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| Issue date:01/10/2009 |
| ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel - Oct 2009 Issue |
| Source:Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel |
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| By finding more uses for the entire cotton plant — including the potential of cottonseed as a nourishing food source and the use of other parts of the cotton plant in everything from construction materials to plasma screens — the future of cotton is limited only by the imagination, Cotton Incorporated says |
There are many different definitions of sustainability. At Cotton Incorporated, it is a goal, an ideal of perfection that can be approached, but never fully reached. With that in mind, a more practical definition of sustainability is a product or process that: 1) minimizes the environmental footprint; 2) is economical and profitable; and 3) enhances the quality of life.
This three-pronged definition can be applied to every link on the cotton supply chain and to the research and development performed by the company.
Funded by U.S. growers of upland cotton and importers of cotton and cotton textile products, Cotton Incorporated is the research and marketing company representing upland cotton.
Cotton seeds and fiber |
Broad examples of research include the testing and implementation of modern precision agricultural practices that continue to reduce the inputs used to grow cotton, while increasing yields. Another example is the analyses and promotion of new and cleaner manufacturing processes that help reduce the quantity of natural resources and chemicals needed, without sacrificing the quality of the end product. Rounding out the examples are investigations of innovative ways to transform the non-fiber parts of the cotton plant into practical, commercial products.
The holistic approach of Cotton Incorporated helps the industry move nearer to sustainability, and to make more informed decisions along the way.
More efficient, more sustainable
It is easy to see that sustainability is a byproduct of efficiency.
Brands and industries that use less energy and fewer inputs to produce quality products will naturally be more profitable; and their efforts will profit the environment, as well. This simple logic is a guiding principle at Cotton Incorporated.
To illustrate this point, consider that Cotton Incorporated oversees an average of 400 agricultural research projects each year. Over the past few decades, these projects and their findings have enabled U.S. cotton growers to reduce pesticide applications by 50%. It has helped growers produce double the volume of cotton produced — without increasing the amount of water. And, cotton producers in the U.S. have maintained the same level of fiber volume while planting on two-thirds less land. These practices save the growers money, reduce the volume of chemicals entering the environment, and help to conserve natural resources like land and water that will soon be in short supply.
Improved management of agricultural practices are helping cotton growers in the United States significantly reduce the negative effects of greenhouse gases. A practice called reduced tillage increases sequestration rates of soil carbon – as much as 400 pounds of carbon per acre, per year.
Improved agricultural practices
The carbon footprint from the cotton planting stage to the ginning phase is fairly small, approximately 300 pounds of carbon equivalent emissions per acre. In a no-tillage production environment, if credit is taken for the 400 pounds of carbon in the soil, cotton production actually stores 100 pounds more carbon than its production emits. Taking additional credit for the carbon in the fiber, an acre of no-till cotton actually stores 450 pounds more of atmospheric carbon than was emitted in its production. Carbon sequestered in the world cotton fiber supply is the oil equivalent of permanently removing 7.25 million passenger vehicles.
Reduced tillage also decreases dust emissions from the field, which improves air quality, and reduces the amount of diesel fuel needed to power tilling equipment.
Reducing eco-footprint in manufacturing
In the manufacturing arena, techniques and technologies are explored to help the industry and the environment at the same time.
The manufacturing process of textile and apparel involve the use of water, energy and chemicals. Ways to minimize the use of these resources are better for the environment, and they are best achieved in fabric preparation, dyeing and finishing processes rather than yarn production, fabric production or garment production, according to Cotton Incorporated.
Wet processing for fabric preparation, dyeing and finishing account for 85% of all water used, 80% of all energy used and 65% of all chemicals used.
During the winter of 2008 and 2009, in-depth interviews were made at over 40 cotton textile processing companies in regions of China, India, Turkey and elsewhere representing over 75% of global textile processing. These companies process a wide range of woven, knits, denim, and yarn products and have adopted proven commercial technology that significantly reduces the required water, energy and chemicals. Each plant had incorporated a selection of processes, equipment, dyes and chemicals, and control systems that reduced the above resources.
In May this year, the company hosted the “Cotton Textile Processing: Sustainable Solutions for a Better Future” conference in Hong Kong. The conference presented 28 existing and immediately implementable technologies to 200 attending textile decision makers from Southeast Asia.
These technologies are divided into: 1) processes; 2) chemicals and dyes; 3) equipment; 4) systems, control, management; and 5) waste water treatment. They can be applied to varying degrees to piece-dyed wovens, piece-dyed knits, denim, and yarn-dyed operations.
About 200 people learned practical, greener textile processing technologies at a conference organized by Cotton Inc in Hong Kong
Categories of 28 technologies that reduce the use of water, energy and chemicals | |
Genencor, for instance, presented a breakthrough biotechnology solution for the textile processing industry with its PrimaGreen products.
Genencor’s PrimaGreen EcoWhite is an innovative enzyme, which powers a novel bleaching system that will be sold by Huntsman Textile Effects under the name Gentle Power Bleach. Jointly developed by Huntsman and Genencor, the new technology suits for pretreatment of textiles, particularly cottons. It allows low temperature bleaching of textiles at a neutral pH range and can process various fibers in a more sustainable way whilst delivering textile goods with an enhanced quality.
Many of the sustainable advances in agriculture −and some in manufacturing −are products of biotechnology. Few things are more misunderstood than the potential of biotechnology to improve the planet and the well-being of its inhabitants. It is a popular misconception that genetically-modified organisms are inherently dangerous. Providing rational and fact-based information on biotechnology, as it relates to cotton, is another way Cotton Incorporated serves the global cotton industry.
With respect to genetically-modified cotton, the bt variety enhances the plant’s natural ability to fend off pests. This is a good thing since enhanced natural protection reduces the necessity for pesticide applications. Scientific evidence indicates that bt cotton is also a safe option; in fact, the proteins produced inside the bt cotton plant are the same pesticides applied topically by organic cotton growers. Researches into the development of heat- and drought-resistant cotton varieties, as well as those requiring less nitrogen to prosper, show great promise and are on the Cotton Incorporated agenda of research projects.
Biotechnology benefits textile manufacturing as well. Bleaching and scouring are necessary, but chemical-heavy steps in the creation of a garment. Recently, some innovative companies have brought to market an effective, gentler alternative — enzymes. Enzymatic bleaching and scouring achieves a comparable result to the chemical-based process, but is significantly easier on the environment.
A companion best practices manual published by Cotton Incorporated is available by this September including eco-friendly technologies using enzyme.
Making cottonseed eatable
One of the most exciting biotech developments may position cotton as a nutritious and plentiful food source for future generations. For every pound of cotton fiber, cotton plants produce 1.5 pounds of seed. Cottonseed, which is more like a nut than a typical seed, is rich in protein and low in fat. However, the presence of a chemical called gossypol had rendered cottonseed inedible by humans. In the leaves of the plant, gossypol acts a natural pest deterrent.
The trick for researchers was to find a way to keep gossypol in the leaves, but eliminate it from the seed. It took nearly 20 years of research, but the first crop of gossypol-free cottonseed was harvested in early September in the United States. Pending analysis and the perpetuation of ultra-low gossypol cottonseed over successive generations of plantings, cotton may become as well known as something to eat as something to wear.
For every pound of cotton fiber, there is 1.5 pounds of cottonseed |
People understand that cotton is soft and that cotton is comfortable. These simple truths have contributed to the appeal of cotton across six millennia, and may explain why it remains among the most widely used textile fibers. But the future of cotton is linked to the well-being of the planet and the implementation of practices that treat the Earth with care. The future of cotton is in its potential to provide more than textiles to future generations.
Source: Cotton Incorporated
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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