Sustainability confidence in deermination

摘要

World fibre consumption continues to increase, attributable to world population growth, technological and industrial development leading to diversity in end applications of fibres/textiles, and reduced barriers to international trade. Concurrently, many questions about the extent to which these developments are sustainable have emerged. Demand can be met only by increasing manufactured fibres/filaments, synthetic and other forms, given prospects of increasing the volume of natural fibres are slim, and even if possible, diverse product performance properties need to be assured. There are questions too, related to environmental effects of various forms of fibre-related waste. These issues have been the focus of international and governmental agencies for many years (eg International Organization for Standardization, and Standards organisations in member countries - EN, AS/NZS; United Nations Climate Change Action - Partnership for Sustainable Textiles; EU Product Environmental Footprinting; Quantis Plastic Leak Project; DEFRA - Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs [UK]) and non-governmental organisations such as those related to conservation and to wildlife protection (eg Conservation International, Global Wildlife Conservation].