Textiles evolving to meet demand for sustainable materials

Whether it’s how they’re made or what they’re made of, textiles are evolving to meet consumer demand for sustainability.

“There’s a real push for sustainability now, and the home textiles industry is waking up to that consumer call,” says Shannon Maher, chair of Home Products Development at the Fashion Institute of Technology, in New York.

It’s about reducing waste during textile production, she said and reusing or recycling waste to produce other products.

“Zero Waste has definitely become a watchword,” she said.

Consumers today have a heightened awareness of the harm plastic does to the environment, and “are willing to pay 5 or 10% more for a sustainable product as a way of contributing to the circular economy, and helping the environment,” she says.

Rugs and outdoor fabrics, for instance, are increasingly being made with recycled materials instead of new plastics.

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