The Role and Business Case for Existing and Emerging Fibres in Sustainable Clothing
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The role and business case for existing and emerging fibres in sustainable clothing The Food and Environment Research Agency Textile Engineering and Materials Research Group, De Montfort University Centre for Technical Textiles, University of Leeds A research report completed for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs April 2010 Final Report 1 Published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Nobel House 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR Tel: 020 7238 6000 Website: www.defra.gov.uk © Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO 2007 This publication is value added. If you wish to re-use this material, please apply for a Click-Use Licence for value added material at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/value-added-licence-information/index.htm Alternatively applications can be sent to Office of Public Sector Information, Information Policy Team, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ; Fax: +44 (0)1603 723000; email: [email protected] Information about this publication is available from: SCP&W Evidence Base Defra Zone 5D, 5th Floor, Ergon House c/o Nobel House, 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR Email: [email protected] 2 The role and business case for existing and emerging fibres in sustainable clothing (EV0420) Final Report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs April 2010 Suggested citation for this report: Turley, D. B., Horne, M., Blackburn, R. S., Stott E., Laybourn, S. R., Copeland, J. E, and Harwood, J. 2009. The role and business case for existing and emerging fibres in sustainable clothing: final report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), London, UK. This research was commissioned and funded by Defra. The views expressed reflect the research findings and the authors‘ interpretation; they do not necessarily reflect Defra policy or opinion. David Turley, Ruth Laybourn, James Copeland Agri-Environment and Land Use Strategy Team The Food and Environment Research Agency Sand Hutton York YO41 1LZ Matthew Horne and Jane Harwood TEAM Research 3.32 Gateway House De Montfort University The Gateway Leicester LE1 9BH Richard Blackburn and Emily Stott Green Chemistry Group Centre for Technical Textiles University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT 3 Contents 1 Executive summary .............................................................................................. 9 1.1 Rationale and objectives ................................................................................ 9 1.2 Approach ........................................................................................................ 9 1.3 Market analysis ............................................................................................ 10 1.4 Environmental impacts ................................................................................ 10 1.5 Social impacts .............................................................................................. 11 1.6 Knowledge gaps ........................................................................................... 13 1.7 Conclusions and future prospects ................................................................ 13 2 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 14 2.1 Rationale ...................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Objectives .................................................................................................... 14 3 Methodology ....................................................................................................... 15 3.1 Approach ...................................................................................................... 15 3.2 Identifying fibres of interest......................................................................... 15 3.3 Fibre classification ....................................................................................... 15 3.4 Literature review .......................................................................................... 16 3.5 Limitations of the LCA data ........................................................................ 19 4 Current and future markets ............................................................................. 21 4.1 Production trends ......................................................................................... 21 4.2 Existing clothing market segmentation ........................................................ 36 4.3 Future market trends and potential .............................................................. 39 4.4 Summary conclusions .................................................................................. 44 5 Sustainability assessment .................................................................................. 47 5.1 Fibre chain steps and processes ................................................................... 47 5.2 Environmental impacts of individual fibres ................................................. 51 5.3 Energy and water use comparisons .............................................................. 67 5.4 Other environmental impacts ....................................................................... 72 5.5 Use and end of life ....................................................................................... 77 5.6 Organic and GM cotton ............................................................................... 82 5.7 Social impacts .............................................................................................. 87 5.8 Summary conclusions .................................................................................. 90 6 Knowledge gaps .................................................................................................. 94 6.1 Current and future markets .......................................................................... 94 6.2 Environmental impacts ................................................................................ 94 6.3 Social impacts .............................................................................................. 95 6.4 Next steps ..................................................................................................... 95 7 Interpretation and policy implications............................................................. 97 7.1 Rationale and approach ................................................................................ 97 7.2 Major production trends ............................................................................... 97 7.3 Sustainability assessment ............................................................................. 98 7.4 Summary and conclusions ......................................................................... 100 4 7.5 Future directions ........................................................................................ 100 Appendix A Steering group and stakeholder consultees ............................... 104 A.1 Project steering group ................................................................................ 104 A.2 Project stakeholder group .......................................................................... 104 Appendix B Fibres of interest .......................................................................... 107 B.1 Existing fibres ............................................................................................ 107 B.2 Emerging fibres .......................................................................................... 110 B.3 Fibres excluded from this study ................................................................. 113 Appendix C Life cycle assessment data ........................................................... 116 C.1 Existing fibres ............................................................................................ 116 C.2 Emerging fibres .......................................................................................... 124 Glossary .................................................................................................................... 129 References ................................................................................................................. 134 5 Figures Figure 1. Global fibre production 1977–2007 (Oerlikon 2008). ................................. 21 Figure 2. Global population and per capita fibre production 1977–2007 (US Census Bureau 2008). ....................................................................................................... 22 Figure 3. Global production of major natural fibres 1977–2007 (FAO 2008). ........... 22 Figure 4. Share of total global major natural fibre production by fibre type 1977–2007 (FAO 2008). ......................................................................................................... 23 Figure 5. Global average cotton fibre yield and harvested area 1977–2007 (USDA 2009). ................................................................................................................... 23 Figure 6. Average cotton fibre yield by country 1997–2007 (USDA 2009). .............. 24 Figure 7. Area of harvested cotton fibre by country 1997–2007 (USDA 2009). ........ 25 Figure 8. Major cotton fibre producers by country (USDA 2009). ............................. 26 Figure 9. Cotton fibre price trends (Cotlook 2009). ...................................................