so much

popular, the agro-textile cultivation system can make them reached into a further ahead step.

There are many more variations in the requirements of different parameters for different plants, thus it will ask for further studies to set up specific parameters and methods for different plants as well as different ambient.

But now it’s time to explore textiles as a substitute of soil for agricultural cultivation. And the vertical farming system will allow with the multiple quantities for the production in the same area rather than the conventional cultivation system.

Also, the thin layer agro-textiles based cultivation system will ensure less water and chemical consumption as well as providing safe environmental concerns.

This technology can bring the areas where it was considered not suitable for cultivation like a river or flood-affected regions. Very interestingly there is a long period after the flood the farmers cannot grow plants; this technology can be a wise solution to the concern during this time.

Acknowledgement The authors are thankful to Prof.

Engr. Mashud Ahmed, Honourable former Vice-Chancellor, Bangladesh University of Textiles, Bangladesh; for his active guidance in this work.

[Read full article in online with reference] 74

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 Sustainable Fiber

Biocrystal® innovation entering the textile industry market Desk Report

After implementing Biocrystal® innovation into various types of foam for furniture, bedding, automotive, aircraft, and many other industries, this product is being further developed and researched for implementation into the fiber.

body condition.

Developed by experts, relying only on natural resources, Biocrystal® mixture is a powerful combination of 16 natural crystals ennobled with threads of gold and silver, scientifically tested and proven to work.

This is the reason why the European company BC Tech, an inventor and provider of Biocrystal innovation, recently established a company in India and hired experienced consultants and well-known experts of the textile industry (which is the second largest industry of this country).

with expertise in nanomaterial technology and textile manufacturing and quality system, Dr. Thunuguntla Jai Mangal Sinha and Swadesh Verma.

Implementing Biocrystal® into fiber will further bring to the development of yarn with an active impact, relying on tested and proven efficiency for an end-user.

Regardless of the particle size, the efficiency of Biocrystal® mixture is retained, therefore the innovated yarn, used in textile production will provide an experience of improved energy flow through the body, reduced consequences of fatigue and stress and improved overall

Innovative fiber with Biocrystal® is being developed by the most reputed Indian experts,

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Sustainable Fabric

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'Khadi' can uphold country's traditional industry to the world Abir Basak Khadi is the rich heritage and history messenger of Bengali culture strongly reminds us of the “Swadeshi Movement”. This Khadi or Khoddor cloth is directly hand made from the ancient time. The yarn is made from carpas cotton; later this yarn goes through hand-operated charka (spinning wheel) or tant to be turned into traditional cloth.

Figure 1: A Khadi artisan is spinning yarn for traditional khadi fabric

Since the Indo-British period, Cumilla's khadi has been getting extra popularity. This region's flourishing khadi goods are cherishing the consciousness of Bengali culture, tradition for centuries. And before the partition of sub-continent countries, during 'Quit India' movement, Mahatma Gandhi's call for the boycott of industrial spun fabrics from England, this thick cloth's demand stretched at a skyscraper.

Consequently, it became a supreme symbol of patriotism.

After the independence of Bangladesh, though this heritage withered, the fashion houses like Aarong, Kay Kraft, Bishwo Rang have been highlighting this tradition with various ways in front of the khadi lovers for last 15 years as a Bengali fashion icon. Sailendra

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Nath Guha (known as khadibabu), Founder of Grameen Khadi and his son Bijon and Arun Guha, and the Khadi and Cottage Industries Association (KCIA) also played a momentous role.

Diversity in design The new appearance of khadi has changed the notion of orthodox rough textures and thick clothing matter. Thin khadi gowns, skirts, tops, shirts, kurta, fatuya, saree, bed sheets have become trendy thanks to expert designing. Khadi clothes were made mostly white and off-white color prior but now colorful varieties are available.

Khadi special corners are common in fashion houses.

Fayez Hassan, Executive Designer of Aarong said, “To promote khadi among youths, we should produce

attires by giving importance on their preference. There was a time when these garments ran in winter seasons only but now it is worn all over the year.”

Pradip Kumar Raha, Proprietor of Cumilla Khadighar said, “Usually traditionally spun khadi clothes were very heavy once. Now refined clothes are produced. The young generation has embraced khadi warmly, and some even researching on it. Khadi is a global product as Bengali communities around the world affectionately took this beloved product.”

Khadi traders informed that every yard of khadi hand-made spun fabric is valued on average Tk. 200 although it depends on the fluctuation of cotton prices.

Besides, machine-made fabrics cost Tk. 140 per yard.

Bangladesh Textile Today |

Volume 12, Issue 02

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 Sustainable Fabric

Figure 2: Models are showcasing designer’s khadi attires in the festival. Courtesy: FDCB

Branding of Khadi In 2004, the khadi festival was organized by one of the country's leading fashion house, KayKraft. But it was not conceivable for them to organize regularly due to many reasons. Also at various times khadi weaving was showcased named Boyon-Sangeet

by Anjon's and Nitya Upahar. The 2009 Boyon-Sangeet showcase was dedicated to the Tanti (weaving) community, presented them with crests and certificates as accreditation.

In 2015, the Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh (FDCB) has started officially the 'Khadi Festival' to uphold this famous heritage in collaboration with the Cultural Ministry. The name is given 'Khadi: Future Fabric Show' with tagline #GOKHADI. This festival has attracted a lot of foreign and local designers from the beginning.

Maheen Khan, Fashion Designer and Founder President of FDCB said, “Muslin, Jamdani, Khadi, Nakshi Kantha- these names restore a connection to our very own royal past. Khadi textile has the lowest carbon footprint; it can help mitigate global warming to a certain extent. Weaving the Khadi

Bangladesh Textile Today |

 The reason Khadi is gaining popularity and extensive acceptance is that it’s availability in the diversity of design concepts. Customers get a wide range of colors to choose from. It is no more fabric of the seriouslooking, aged people or government officials.

The younger generation working in the fashion and corporate sector find it cool and wear it with pride.

Khadi is a versatile fabric, has the magical ability to stay cool in summer and warm in winter. Mixed khadi requires less care, paralleled to pure khadi.

Volume 12, Issue 02

requires no electricity or burning of fossil fuels. In today’s age, we are most concerned with long term sustainability, eco-friendliness, and green product. I believe Khadi is the prime solution to concerns related to global warming.”

“With the help from the government, private, corporate initiatives and continuous efforts of the FDCB, Khadi is slowly but indisputably reviving its lost heritage,” Maheen Khan added.

Khadi is getting more popular among young people Although the new generation doesn't know more about this heritage cloth, nowadays due to proper promotion, their keen interest in khadi is increasing. The reason Khadi is gaining popularity and extensive acceptance is that it’s availability in the diversity of design concepts. Customers get a wide range of colors to choose from. It is no more fabric of the serious-looking, aged people or government officials. The younger generation working in the fashion and corporate sector find it cool and wear it with pride. Khadi is a versatile fabric, has the magical ability to stay cool in summer and warm in winter. Mixed khadi requires less care, paralleled to pure khadi.

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Sustainable Fabric

Challenges and way outs Despite the widespread demand, this potential market is not being utilized due to the lack of fair value of its labor, scarcity of raw materials, artisan crisis, the higher price of cotton, lack of modern technology, financial supports, shut-down handloom factories, efficient managerial skills, proper marketing, and promotion etc.

Another root cause of backwardness is the involvement of the grassroots khadi workers in the RMG industry.

For these reasons, Khadi of Cumilla is losing her heritage.

Khadi Shilpa (industry) saw the golden time in the preindependence period. After the liberation war, the khadi industry witnessed a traumatized reality.

According to traders, strong association, forming strong channel of distribution, government’s special consideration, proper policy framework, exhibition, capturing untapped markets, media coverage can help this cottage industry to revive yet again.

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the face of light and business would become more resilient if khadi accesses in the international market widely.

Besides, government's export diversification project named 'one district, one commodity' will be able to play a substantial role to expand the khadi industry.

India and Pakistan are other leading sourcing hubs for khadi.

To promote and reach to apex, the Indian government has decided to harness solar energy to power charkas (spinning wheels) across the country to boost the production by 20 times. The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed the package loan agreement of $150 million for the Khadi Reform and Development Program (KRDP).

In addition, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has urged to Indian Railways for running a special train named 'Khadi Express' to promote this industry on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.

The Bangladeshi government has also taken steps to provide financial aids by identifying tant villages.

Khadipara artisan could see

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There are over 0.88 million handloom workers included khadi, of them about 0.41 million are female while 0.47 million are male, according to the Planning Commission.

Recently the government has launched a handloom census across the country spending of Tk 80 million to revive the local khadi industry. Besides, the process to get Geographic Indication (GI) registration of Bangladeshi product - Cumilla's textile ‘Khadi’ and ‘Roshmalai’ has been started after achieving GI of jamdani saree.

If we get, then this could bring a new milestone to this sector.

Conclusion Khadi is the signature fabric of sub-continental countries.

According to traditional business analysts, right now, what Bangladesh government is doing to revitalize khadi, ought to need further initiatives. If this attempt continues accurately it is undoubtedly concluded that khadi has a glittering future with parallels like other successful traditional sectors like Tangail saree and Jamdani.

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