Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cotton Fiber and Its Sustainable Alternatives

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Novel Sustainable Raw Material Alternatives for the Textiles and Fashion Industry

  • 230 Accesses

Abstract

Cotton fiber is known as the white gold of India and every state thrives on it in many ways: farming, textile, craft, or basic utility products. A shift in the popularity of cotton is seen in the twenty-first century which came up with unprecedented opportunity in terms of technology and new material due to the harmful environmental effects of cotton. Search and application of new fibers such as bamboo, linen, banana, jute, ramie, pineapple, hemp, and lotus by the textile and fashion industry has made these fibers as some of the important alternatives for cotton due to their additional advantage not only as a textile material but also due to their sustainable developmental life cycle. This chapter is a compilation of many studies and researches conducted in the field of sustainable alternatives for cotton, and it explores the ability and inability of these fibers to substitute cotton.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. N. Aamir, A. Malik, From divinity to decoration: The journey of lotus symbol in the art of subcontinent. Pakis. Social Sci. Rev. 1(2), 201–225 (2017). https://doi.org/10.35484/pssr.2017(1-II)17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. M. Ahirwar, B.K. Behera, Development of hemp-blended cotton fabrics and analysis on handle behavior, low-stress mechanical and aesthetic properties. J. Text. Inst. 113(5), 934–942 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1080/00405000.2021.1909799

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. S. Aishwariya, S. Thamima, Sustainable textiles from lotus. Asian Text. Jl. 28(10), 56–59 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  4. M. Aleksandra, S. Ksenia, K. Elena, The genes determining synthesis of pigments in cotton. Biol. Commun. 64(2), 133–145 (2019). https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu03.2019.205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Are Cotton Balls and Medical Balls The same, (2018), https://richmonddental.net/library/cotton-balls-medical-balls/. Accessed 1 Aug 2022

  6. S. Ariharasudhan, P. Chandrasekaran, M. Dhinakaran, V. Rameshbabu, S. Sundaresan, S. Natarajan, A. Arunraj, Study of banana/cotton blended nonwoven fabric for lead and zinc adsorption. AIP Conf. Proc. 2446(1), 170008 (2022)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. V.R. Babu, S. Sundaresan, Home furnishing, 1st edn. (WPI Publishing, New York, 2018)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  8. V. Bhandari, J. Kalra, Design practice and craftsmanship: Reimagining the craft sector in India. Art Des. Commun. High. Educ. 17(1), 61–72 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. E.T.N. Bisanda, L.Y. Mwaikambo, Potential of Kapok fibre as a substitute of cotton in textiles. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. 1(1), 66–71 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  10. V.I. Bogdanova, G.N. Nurullina, Textile Products for Restaurant Business.

    Google Scholar 

  11. L.A. Bradley, D. Christel, M. Vulcan, S. Dunn, The use of TransDRY® cotton fabric as a textile intervention to reduce abdominal skin infections and surface skin temperature in post-bariatric surgery patients. Int. Text. Apparel Assoc. Annu. Conf. Proc. 74(1) (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  12. T. Cattermole, The Future of Cotton (2010), http://www.gizmag.com/future-ofcotton/17077/. Accessed 25 May 2022

  13. Y.T. Cheng, D.E. Rodak, C.A. Wong, C.A. Hayden, Effects of micro-and nano-structures on the self cleaning behaviour of lotus leaves. Nanotechnology 17(5), 1359 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/17/5/032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. S.R. Chikuba, A tribute to spirit of Okinawa: Bashofu at the Okura Museum of Art (2022), https://artscape.jp/artscape/eng/focus/2208_01.html. Accessed 10 Aug 2022

  15. A.C. Cohen, I. Johnson, J.J. Pizzuto, Fabric Science, 9th edn. (Fairchild Publication, New York, 2010)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Cotton Incorporated, Cotton Incorporated Supply Chain Insights: Courting the Mexican Apparel Consumer (2013), https://lifestylemonitor.cottoninc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Courting-the-Mexican-Apparel-Consumer.pdf. Accessed 13 Apr 2021

  17. S. Das, Occupational Health Diseases in the Textile Industry (TextilesSchool, 2022), https://www.textileschool.com/6881/occupational-health-diseases-in-the-textile-industry/. Accessed 11 Jan 2022

  18. A. Doshi, Banana Fiber to Fabric: Process Optimization for Improving Its Spinnability and Hand. Doctoral dissertation (Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, 2017)

    Google Scholar 

  19. R. Dubey, T.C. Shami, B.K.U. Rao, Microencapsulation technology and Applications. Def. Sci. J. 59(1), 82–95 (2009)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. H.U. Eltz, Importance of cotton in the nineties. 25, 171–174 (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  21. FIBRE2FASHION, Legacy of the Celestial Flower: Lotus Fiber Fabrics (2012), https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/6589/legacy-of-the-celestial-flower-lotus-fibre-fabrics. Accessed 10 May 2022.

  22. P. Forida, I. Shariful, U. Zakia, A. Shaharia, A.K.M. Saiful, A study on the solutions of environment pollutions and worker’s health problems caused by textile manufacturing operations. Biomed. J. Sci. Tech. Res. 28(4) (2020) BJSTR.MS.ID.004692

    Google Scholar 

  23. E.J. Gawne, B.V. Oerke, DRESS: The Clothing Textbook, 3rd edn. (Charles A. Bennett, 1969), pp. 439–449

    Google Scholar 

  24. B. Gaybullaev, S.C. Chen, D. Gaybullaev, Changes in water volume of the Aral Sea after 1960. Appl Water Sci 2(4), 285–291 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. G. Gedik, O. Avinc, Hemp fiber as a sustainable raw material source for textile industry: Can we use its potential for more eco-friendly production? in Sustainability in the Textile and Apparel Industries, (Springer, Cham, 2020), pp. 87–109

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  26. P.K. Gopinath, The art of Ajrakh: A remote Kutch village is keeping alive a textile tradition. The Hindu (2017), https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/the-art-of-ajrakh/article18514592.ece. Accessed 9 Aug 2022

  27. A. Gullingsrud, Fashion Fibers- Designing for Sustainability (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017)

    Google Scholar 

  28. K. Hendrickx, The Origins of Banana-Fiber Cloth in the Ryukus, Japan (Leuven University Press, 2007)

    Google Scholar 

  29. A. Hollander, Seeing Through Clothes (University of California Press, 1993)

    Google Scholar 

  30. M.B. Hossain, H. Begum, Investigation of spinnability of banana fibers through yarn formation along with analysis of yarn properties. Am. J. Eng. Res. 6(1), 322–327 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  31. http://www.outlast.com/en/technology/

  32. http://www.westex.com/frfabric-brands/ultrasoft/

  33. https://shop.gaatha.com/buy-indian-crafts/mashru

  34. https://www.bananatex.info/

  35. https://www.fireprotectionoutfitters.com/pages/company

  36. https://www.fireprotectionoutfitters.com/pages/fabric-guide

  37. https://www.oceansafe.co/detail/textile-industry-environment.

  38. https://www.sahapedia.org/the-jamas-of-mughal-india

  39. http://awsassets.wwfindia.org/downloads/cotton_market_and_sustainability_in_india.pdf

  40. T. Islam Health concerns of textile workers and associated community. PubMed (2022), https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580221088626. Accessed 1 Dec 2022

  41. Jai Textart: Creating Fashion Naturally for you since 2001. https://jaitexart.com/bagru/

  42. M.A. Jalil, M. Moniruzzaman, M.S. Parvez, A. Siddika, M.A. Gafur, M.R. Repon, M.T. Hossain, A novel approach for pineapple leaf fiber processing as an ultimate fiber using existingmachines. Heliyon 7(8), e07861 (2021) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8405988/. Accessed 15 May 2022

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. S. Gandhi, Jamdani saris: History, evolution and how they are woven. Vogue (2019), https://www.vogue.in/content/jamdani-saree-history-origin-technique-indian-handloom. Accessed 3 Sept 2021

  44. S. Jose, R. Das, I. Mustafa, S. Karmakar, G. Basu, Potentiality of Indian pineapple leaf fiber for apparels. J. Natural Fibers (2018). https://doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2018.1428844. Accessed 2 June 2021

  45. S. Jose, L. Samant, A. Bahuguna, P. Pandit, Opportunities of agro and biowaste in the fashion industry (2020), pp. 73–100. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119620532.ch4

  46. I. Karlsson, Sustainable cotton production: An achievable goal in the Aral Sea area? (2009), https://www.academia.edu/217318/Sustainable_Cotton_Production_An_achievable_Goal_in_the_Aral_Sea_Area. Accessed 22 Nov 2022

  47. T. Karthik, R. Rathinamoorthy, P. Ganesan, Sustainable Luxury Natural Fibers-Production, Properties and Prospects (Springer, Singapore, 2015)., https://oxfordasiantextilegroup.wordpress.com/tag/bashofu/. Accessed 4 July 2020

    Book  Google Scholar 

  48. KHAMIR: Organic Kala Cotton fabrics. https://shop.khamir.org/collections/organic-kala-cotton-fabrics. Accessed 2 Apr 2022

  49. S.S. Khar, S.M. Ayachit, Looking backwards to go forward – Use of traditional Indian pattern making to develop contemporary methods for global fashion. Int. J. Fash. Des. Technol. Educ. 6(3), 181–189 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2013.815808

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. V.N. Kulkarni, B.M. Khadi, M.S. Maralappanavar, L.A. Deshapande, S.S. Narayanan, The worldwide gene pools of Gossypium arboreum L. and G herbaceum L. and their improvement, in Genetics and Genomics of Cotton, (Springer, New York, 2009), pp. 69–97. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-70810-2_4. Accessed 8 Feb 2021

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  51. A.L. Leao, S.F. Souza, B.M. Cherian, E. Frollini, S. Thomas, L.A. Pothan, M. Kottaisamy, Pineapple leaf fibers for composites and cellulose. Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 522(1), 36–336 (2010)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. J.E. Lee, S.E. Kim, H.S. Kim, H.J. Kim, J.S. Koh, Reactive dyeing properties of cotton/hemp blend. Text. Coloration Finish. 21(5), 10–15 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Y. Liu, R.C. Xu, Y.P. Zhang, Development of fabric knitted by hemp/cotton yarn. Adv. Mater. Res. 332, 667–671 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  54. Lotus Sculpture, Lotus Flower God’s Favourite Flower. https://www.lotussculpture.com/my_articles_lotus.html. Accessed 5 June 2022

  55. D. Malik, K. Kundu, S. Dhanda, P. Kumar, Adoption, Returns and Initiatives for Bt Cotton Cultivation, Compendium of lead and invited papers, 184 (2018), http://www.crdaindia.com/downloads/files/n5aa773bae6cab.pdf. Accessed 7 Sept 2021

  56. W. Malik, N. Anjum, M. Usman Khan, M.A. Abid, J. Ashraf, R. Zhang, M.U. Rahman, Genomics of Naturally Colored Cotton: A Way Forward to Initiate Precision Breeding (Springer, Cham, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64504-5_8

    Book  Google Scholar 

  57. M. McQuerry, R. Riedy, B. Garringer, S. Isaac, Wash Life Durability Analysis of a Printed Cooling Technology on Cotton Textiles, in International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, vol. 76 (1), (Iowa State University Digital Press, 2019)

    Google Scholar 

  58. V. Berinstain, Asian Costumes and Textiles – From the Bosphorus to Fujiyama (Skira, Milano, 2001)

    Google Scholar 

  59. H. Miyake, Y. Gotoh, Y. Ohkoshi, M. Nagura, Tensile properties of wet cellulose. Polym. J. 32(1), 29–32 (2000) https://www.nature.com/articles/pj20005.pdf?origin=ppub. Accessed 21 May 2022

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. A.K. Mohanty, M. Misra, L.T. Drzal, Sustainable bio-composites from renewable resources: opportunities and challenges in the green materials world. J. Polym. Environ. 10(1), 19–26 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021013921916. Accessed 2 Apr 2021

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. G. Neeraj, The spiritual power of Lotus fabric. IOSR J. Human. Social Sci 25(7), 11–15 (2020) https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol.25-Issue7/Series-5/B2507051115.pdf. Accessed 6 Sept 2021

    Google Scholar 

  62. K.M. Nithiya, M. Thamotharan, G. Thamotharan, An Emergence of Sport-Tech in Technical Textile Industry, https://www.technicaltextile.net/articles/an-emergence-of-sport-tech-in-technical-textile-industry-3094. Accessed 3 Sept 2022

  63. OCS Team, Textile Waste-an Environmental Crisis (2021), https://www.onlineclothingstudy.com/2021/03/textile-waste-environmental-crisis.html. Accessed 3 Dec 2021

  64. J. Okafor, Environmental Impact of Cotton from Growing, farming and Consuming (2022), https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/fashion/environmental-impact-of-cotton/#:~:text=In%20Central%20Asia%2C%20the%20Aral,climate%20disasters%20known%20to%20humans

  65. E. Onofrei, A.M. Rocha, A. Catarino, The influence of knitted fabrics’ structure on the thermal and moisture management properties. J. Eng. Fibers Fabrics 6(4), 155892501100600403 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  66. Organic cotton processing, FIBER2FASHION.COM (2008), https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/3373/organic-cotton-processing. Accessed 7 May 2022.

  67. N. Özdil, S. Gamze, Ö. Gonca, P. Jitka, A study on the moisture transport properties of the cotton knitted fabrics in single jersey structure. Text. Apparel 19(3), 218–223 (2009) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288764957_A_study_on_the_moisture_transport_properties_of_the_cotton_knitted_fabrics_in_single_jersey_structure. Accessed 20 Mar 2022

    Google Scholar 

  68. R. Pandey, M.K. Sinha, A. Dubey, Cellulosic fibers from Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) peduncle. J. Natural Fibers 17(2), 298–309 (2020)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. P. Pandit, R. Pandey, K. Singha, S. Shrivastava, V. Gupta, S. Jose, Pineapple leaf fibre: Cultivation and production (Springer, Singapore, 2020)

    Google Scholar 

  70. K.R. Paudel, N. Panth, Phytochemical profile and biological activity of Nelumbo nucifera. Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med. (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  71. K.J. Phillips, STORM DENIM™: 100% Cotton Performance Denim (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  72. Plates from Banana Waste. Bioplastics NEWS. https://bioplasticsnews.com/2020/01/07/banana-waste-plates/

  73. Prakati, Clothes Made from Lotus Stem Fibers/Bijiyashanti Tongbram from Manipur (2020), https://www.prakati.in/clothes-made-from-lotus-stem-fibers-bijiyashanti-tongbram-from-manipur/

  74. A.P. Rahman, A josh for Rogan art. The Hindu (2018), https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/a-josh-for-rogan-art/article22484496.ece?utm_campaign=amp_article_share&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=whatsapp.com

  75. R. Rathinamoorthy, M. Parthiban, Colored Cotton: Novel Eco-friendly Textile Material for the Future (Springer, Cham, 2019)

    Google Scholar 

  76. E. Rossol, The Viability of Banana Fiber-based Textiles in the Fashion Industry, Doctoral dissertation (Kent State University, 2019), https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=kent1574248933968539&disposition=inline

  77. A.K. Roy, Environmental Impacts of the Textile Industry and Its Assessment Through Life Cycle Assessment (Springer, Singapore, 2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-110-7_1

    Book  Google Scholar 

  78. N. Sajn, Environmental impact of the textile and clothing industry: What consumers need to know (European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), 2019), pp. 1–10. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/633143/EPRS_BRI(2019)633143_EN.pdf. Accessed 4 May 2022

  79. T. Sanyou, Viscose staple fiber from 50% post consumer recycled cotton textiles. Textile Technol. (2019), https://www.textiletechnology.net/fibers/news/Tangshan-Sanyou-Viscose-staple-fiber-from-50-post-consumer-recycled-cotton-textiles-13941. Accessed 3 Mar 2022

  80. A.G.D. Schumacher, S. Pequito, J. Pazour, Industrial hemp fiber: A sustainable and economical alternative to cotton. J. Clean. Prod. 268, 122180 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  81. J. Sponner, L. Toth, S. Cziger, R.R. Franck, Bast and other plant fibres (Woodhead Publishing, Cambridge, 2005)

    Google Scholar 

  82. K.R. Sridhar, R. Bhat, Lotus-A potential nutraceutical source. J. Agric. Technol. 3(1), 143–155 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  83. C.N. Srivaramakrishnan, Functional finishes on technical textiles. Int. J. Technol. Eng. Process. 1, 29–32 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  84. Sustainable Textile Innovations. FASHIONUNITED. https://fashionunited.uk/news/business/sustainable-textile-innovations-lotus-fibres/2017060924784

  85. M. Tamta, S. Mahajan, Innovative applications of pineapple leaf fibre in textiles and other fields. Int. E-Conf. Proc. (2020), https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Meenakshi-Tamta/publication/345918845_Innovative_applications_of_pineapple_leaf_fibre_in_textiles_and_other_fields/links/5fb2121b92851cf24cd58b54/Innovative-applications-of-pineapple-leaf-fibre-in-textiles-and-other-fields.pdf

  86. Textile Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Raw Material (Cotton, Wool, Silk, Chemical), By Product (Natural Fibers, Nylon), By Application (Technical, Fashion), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022–2030. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/textile-market. Accessed 19 Apr 2022

  87. The Bhuj House. http://www.thebhujhouse.com/what-we-do

  88. THE KINDCRAFT. https://thekindcraft.com/bagru/

  89. The traditional Rogan Art. https://www.roganartnirona.com/

  90. T. Toprak, Anis, Textile industry’s environmental effects and approaching cleaner production and sustainability, an overview. J. Text. Eng. Fash. Technol. 2(4), 429–442 (2017). https://doi.org/10.15406/jteft.2017.02.00066

    Article  Google Scholar 

  91. S. Vasudev, Khatri and Khatri: The First Families of Ajrakh (2019), https://thevoiceoffashion.com/fabric-of-india/the-search-for-sindhu/khatri-and-khatri-the-first-families-of-ajrakh%2D%2D3258. Accessed 10 June 2021

  92. I.M.M. Vieira, B.L.P. Santos, C.V.M. Santos, D.S. Ruzene, D.P. Silva, Valorization of pineapple waste: A review on how the fruit’s potential can reduce residue generation. BioEnergy Res., 1–11 (2021) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ozlem-Kaya/publication/358190761_INNOVATIVE_FABRICS_AND_PRODUCTS_THAT_CAN_CREATE_A_REVOLUTION_IN_FASHION/links/61f44b6f1e98d168d7d6d8bb/INNOVATIVE-FABRICS-AND-PRODUCTS-THAT-CAN-CREATE-A-REVOLUTION-IN-FASHION.pdf. Accessed 10 June 2022

  93. Weaving Lotus Flower Fabric. https://samatoa.lotus-flower-fabric.com/about-us-and-the-lotus-flower-fabric/. Accessed 10 June 2022

  94. What Kind of Fabrics Are Used for Stage Curtains? https://www.yorkshirefabricshop.com/post/what-kind-of-fabrics-are-used-for-stage-curtains. Accessed 10 June 2022

  95. P. Whish-Wilson, The Aral Sea environmental health crisis. J. Rural Rem. Environ. Health 1(2), 29–34 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  96. World Trade Organisation, WTO Celebrates UN Resolution Recognizing 7 October as World Cotton Day (2021), https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news21_e/cott_16sep21_e.htm. Accessed 14 Mar 2022

  97. D.G. Zerihun, W.G. Berhanu, A. Asefa, B. Sekamatte, Water Security Scan of Ethiopan Cotton Production (2021), https://cottonmadeinafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/AWS_ABTF-S_Water-Security-scan_FINAL-Aug2021.pdf. Accessed 23 May 2022

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chitkara Design School, Chitkara University, Rajpura, Punjab, India

    Vandana Gupta

  2. Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar, Haryana, India

    Saloni Gupta

Authors
  1. Vandana Gupta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Saloni Gupta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Chief Sustainability Officer, Green Story Inc., Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Gupta, V., Gupta, S. (2023). Cotton Fiber and Its Sustainable Alternatives. In: Muthu, S.S. (eds) Novel Sustainable Raw Material Alternatives for the Textiles and Fashion Industry. Sustainable Textiles: Production, Processing, Manufacturing & Chemistry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37323-7_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation