From bio-based to fossil-based to bio-based: Exploring the potential of hemp as a material for next-gen fur

From Firenze University Press Journal: Fashion Highlight

Isabella Alevato, University of Technology, Sydney

Timo Rissanen, University of Technology, Sydney

Stefan Lie, University of Technology, Sydney

This paper reports on preliminary findings from an ongoing study investigating the potential of hemp as a material for the next generation of fur-like materials, here referred to as next-gen fur. In this study, hemp fibre is used for the hair part of the fur alternative. While other animal-based materials usually utilise either the skin or fibre, fur is composed of both (Rawling et al., 2024). Thus, base materials for next-gen furs are also being investigated within the project but are outside the scope of this paper.Before the Industrial Revolution, all raw materials used to produce garments could be considered natural or biologically based (Burgess & White, 2019). Presently, even biologically generated fibres are usually embedded with substances that signifi-cantly affect their degradation processes (Athey & Erdle, 2022). As fibre shed occurs, these fibres find their way into ecosystems and end up negatively affecting the environment (De Falco et al., 2020). In principle, animal-based fur is a natural material (Popescu & Hoecker, 2007) that is part of nature’s carbon cycle, which refers to the natural activity of carbon exchange involving the atmosphere, oceans, and land (Ghiat & Al-Ansari, 2021). Complex ecosystems on Earth depend on the relative stability of the carbon cycle (Malhi et al, 2020) and in addition to carbon in circulation through biological and other processes, a large amount of fossil carbon is stored in the ground as gas, oil and coal. When fossil carbon is extracted and used in large quantities, the carbon cycle is gradually destabilised. Thus, part of the efforts to stabilise the carbon cycle must include keeping as much fossil carbon in the ground as possible and creating materials from biological regenerative sources.However, even though fur is a natural material, prior to being applied to fashion products its production and finishing typically involve toxic substances that affect its natural biodegradation (Bijleveld et al., 2011). Still, animal welfare tends to be the main point of discussion. Consequently, commonly used alternatives are synthetic, which addresses the animal rights aspect but neglects anthropogenic emissions and microplastic pollution (Gladman et al., 2024). To mitigate the challenges that both animal-based fur and synthetic fur alternatives present, a transition to animal- and petrochemical-free materials is expected, justifying the growing interest in next-gen alternatives (Gladman et al., 2024). Due to the extremely limited number of next-gen fur innovators (Rawling et al., 2024) and even more limited scholarly research on next-gen fur alternatives, this research aims to address this gap in the literature by discussing the potential benefits of using hemp to mimic the hair part of a next-gen fur alternative to mitigate problems, such as fibre shedding-related pollution.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/fh-2974

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