The index charges polyester is one of the most sustainable materials in the world; for example, using the information on European polyester manufacturing provided by a plastics-industry group, although the majority of the world's polyester is made in Asia, typically using a dirtier power grid, and under much less strict environmental guidelines.
Essentially, The New York Times reported that the Higg ranking, also known as Lycra or spandex, has attracted an examination by the world's most massive elastane producer, Invista, a subsidiary of the conglomerate Koch Industries.
It’s soft. It’s vegan. It’s made from fossil fuels.
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 12, 2022
The fashion industry has been transformed by the rebranding of synthetic materials into hip alternatives like "vegan leather," a marketing masterstroke meant to suggest environmental virtue. https://t.co/sGYW1z8Gx0
The Higg Index itself was born ten years or so in the plant amid a strengthening emphasis amongst shoppers on sustainability, animal welfare, and environmental considerations.
It coincided with advances in synthetic-based materials that were cheap but had new options that consumers craved, like improved elasticity or improvements in the skill to wick away perspiration.
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A model presents a creation of the Lycra brand during Colombiatex, Colombia's most important textile fair, in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on January 22, 2020.
Fashion Industry Players on Use of Plastics
A lot of the garment manufacturers sitting on the board of the group that's overseeing the indexed revenue from two vogue megatrends that are immediately benefiting from advances in synthetics like these-quick vogue, not to mention athleisure
The quick popularity of big player H&M for occasions shows what it calls "Higg-based sustainability profiles" together with a few of its merchandise, a similar News-Universe report said.
According to an industry-focused publication based mostly in London, Apparel Insider's chief editor Brett Matthews, members of Higgs, a lot of them, are fast fashion brands, and they are all utilizing mainly polyester.
Therefore, he added, it favors them to get polyester a higher rating. However, the information used was "very poor," he also said, and the net result is that the actual score of Higgg, which tells the fiber is more sustainable than that one, is "misleading to consumers."
'Plastic is Not the Problem'
In a New York Times report, science writer Susan Freinkel wrote, "plastic is not the problem, "but humans are. Here, Freinkel contended that plastic could help save the environment.
It takes less energy to produce compared to other materials. More so, it's making a lot of green technology possible, replacing materials that are "sustainable" just because they come from destroying trees or animals. There's just a need to start appreciating it and stop throwing it away; she continued explaining.
Freinkel also said the problem is humans' disposable culture, not what's being disposed of. It is not the fault of plastic that people are compulsively tossing out bags and bottles after every use.
Additionally, there's technology to produce better, safer plastics forged from renewable sources instead of finite fossil fuels, using chemicals that inflict minimal harm to the planet and human health.
Lastly, there are public policy tools to develop better recycling systems and hold businesses responsible for the products they're putting into the market.
Related information about plastic clothes saving the planet is shown on BBC News's YouTube video below:
RELATED ARTICLE: Wax Worm Saliva May Break Down Synthetic Material Helping With Plastic Waste Treatment, Recycling
Check out more news and information on Plastics in Science Times.
