Thus cotton accounts for 40 of textile fibres

In a dark room of the Carrousel du Louvre, Rocky voice of Aretha Franklin and the Crackle of the briefings give rhythm to the further process of 15 models. Flexible textiles, predominantly black or unbleached, marry their actions. Long dresses, avant-garde pants, jackets laden graffiti... These are clothes in woven loincloth, a traditional material for weddings or baptisms Senegalese, signed Clare Kane and decorated by a technical process developed in Dakar.

Installed in Africa, the French designer has made of at the outset the bet of sustainable development. A shift that many of the textile industry began to turn and that creates innovations all azimuths. "Sustainable development rests on three pillars: fairness in trade, the preservation of the environment and social ethics", explains Hélène Sarfati-Leduc in Yamana, an association of the "Citizen Fibre" certification, which guarantees the progress of the companies in the righteous path of sustainable development.

The site is broad. And precipitates the industry in a race to the savings of energy, alternative resources and pollution. What pushing agricultural or industrial processes, whether the culture of the fields, methods of manufacture, production or transportation of goods. What also promote the design of new, biodegradable and recyclable materials, ranging from fibre packaging. What, finally, operate traceability tools to verify, by - beyond borders, the conditions for the production of any T-shirt. "The textile has the image of a clean and exploitatrice of labor industry." "Companies must show white paw," says Nathalie Ruelle, Professor at the French Institute of fashion.

A global process

The road is long, the overall process. Thus, cotton accounts for 40 of textile fibres. But its culture pollutes. "Cotton occupies only 3 of cropland in the world but it consumes 25 of the pesticides used on the planet." And moves to third in the world for water consumption after rice and wheat, said Michel Marbot, founder of eco-design agency Equi-bioz, whose researchers assist stakeholders in the textile. Bleaching requires frequent chlorine or chemical brighteners. While the dye is often toxic heavy metals such as chromium or lead-based.

Fertilizer additives, advances in chemistry have made clothing stain, permanent press and easy maintenance, multiplying the effects of color, texture and comfort. All technological prowess to which industry must find alternatives.

In the Vosges, the SMEs of weaving and dyeing Decouvelaere patented a process shape memory to make, without chemical additives, its permanent press fabrics. "Textile has long progressed with the giants of chemistry, originally of inventions as the lycra". "Now, the textile industry innovate also on downstream from the consumer" awareness of the cause of sustainable development, notes Dominique Carlac'h, Director of the society development & Council, author of a study on innovation in textiles.

Traditional cotton, many professionals replace less greedy, organic cotton water and without chemical adjuvant. Already, Celio launched a line of organic cotton jeans. While Vertbaudet uses this new "white gold" in his collection for baby.

However, using nature to recreate chemical processes gives trouble. Some converters attempt to use the natural oils to degrease the wool... but must fight their rancid smell. Similarly, the flax and hemp return their letters of nobility, but their colours and their touch must be refined. "Innovation must ally with the aesthetic." "Consumers are not ready to take on canvas bags", provides Karine Sfar, Director of the sustainable development of the Union of textile industries.

Dyes based on coffee, textures inspired by lotus flowers, milk fiber yarn... the creativity of professionals has limits as natural resources. Specialist of fabrics for the corseterie, Louis Vidon has expanded its range of fibers of flesh of crustaceans, wood, soy or algae.

Niche markets

For alternatives to oil, chemical giants join the movement. Out of the drawers of the subsidiary of Cargill NatureWorks, Ingeo fibre part contained in a grain of corn starch. Already, some dresses for Oscar de la Renta are sewn of Ingeo, biodegradable.

Although chemically transformed into viscose, bamboo is also in vogue. The era of deforestation, the plant grows quickly and its fibers are equipped with multiple virtues. Spilan society has developed clothing fibers, sorted among 300 species have antibacterial, healing, antiperspirant and anti-ultraviolets.

However, these applications stays within niche markets. "Cotton no longer has the remains but natural fibre cover all needs", summarizes Michelle Jarrigeon, Secretary General of the industrial network of innovation of the textile and clothing (R2ITH).

For the time being, only 1 of textiles are produced biologically: "But is only the tip of the iceberg." "Long European manufacturers of textile manufacture own", she continues.

For example, in Lyon, the Chargers group researchers have designed textiles ion exchangers, likely to destroy pollutants, by filtering the water and air. The process are also changed in depth: "for example, ink-jet printing techniques allow to save water, expliqueBruno bedside, responsible for research and innovation at the French Institute of textile clothing (IFTH)." Similarly, knitting without sewing trades reduce tissue falls. Finally, there are plasma technologies, using gas to change the surface of the fibres, which take precedence over chemical baths and treatment of chlorine.

Brakes remain

Industrialists also set out to recycling. A Castres, Henri OLP institutions have laid the first stone of a driver, called Biocome, facility to recycle 60-80 of dyeing wastewater. And, by using solar ovens, wind turbines and the methods of salt and water recycling, Switcher has reduced by half the emissions of carbon dioxide to produce a T-shirt: "field to the output of plant, the production of a T-shirt required 25,000 litres of water and issued 5.2 kilograms of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent of 27 kilometers by plane or 5 showers of ten minutes each"shows Daniel Rüfenacht, Vice-President of Switcher.

The puzzle of recycling also concerns finished products, 60 still synthetic fibres. And the problem could worsen with the increasing use of technical textiles. "More textiles become complex, more clothing become difficult to throw," said Daniel Rüfenacht. The initiatives are multiplying. Mantero has launched the "re-silk", a miscegenation of wool and silk from surplus doomed to be destroyed. And in partnership with the producer of Japanese Teijin Fibers, Patagonia aims by 2007 to turn 50 of his old new Capilene below brand underwear.

Brakes remain. Because sustainable development is often seen as binding and costly. But in the long term, "improve working conditions increases productivity, recycling saves on the purchase of raw materials and reduce consumption also reduces spending!", believes Dagmar sign in the Schoeller Switzerland. For ten years, this company specialized in technical textiles spent 35 million Swiss francs to reduce its energy consumption. "This is only a beginning," says Pascaline Wilhelm, Director of the world fair of the first Vision clothing fabrics fashion." But look in the rearview mirror: the Lycra developed twenty years and several million dollars for!