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RESSOURCE-SAVING MATERIALS
Tyvek® is a resource-saving, 100% synthetic material made of high-density polyethylene fleece. Tyvek® is characterized by its robust and fine surface as well as its light weight. As a tear-resistant, supple and easy-to-process plastic, Tyvek® can be easily shaped with little energy input. The material is durable, breathable and offers high resistance to water, abrasion and penetration of bacteria and ageing. Tyvek® is also easily recyclable.
The Eri silkworm moth is, like the mulberry silkworm moth, a fully domesticated silkworm. It lives in northeast India and in some parts of China and Japan. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, the Indian engineer Kusuma Rajaiah spent several years researching the possibilities of an ethically and economically justifiable method of producing silk fabrics from mulberry silk without having to kill the pupae in boiling water as is done in conventional silk production. According to his method, the silk thread is unwound from the cocoon only after the moth has hatched from the cocoon. Then the silk thread is entangled and spun.
In the textile industry, the dyeing process in production is so far responsible for the most significant environmental impact. The classic wet chemical textile dyeing process in particular, uses extremely large quantities of water. In Germany alone, this industry produces an estimated 50 ton75 million m³ of waste water per year. For several years now, the spin dyeing technique has been revolutionizing the traditional textile dyeing process in dip tanks. In contrast to the conventional process, the color pigments are added to the granulate (usually polyester) in the spin dyeing, before the yarn is spun out. Compared to the regular dyeing process, water consumption is reduced by up to 89%, CO2 emissions by up to 62% and fewer chemicals are used. Overall, this achieves energy savings of up to 63%. Further advantages of spin dyeing include improved light and color fastness, higher UV resistance and better washability.
