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posted by
Fnord666
on Saturday September 14 2019, @10:36AM
from the at-least-it's-not-a-meat-dress dept.
from the at-least-it's-not-a-meat-dress dept.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49550263
It's a short article describing the strange materials people are experimenting with to make clothing. There is mushrooms, pineapple, PVC, and others. It's light on details (maybe there are other better articles with more technical information), but I thought it was interesting and worth sharing and discussing.
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The Bizarre Fabrics That Fashion is Betting On
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(Score: 4, Disagree) by bradley13 on Saturday September 14 2019, @11:11AM (13 children)
Artificial leather products, well, I don't really see the point. Leather is a fine material, and most of it is discarded anyway. Why not use it?
Maybe more interesting is the idea of a natural material that can compete with cotton. TFA is light on details, but the main competitor they mention is Tencel, which is made from cellulose. What TFA omits is that Tencel is specifically made from the pulp of the Eucalyptus tree. Why, I'm not sure, but this at least focuses the question: what is environmentally: a Eucalyptus plantation or a cotton plantation?
One article notes it's "difficult to be definitive" when calling Tencel more sustainable than cotton, especially because Tencel production is "an extremely minuscule fraction" of cotton production today. And more research needs to be done through the conversion and dying processes. Despite the award-winning closed-loop system, these steps can't avoid harsh chemicals. [businessinsider.com]
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Saturday September 14 2019, @11:35AM (1 child)
No one seems to agree on how much water cotton uses - 11,000 [textileexchange.org] or 20,000 litres per kg [worldwildlife.org] or just lots [theguardian.com] and lots [triplepundit.com]
Cotton growers suggest not that much [cottoninc.com], but provide no absolute figures, or, lots of figures [cottonaustralia.com.au], but no number per kg.
On the other hand, Eucalypts love water [researchgate.net], even before any parts are processed into fabric.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday September 14 2019, @03:59PM
Who cares how much water goes into growing cotton? It all returns to the environment. If the cotton growers can grow their crop economically by pumping lots of water, then great. If they can't, then they should switch to something else.
Personally, I hate cotton. Every time I wear it I feel like I'm choking. I'd much prefer to wear clothing made exclusively from bamboo fiber, or carbon fiber, but those are still too expensive and not widely used.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 3, Flamebait) by looorg on Saturday September 14 2019, @11:43AM (2 children)
For most of us that isn't an issue, leather is nice and useful. But then there is that angst ridden segment of the market that is "all about the animals" (Vegetarian extremists of various kinds) and such that wouldn't want to be caught dead in a leather jacket or clothing made out of leather in general. Then we have the people who has a God that tells them that it's bad, so they are out to -- Muslims wearing pig leather, Hindus wearing cow ... the list probably goes on like this. So I guess it's for them, but then more leather for the rest of us so I'm fine with that.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday September 14 2019, @04:02PM (1 child)
I agree, leather is a fine material. You can make it from lots of animals, too. To not use it would be wasting a significant part of the animal. If a cow is going to be slaughtered for meat wouldn't we rather every part of it be used?
Also, you can't really do Steampunk without leather. God help the prisses who try to take Steampunk from us!
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by acid andy on Saturday September 14 2019, @06:56PM
Ethically, this is the part I have a problem with. I have no wish to support nor create demand for that happening in the first place. Somehow I doubt tanners get their hides for free from the meat industry. Happy to be proven wrong with a citation though.
If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by FatPhil on Saturday September 14 2019, @07:50PM (7 children)
On the other hand, if you use something natural then the pseudohippies will complain about how much water the plantmatter took to grow until it was harvestable, or the fact that you've just used some bits of dead animal.
You simply can't win.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by acid andy on Saturday September 14 2019, @08:18PM (3 children)
The way to win is with a lower global birth rate. Once the population stabilizes at a saner level, plant based materials will be a realistic option without trashing the world's ecosystems.
If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Sunday September 15 2019, @06:36PM (2 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 15 2019, @07:57PM (1 child)
There. FTFY.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday September 16 2019, @05:38AM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by acid andy on Saturday September 14 2019, @08:21PM (1 child)
By the way, what differentiates a real hippie from a pseudohippie? And which of those things, if any, would a real hippie complain about?
If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Sunday September 15 2019, @06:36PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 3, Touché) by captain normal on Saturday September 14 2019, @10:30PM
There you go, we should all just run around naked. That would really put the Fashion Industry out.
When life isn't going right, go left.