Sustainable synthetic fibre production

Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the environment and aware that the planet and people cannot be exploited if we wish to continue to prosper. Even the highly changing field of fashion has an environmental conscience. Man-made fibres dominate the textile market. Hence, the environmental impact of these synthetic fibres has become highly significant. The conventional method of producing synthetic fibres is far from green because they are derived from petrochemicals, which are not renewable; they are energy intensive, do not biodegrade and are not easy to recycle. This chapter outlines the environmental impact of important synthetic fibres such as polyester, nylon and carbon and the possibilities and future of biopolymer methods of production on sustainability. Bio-based monomers and the methods used to produce sustainable synthetic fibres are elaborated upon in this chapter. Potential applications of enzymes producing sustainable synthetic fibres are also discussed.