Greener and smarter clothing to address climate change: an approach to learning from nature and utilising cutting-edge technologies

纺织业的二氧化碳排放量超过了国际航空和航运业。根据由UKRI资助的纺织品循环中心（TCC）的最新研究，在英国使用或经过英国的服装的总碳足迹为4300万二氧化碳桶。我们买的衣服比20年前多了60%。2021年，英国消费者消费了价值680亿英镑的服装（包括鞋类）。许多因素导致了快时尚和一次性文化：例如，消费主义和对纺织品知识的缺乏；用于服装的天然纤维变得更短、更弱；减少原料和纤维捻度，简化纺织加工，最大限度地减少劳动时间。TCC建议将时尚废料和废弃纺织品切碎，然后重新纺制成可回收材料。然而，这并不能完全解决问题：复杂的材料混合会使废物分类和未来的回收变得更加复杂。这项研究将从另一个角度解决这个问题，即在利用尖端技术的同时向自然学习。更环保、更智能的服装研究将通过减少不可持续的材料和制造，使服装更耐用，从而关心人类和地球。减少纺织品需求将显著减少二氧化碳排放，有效应对气候变化。

The textile industry's CO2 emission exceeds international aviation and shipping [1]. According to the latest research by the Textiles Circularity Centre (TCC) funded by UKRI, the total carbon footprint of clothing in use in or passing through the UK is 43Mt CO2 [2]. We buy 60% more clothing than we did 20 years ago [3]. In 2021 consumers in the UK consumed clothing (including footwear) worth £68bn [4].Many factors contribute to fast fashion and the throw-away culture: e.g., consumerism and lack of knowledge of textiles; natural fibres used in clothing become shorter and weaker; raw material and fibre twist are reduced, textile processing is simplified, and labour time is minimised...The TCC has proposed shredding fashion waste and disposed textiles and re-spinning them to produce a recycled material. However, this will not totally solve the problem: complex blending of materials will make it more complicated for waste classification and future recycling. This research will tackle the problem from a different angle, i.e., learning from nature while utilising cutting-edge technologies.Greener and smarter clothing research will care for people and the planet by reducing unsustainable materials and manufacturing, and make clothing lasting. Reducing textile demands will significantly reduce CO2 emission to effectively tackle climate change.