MUMBAI - Agricultural waste, such as rice straw and banana stems, from farming in South and Southeast Asia could be used to produce sustainable natural textile fibres at scale, according to a new report.
The study, entitled Spinning Future Threads, concludes there is enough usable agricultural residue in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka to reduce fashion's dependence on fossil fuels.
As well as creating a more sustainable source of fibre, agricultural waste streams have the potential to reduce extensive crop burning and generate new revenue streams for low-income farming communities, it says.
