10 April 2024 | Rajkishore Nayak, Donna Cleveland, Giang Tran, and Frances Joseph
The paper reviews the potential of bacterial cellulose (BC) as a sustainable raw material in the fashion and textile industries. BC, derived from natural ingredients like tea and coffee, offers numerous advantages over conventional materials, including zero-waste manufacturing, reliance on renewable sources, reduced environmental pollution, and biodegradability. The review covers the unique properties of BC, factors influencing its production, and its applications in textile, clothing, and footwear. Despite these benefits, challenges such as production costs, scalability, and quality need to be addressed for BC to become a widely adopted sustainable material. The paper also highlights how BC aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including clean water and sanitation, clean and accessible energy, climate action, and life on Earth. The review concludes by discussing the sustainability benefits and challenges of using BC, emphasizing the need for further research and development to overcome technical and economic barriers.The paper reviews the potential of bacterial cellulose (BC) as a sustainable raw material in the fashion and textile industries. BC, derived from natural ingredients like tea and coffee, offers numerous advantages over conventional materials, including zero-waste manufacturing, reliance on renewable sources, reduced environmental pollution, and biodegradability. The review covers the unique properties of BC, factors influencing its production, and its applications in textile, clothing, and footwear. Despite these benefits, challenges such as production costs, scalability, and quality need to be addressed for BC to become a widely adopted sustainable material. The paper also highlights how BC aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including clean water and sanitation, clean and accessible energy, climate action, and life on Earth. The review concludes by discussing the sustainability benefits and challenges of using BC, emphasizing the need for further research and development to overcome technical and economic barriers.