Alternatives to synthetics: wood fibre or bast fibre?
With wood fibre alternative to synthetic fibre, we could simply be replacing one problem with another.
Finding a suitable alternative to single-use plastics can be a tricky and complex task.
One way to replace single-use plastics is to convert wood fibre into textile materials, packaging, or single-use nonwovens like baby and cleaning wipes. And while this appears to be an eco-friendly, renewable, and biodegradable solution that tackles every company's environmental footprint, this solution isn't perfect: First, converting wood-based pulp into viscose fibre for wipes and other nonwoven products can be a very chemical intensive process. And second increasing our reliance on wood fibre will exceed the capacity of our already limited sustainably managed forests, leading to ecosystem degradation and the destruction of ancient and endangered forests.
Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.
This means we may be going out of the frying pan and into the fire, replacing one problem with another.
In the production of consumer products, it’s more important than ever to adopt sustainable alternative materials like annually renewable hemp fibres that are truly natural, plastic-free, tree-free, and compostable.
Bast plants are grown annually, can be integrated into existing agriculture, require minimal inputs for growth, and have natural strength and absorbency that make them ideal for nonwoven applications. That’s why bast fibres are a crucial part of the transition away from plastic, and why BFT technologies are leading the way towards the production of truly sustainable fibre products.