Full Circle Digital Magazine September 2013 | Page 29

A D V E R T O R I A L

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N A T U R A L

F I B R E S

Plant fibres
Plant fibres include seed hairs, such as cotton; stem (or bast) fibres, such as flax and hemp; leaf fibres, such as sisal; and husk fibres, such as coconut.

1. Abaca
Once a favoured source of rope, abaca shows promise as an energysaving replacement for glass fibres in automobiles.

5. Hemp
Recent advances in the “cottonization” of hemp fibre could open the door to the high quality clothing market.

2. Coir
A coarse, short fibre extracted from the outer shell of coconuts, coir is found in ropes, mattresses, brushes, geotextiles and automobile seats.

6. Jute
The strong threads made from jute fibre are used worldwide in sackcloth - and help sustain the livelihoods of millions of small farmers.

7. Ramie

Ramie fibre is white, with a silky lustre, and Pure cellulose, cotton is is one of the strongest the world’s most widely natural fibres, similar to used natural fibre and the flax in absorbency and undisputed “king” of the density. global textiles industry.

3. Cotton

4. Flax
One of nature’s strongest vegetable fibres, flax was also one of the first to be harvested, spun and woven into textiles.

8. Sisal
Too coarse for clothing, sisal is replacing glass fibres in composite materials used to make cars and furniture.

FULL CIRCLE DIGITAL MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013

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