Stem fibers

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Stem fibers are textile fibers which are extracted fibers from the stalk of plants. Examples of common stalk fibers are flax, hemp and jute. Compared to cotton stem fibers does not require nearly as much water, you do not as often use irrigation or use as much pesticides and herbicides, although it is sometimes needed. Stem fibers often grow on farmland that would not fit well enough to grow food on.

Often it is digestion that has a high environmental impact. That is, when one is to dissolve the glue found in the stalk in a plant. The flax is placed in water, in a tank or water or the like, so that the fiber dissolves. The nutrients from the decaying stems that then are released are leading to water pollution.

One solution is to avoid decomposition in water, to as ensure that digestion takes place on the ground with the dew and rain, or perform digestion using enzymes or to avoid digestion and use various mechanical methods instead.

Sources

• Fletcher Kate, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles - Design journeys