From Clothing Rations to Fast Fashion: Utilising Regenerated Protein Fibres to Alleviate Pressures on Mass Production

Abstract

Sustainable methods of practice within the fashion and textile industry (FTI) often strive to employ a circular economy that aims to eliminate waste through the continual use of resources. Complex problems such as waste, consumption, and overproduction are heavily intertwined; the main aim of this paper is to report on research focused on re-examining the potential of food waste streams as a commercially viable and circular source of raw materials for the FTI. Herein, regenerated protein fibres (RPFs) from food production waste streams rich in protein have been chosen as the main topic of focus. RPFs have a rich and relevant history from a local manufacturing perspective during wartime and post-war clothing rationing (1941–1949) in the UK. RPFs were used to meet civilian needs for wool-based textiles as part of a wider series of ‘make do and mend’ strategies designed to manage the consumption of new textile products. However, RPFs demonstrated inferior quality in terms of durability when compared to wool-based textiles, a significant contributing factor to the consequent commercial phasing out of RPFs. In today’s take–make–waste model, the FTI landscape can be defined by speed, from slow (high-quality materials and construction, long-lasting products) to fast (seasonal, disposable, low-quality materials and construction), the latter infamous for dire environmental impacts. A key objective of this research is to review the association of quality and longevity within the context of a local and circular fashion economy in which textile quality and lifecycle analysis are holistically matched to the longevity of the textile, garment, or product to reduce waste across the supply chain.

Referencing Historical Practices and Emergent Technologies in the Future Development of Sustainable Textiles: A Case Study Exploring “Ardil”, a UK-Based Regenerated Protein Fibre

“…Customers were also not as keen to buy Ardil as ICI had hoped, with sales failing to grow. The struggle for new and experimental fibres to be accepted into a wider market is an important lesson to be taken forward into contemporary RPF development; the inherent poor fibre strength that plagued manufacturers at the time could now be seen as an opportunity, aligning RPFs with alternative, faster fashion cycles [77].…”

“…However, it should be noted that the majority of the milk being wasted in the UK is being generated in homes (90%), which would give rise to logistical problems for collection and ensuring that a uniform feedstock is obtained [79]. Casein-based RPFs were pioneered within Europe at roughly the same time as Ardil, with fibres such as Lanital having a similarly short-lived lifetime during and after WW2, although more contemporary research has been conducted into casein-based fibres [77].…”

Assessment of the Eco-Efficiency of the Circular Economy in the Recovery of Cellulose from the Shredding of Textile Waste

“…It is noteworthy that demographic growth has influenced the availability of resources globally due to the increase in the consumption of disposable goods, leading to potential excessive levels of consumption and the generation of waste [ 9 ]. In the manufacturing context, the textile sector raises concerns about the abundant use of natural resources and of fossil derived materials that raise environmental and social problems due to the manufacturing and discarding of textile clothing [ 10 ].…”

“…As such, several studies have demonstrated the existence of efforts to change the perception about the textile waste which is generated throughout the production chain, addressing several good practices that are environmentally friendly [ 20 ]. Such practices are related to the development of materials from waste [ 5 , 14 , 19 , 22 , 23 , 24 ], the recycling of textiles [ 12 , 20 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], and the development of textile fibers from non-textile waste, among others [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 28 ]. Table 1 offers an overview of the literature addressing the textile industry and the approaches related to economic and environmental aspects that hold opportunities for the circular economy.…”

Economic Aspects of Low Carbon Development

“…In a recent Special Issue article, Stenton et al [11] pointed to the importance of using regenerated protein fibers to reduce the pressure on mass production. The key aim of the analyses presented in the article was to link quality and durability in the context of a local circular fashion economy, where the analysis of textile quality and the life cycle is holistically matched to the durability of the materials in order to reduce the amount of waste.…”