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Impact of Materials

Blog
13/08/2019
All building materials have an impact on the environment
The environmental impact of a product is determined by:
- the raw materials use + where they come from
- chemicals used, their toxicity + quantity
- the amount of energy + water used to process it
- how the material is disposed of at the end of its life
The major positive + negative aspects for each material type are summarised below
Wool
Natural Fibre  Positive Aspects
+ Rapidly-renewable resource
+ Abundant local sources are available
+ Sheep can graze on dry, unusable land
+ Fibre is used in its least-processed state
+ Able to absorb + retain VOCs
+Naturally fire retardant + antistatic
+ Easily cleanable
+ Biodegradable, reusable + recyclable
+ Holistic sheep farming practices can positively impact on degraded land  Negative Aspects
- Pesticides + fertilisers are often used
- Farming can degrade land
- Scouring can consume large amounts of water + chemicals + produce polluted wastewater
- Insect-resist / mothproofing treatments may cause health problems as well as producing effluent, toxic to aquatic life
- Often involves the use of heavy-metal dyes
Cotton
Natural Fibre  Positive Aspects
+ Rapidly-renewable resource
+ Local sources are available
+ Fibre is used in its least-processed state
+ Able to absorb + retain VOCs
+ Biodegradable, reusable + recyclable  Negative Aspects
- Use of large qty of insecticides + fertilisers
- Use of aerial spraying spreads chemicals widely into the environment
- Intensive farming can lead to land degradation
- Can use large amounts of water for irrigation
- Use of hazardous defoliants to removes the leaves from the plants
Flax, Ramie + Hemp
Natural Fibre  Positive Aspects
+ Rapidly-renewable resource
+ Can grow with virtually no fertilisers or water
+ Fibre is used in its least-processed state
+ If the plant is cut by hand and left to ret, then the environmental impact is minimal
+ Reusable + biodegradable  Negative Aspects
- Mechanical methods of harvesting have adverse effects on the environment
- Retting process produces highly polluting wastewater
- Use of enzymes + water increases biochemical oxygen (BOD) + eutrophication of waterways
Silk
Natural Fibre  Positive Aspects
+ Rapidly-renewable resource
+ Fibre is used in its least-processed state
+ Can grow with virtually no insecticides + fertilisers
+ Wild (tussah) silk production involves minimal interference with nature
+ Naturally flame retardant
+ Reusable + biodegradable  Negative Aspects
- No local source available for commercial use
- Commercially cultivated silk is resource intensive as atmosphere is controlled with rigid growth conditions
- Steaming to extract silk fibres can kill the chrysalis
- Polluted wastewater from cleaning with chemicals is usually discharged to ground water
Natural Bamboo
Natural Fibre  Positive Aspects
+ Rapidly-renewable resource
+ Can grow with virtually no fertilisers or water
+ Fibre is used in its least-processed state
+ If the plant is cut by hand and left to ret, then the environmental impact is minimal
+ Reusable + biodegradable  Negative Aspects
- No local sources available for commercial use
- Mechanical methods of harvesting have adverse effects on the environment
- Retting process produces highly polluting wastewater
- Use of enzymes + water increases biochemical oxygen (BOD) + eutrophication of waterways
Leather
Natural Material  Positive Aspects
+ Leather is an agricultural byproduct of the meat industry
+ Leather is used in its least processed state
+ Aniline leather is the most natural + least processed of all the leather types
+ Leather is long lasting
+ Aniline + Semi-Aniline leathers will look + fell better over time
+ Reusable + biodegradable  Negative Aspects
- Check where rawhides are sourced as certain countries do not follow animal welfare practices
- Corrected Grain involved the most processing of all leather types
- Hazardous substances such as chromium III + chromium VI (banned) can be used during the tanning process
- Wastewater can contain organic material + traces of chemicals such as chromium
Manmade Bamboo
Man Made Fibre  Positive Aspects
+ Renewable (bamboo pulp) resource
+ Reusable + biodegradable  Negative Aspects
- No local sources available
- Bamboo grown intensively in inappropriate areas can cause soil degradation + erosion
- Mechanical methods of harvesting can have adverse effects on the environment
- Water retting produces highly polluting wastewater
- Can generate highly-polluting air + water emissions
- Processing with catalytic agents containing cobalt or manganese cause strong, unpleasant odour
Rayon, Viscose + Acetate
Man Made Fibre  Positive Aspects
+ Renewable (purified wood pulp) resource
+ Reusable + biodegradable  Negative Aspects
- No local sources available
- Wood grown intensively in inappropriate areas can cause soil degradation + erosion
- Can generate highly-polluting air + water emissions
- Processing with catalytic agents containing cobalt or manganese cause strong, unpleasant odour
Polyester (PET)
Synthetic Fibre  Positive Aspects
+ Technically recyclable if the infrastructure exists  Negative Aspects
- Non-renewable resource
- No local sources available
- Long line of processing
- Often involves use of carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene, toluene, arsenic + heavy metals including antimony
- Allergy-provoking dyes + carriers are added
- Energy + water intensive
- Non-degradable
- No recycling infrastructure for fabrics
Olefin
Synthetic Fibre  Positive Aspects
+ Lower-embodied energy compared to other synthetic fibres  Negative Aspects
- Non-renewable resource
- No local sources available
- Long line of processing
- Use of carcinogenic chemicals such as lead-based pigments
- Use of additives such as anti-oxidants, UV stabilisers + flame retardants
- Energy + water intensive
- Non-degradable
- No recycling infrastructure
Nylon
Synthetic Fibre  Negative Aspects
- Non-renewable resource
- No local sources available
- Long line of processing
- Many carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene + hydrogen cyanide has (nylon 6, 6) are added
- Processing creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 296 time greater than carbon dioxide towards global warming
- High-embodied energy compared to other synthetic fabrics
- Energy + water intensive
- Non-degradable
- No recycling infrastructure
Acrylic
Synthetic Fibre
Vinyl (polyvinylchloride PVC)
Synthetic Fibre  Positive Aspects
+ Lower-embodied energy compared to other synthetic fibres  Negative Aspects
- Non-renewable resource
- No local sources available
- Long line of processing
- Use of carcinogenic chemicals such as phthalates, which are known as endocrine disrupters
- Processing produces dioxins, which are highly toxic carcinogenic substances + major health risk because they persist in the environment + in mammals
- Non-degradable
- Harmful to the environment after disposal

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognise their deep connection to the land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and their Elders past, present and emerging.