Thinking about fabric longevity

As I have been on a bit of a “green” tangent lately, investigating the availability and viability of “eco-friendly” theatrical fabrics, digital printing inks, etc., it has also lead me to consider the durability and longevity of theatrical drapery fabrics, and how they impact the earth.

Yes, I do understand the impact that the manufacture of synthetic fabrics has on the environment.  But I also recognize that, in most cases, a custom stage curtain manufactured from a synthetic velour  will be much more durable and therefore should last much longer than a curtain manufactured from cotton velour. 

Now, that is obviously a negative if we are talking about a short-term-use curtain that is destined for a landfill.  But what about the school, the church, the theatre that is purchasing a grand drape for longterm use?  Is it really better to buy a cotton drape?  Yes, the cotton drape may be a better choice, environmentally speaking, when initially manufactured.  But is it really better over the long term? 

Cotton velour drapes need to be topically treated for flame retardancy, on average once every five years, releasing more chemicals into the environment each time.  Cotton velour is also less durable and therefore the organization would need to replace the drapes sooner than synthetic velour drapes.  An synthetic velour drape, in comparison, has no topical flame retardancy treatment, and therefore no retreatment is required.  The drape should also last longer, as polyester fibers are more durable than cotton. 

So is it better for a theatre to purchase, for example, 4 sets of cotton velour grand drapes over the course of, say, 50 years?  Or would it be better if they bought 2 sets of synthetic velour grand drapes over that same time frame?  Something to think about.

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Is there such a thing as a “Green” ink for digital printing?

As I continue to explore the question of eco-friendly textiles, I have been thinking about digital printing. As more and more artists become interested in protecting the environment, we have begun to have more requests for “green” custom band backdrops.  We already have some eco-friendly options available for the fabric substrate, but what about the inks used in digital printing?  UV Curable, Water-based, EcoSolvent, Mild/Light Solvent, Full Solvent – which is best, ecologically speaking?

I would assume (based on the name) that a great choice for digital printing would be to use eco solvent inks.  The reality, however, is that these inks aren’t nearly as ecologically friendly as the name implies.  In researching eco solvent inks, I learned that they contain HAPs (Hazardous Air Pollutants) and VOCs (Volatile Organic Components).  Maybe eco solvent inks are better in comparison to other types of solvent inks, but that doesn’t mean they are good for us.

I’m interested in a new type of ink being touted by EFI – Bio-Solvents.  According to a white paper by EFI, bio-solvent Inks “contain no harmful VOCs and have the best health and environmental profiles available”.  EFI does make a bio-solvent ink (BioVu), so they aren’t exactly an unbiased source.  However, their literature does display the Environmental Protection Agency’s DfE logo, so I am feeling more confident (though I will continue to research this new category of inks before making a decision).

If this is all true, then bio-solvents may be the wave of the future.  Right now, EFI’s BioVu inks are only available for use with one printer type – EFI’s VUTEk 3360 product line – but they say that they have plans to roll it out to other product lines in the future.  I’ll keep my eyes out for it and let you know.

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What does “Eco-Friendly” really mean for stage fabrics?

I am starting to hear a lot about “eco-friendly” textiles.  My first reaction was, “Yes, of course, eco-friendly fabrics are the way to go.”  Use biodegradable fabrics as much as possible.  That’s not as easy as it sounds, especially in the theatrical marketplace.

For example, let’s say I decide to use a 100% cotton fabric.  That should be a “green” option, right?  Cotton is a natural fiber and therefore should be 100% biodegradable.

 But what if it isn’t?  I just read a post on “O Ecotextiles” that talks about the many chemicals that 100% cotton may be treated with in the manufacturing process.  Suddenly, 100% cotton doesn’t sound so “green” anymore.

Then you add on the flame retardancy requirements for stage curtains.  How “green” can a fabric be, regardless of the fiber content, if it has been topically treated with a flame retardancy chemical?  So is a topically treated 100% cotton fabric really better for the environment than a 100% Avora polyester fabric that is inherently flame retardant?

Hummm…a lot to think about, too much to put down in this single post (stay tuned for more thoughts on this subject in the future).

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