Eco-friendly Textile Practices Imperative For Pollution-free Environment: Dr Iqrar

Eco-friendly textile practices are imperative for pollution-free environment as the global fashion industry emits a hefty amount of greenhouses, said Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan Vice Chancellor University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th May, 2022 ) :Eco-friendly textile practices are imperative for pollution-free environment as the global fashion industry emits a hefty amount of greenhouses, said Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan Vice Chancellor University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

Speaking at a seminar on "Sustainability and Fashion" arranged by Institute of Home Science UAF at New Senate Hall here Thursday, he said, "We have to promote environmental friendly textile and agriculture practices".

He was of view that heavy usage of chemicals sans measures had polluted water while smoke chunking from factories had destroyed air quality, provoking the climate changes.

"We are destroying our environment with our own hands. We have to preserve it for the future generation", he said, adding that academia-industry linkages were prerequisite to make development and address different issues being faced by the globe.

Dean Faculty of food Nutrition & Home Sciences Dr Masood Sadiq Butt said that the university was making all-out efforts to cement ties between academia and industry. He said that sustainability textile was an umbrella term for clothes that were created and consumed in a way that could be sustained, recycled while protecting both environment and those producing garment with ecological integrity.

Dean National Textile University (NTU) Faisalabad Dr Zafar Javed said that there were 7.8 billion population of the world whereas 150 billion garments were being produced.

Some countries were producing recycled clothes to preserve the nature and to combat climate challenges.

He said that practice of taking textile waste to landfill sites ended by regulations endorsed in Finland in 2016. The fashion was changing with a fast pace that was also creating disturbance, he added.

Deputy General Manager Stitching Gohar Textile Sheraz Shan said that it was misconception that leather came from meat industry but the fashion industry killed 430 million animals per year. Majority of the clothes were petroleum based and made from fusel fuels including polyester, acrylic, and nylon etc. which were among the major pollution contributors, he said and added as many as 8000 types of chemicals from farm to final produce were used which reciprocally caused pollution and health hazards.

Chairman University of Engineering and Technology Lahore Faisalabad Campus Dr Mohsin Malik stressed the need to promote natural sustainable fiber including banana, okra and bamboos and certified bio based fabric. Traditional dyeing processes use 5.8 trillion liters water per annum while one fifth of the world industrial waste was related to water, he added.

Director Home Sciences Dr Ayesha Riaz, Sadaf Iqbal, Anum, Ayesha and others also spoke on the occasion.

Later, the guests also visited the textile expo arranged at Iqbal Auditorium gallery UAF.