Environmentally friendly conference bags
Article published: June 2007
Corporate social responsibility in relation to conference bags not only considers the impact on the environment of the eventual disposal of such products but also the impact on the environment in relation to production processes in manufacturing various textiles and also fair trade practices existing in the country of origin.
The following examines all of the textiles available and probes how appropriate each textile should be judged in relation to our objective of achieving the no.1 environmentally friendly conference bag.
Textile Fibres
There are 3 types of fibres available:
- Natural plant fibres such as Cotton, Flax, Jute, Hemp, Bamboo, Straw and Paper.
- Animal fibres such as Wool, Hair and Silk
- Man made fibres such as Nylon, Polyester and polypropylene.
Many of these can be discounted on the basis that they are not suitable for textile bags such as bamboo, straw, paper and the animal fibres. Nylon and polyester man made fibres can be discarded as we are already aware that their disposal is more damaging to the environment. We are therefore left with a number of options to consider.
Plant Fibres of which all are 100% biodegradable
 COTTON is a soft unicellular hair fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant. It is a tropical plant which is native to more than 60 countries of which China is the largest producer followed by America.
Cotton is a thirsty crop and as water resources get tighter around the world the economies which rely on it face environmental problems as a result.
In addition to this cotton is one of the most pesticide laden crops in the world with the majority of pesticides known to be cancer causing chemicals (17 tablespoons of chemicals are used to produce 1 cotton T shirt). Heavy reliance on pesticides is required because cotton is attacked by over 500 species of insect.
The processing of cotton is also a lengthy and complex process involving washing , boiling and bleaching all of which require temperature control. The finishing processes also involve starching and further chemical treatment. As a result, the production of cotton is heavily criticised for its damaging impact on the environment.
 JUTE is a soft vegetable fibre from the Corchorus plant which can be spun into coarse strong threads. It has huge amounts of cellulose which are produced by the Jute stem. The fibre is often called Hessian and is used extensively for fabrics in the packaging of agricultural and industrial commodities which require sacks and wrapping. It is grown in hot moist climates and is prevalent in India and Pakistan, although China is now a large producer.
Jute is the major crop among others that is able to protect deforestation by industrialisation in that the “woody” fibres within the stem also meet most of the wood needs of the world. It is not subjected to the same industrial processes which are applied to cotton – although water is used in the weaving process to dampen the fabric it is only sprinkled whereas cotton is washed, boiled and bleached. Thus Jute is the most environmentally friendly fibre starting from seed to fibre. It is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable.
 HEMP is a herbaceous plant and a relative of Jute. It grows in temperate zones including Russia and China. As with Jute the fibres grow within the bark. Similarly to Jute, the hemp straw is left to decompose naturally so that the fibres can be mechanically separated from the bark.
 FLAX is another herbaceous plant grown for LINEN fibre in the warm countries of the Mediterannean. The fibres occur in the bark of the stem. The growing of Flax is free from extensive spraying and the use of pesticides however, like cotton the production process can be environmentally damaging due to the extensive water consumption and chemical treatment.
 LINEN is the strongest of the vegetable fibres and is largely produced in China these days. It is most suited to the production of sheeting, cloths and clothes rather than textile bags.
CANVAS was originally made from HEMP fibres but later made from FLAX, JUTE , COTTON or a mixture. Canvas can be natural, bleached or dyed and is used extensively as a bag textile. Although cotton canvas is the most readily available, Jute canvas is also available. The main attraction of Jute canvas is the smooth, softer finish due to the finer fibres and tighter weave. This gives much greater flexibility for screen printing and embroidery which is an important consideration for branding when compared to Jute. Jute is coarse and therefore imposes limitations on the various branding processes. However, the actual content of Jute canvas is 55% Jute and 45% cotton and is therefore fractionally less environmentally friendly than natural Jute but if used sparingly for those panels required for branding then the impact on the environment is minimised yet the flexibility for branding is maintained.
Man made textiles which are degradable and recyclable
Non woven polypropylene has been developed in recent years as an environmentally friendly substitute for Nylon and Polyester which are known to be more damaging to the environment. Non woven PP has been adopted by Tesco and Morrisons for use in their shopping bags. (Sainsbury’s have adopted Jute with cotton handles – incidentally the cotton handles did not attract any adverse publicity from environmentalists). Non woven PP is degradable (it breaks down into small pieces in the ground over time) and is fully recyclable. The production process is also relatively clean and although temperature control is used during production, there is no extensive use of chemicals and water as there is for cotton. The production is therefore far less damaging than cotton but I suspect uses slightly more energy than in Jute manufacturing.
The main advantages of non woven PP are that it is a cheap textile to produce and that the surface is more suitable for screen printing and embroidery. Non woven PP is the cheapest textile out of all the plant fibres and man made fibres available for textile bags. The disadvantage is that it is not yet available in a bio-degradable form. It has also been criticised on the basis that it does not look as natural as Jute and may therefore not deliver the message that it is an environmentally friendly textile.
Other considerations:
Dyeing and bleaching
During the dyeing process about 30% of the reactive dyes used are hydrolysed and later released into waterways. Although not toxic they may be converted into carcinogenic amines. Dying is also water intensive. However, low impact dye has clear environmental benefits as the material is not subject to heavy metals and azo’s in the dyeing process. Low impact dye is available is available for the above textiles at a slightly higher price, although the textile must be made to order.
Bleaching which is commonly associated with cotton production releases harmful chemicals which persist in the environment and spread through the food chain blocking the hormone systems of living organisms.
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