Weaving Waste

-Shreya Parashar
BD/16/86
Group-B
 Introduction

Waste management rules in India are based on the principles of "sustainable

development", "precaution" and "polluter pays". These principles mandate
municipalities and commercial establishments to act in an environmentally
accountable and responsible manner—restoring balance, if their actions disrupt it.
The increase in waste generation as a by-product of economic development has led to
various subordinate legislations for regulating the manner of disposal and dealing
with generated waste are made under the umbrella law of Environment Protection Act,
1986 (EPA). Specific forms of waste are the subject matter of separate rules and
require separate compliances, mostly in the nature of authorisations, maintenance
of records and adequate disposal mechanisms.
With rapid urbanisation, the country is facing massive waste management challenge. Over 377 million
urban people live in 7,935 towns and cities and generate 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste
per annum. Only 43 million tonnes (MT) of the waste is collected, 11.9 MT is treated and 31 MT is
dumped in landfill sites. Solid Waste Management (SWM) is one among the basic essential services
provided by municipal authorities in the country to keep urban centres clean. However, almost all
municipal authorities deposit solid waste at a dumpyard within or outside the city haphazardly.
Experts believe that India is following a flawed system of waste disposal and management.
 Introduction to Weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or
threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are
knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal threads
are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling. (Weft or woof
is an old English word meaning "that which is woven".) The method in which these
threads are inter-woven affects the characteristics of the cloth. Cloth is usually
woven on a loom, a device that holds the warp threads in place while filling threads
are woven through them. A fabric band which meets this definition of cloth (warp
threads with a weft thread winding between) can also be made using other methods,
including tablet weaving, back-strap, or other techniques without looms.
 Weaving of different Wastes
Relying on polluting textile materials like cotton and polyester may become a thing
of the past as a new range of eco-fabrics emerge, often made from materials that
would otherwise go to waste. Some of these environmentally friendly fabrics are
already in use, like those made of coconut husks, recycled plastic bottles, wood pulp
and corn, while others are strange and futuristic, sourced from hagfish slime,
fermented wine, spoiled milk and genetically engineered bacteria.

• Durable Fabric Made of Wood Pulp

This leather alternative is not only animal-friendly, it also
eschews the chemicals required to create conventional faux leather.
Naoran is a water-resistant textile derived from wood pulp and
recycled polyester. It’s soft, flexible, and tear- and water-
resistant.

• Polyester Yarn Made of Recycled Plastic Bottles

Polyester yarn made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic
bottles, which is processed by mechanical rather than chemical
means. Made in Italy, the fabric is used in fashion, sportswear,
underwear, medical garments and other clothes and furnishings.
Georgio Armani used it to create a fashionable, eco-friendly gown
Plastic fiber before it is spun
for LIvia Firth at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards. into thread (John Tierney)
• Recycled Newspaper Yarn
Artist Ivano Vitali tears recycled newsprint into strips and
twists it into balls of yarn without the use of glue, dyes or
silicone, crocheting them into textile art with custom-made
wooden knitting needles and hooks as long as 8 feet. Recently,
Vitali has expanded into wearable art, achieving certain colors
for dresses, jackets and even bikinis by painstakingly sorting
his printed materials by color.

• Recycled Cassette Tapes

All of the strands of cassette tape still floating
around in the world could not only be reused for
fabrics, but spun into ‘audio textiles’ that play back
under a tape head. Artist Alyce Santoro weaves this
unlikely material on antique looms in a family-run
textile mill in England to produce ‘Sonic Fabric’,
including purses made from sound collages based on life
in New York City.
 The textile woven from cassette tape
Clothes can look good, feel good and smell good, but now they can also sound good.
Conceptual artist and sound designer Alyce Santoro has developed a material she
calls "sonic fabric." Made from 50% polyester thread and 50% cassette tape, it has
the consistency of denim, but is able to play audio. This month, Santoro has
launched a new line of sonic ties -- hand-sewn in Manhattan by designer Julio Cesar.
The ties can be played by customizing an old Sony Walkman, and rubbing it across the
surface of the fabric. The sound the ties make is, according to Santoro, "like
scratching five records backwards at once."
Beginning
Sonic fabric began life as an artwork but is now being used in bags, dresses,
accessories and more. The spools of cassette tape used in the construction of sonic
fabric maintain their magnetism, and can produce sound if amplified by the head of
a tape player.
Santoro's early versions of the textile interwove tapes from some of her favorite
artists including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Richie Havens, as well as real-
world sounds such as recordings of the ocean, wind and birdsong.
The idea for sonic fabric was actually born long ago; as a child, Santoro raced
sailboats using strands of cassette tape as 'tell-tales' to indicate the direction
of the wind.
Development

In the early days of its development, the fabric's audio capabilities were purely hypothetical,
but in 2002 Santoro worked with a friend to customize a Sony Walkman to be able to play the
fabric. Hearing it for the first time was, Santoro says, "magical."
Sonic fabric soon attracted attention from audiophiles who were interested in experimenting with
the way music might be hidden in a garment.
In 2003, percussionist Jon Fishman commissioned Santoro to make him an outfit which he played
live on stage with his band Phish. For the project Fishman lent Santoro his entire tape
collection, which she mined for tracks from Prince, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and more. Santoro
wove the samples into a "musical suit" which drew huge cheers when it was played at Phish's
concert in Las Vegas.

Where and how is it made?

Sonic Fabric is woven at a small, family-run textile mill in New England on an
astoundingly beautiful 1940s Dobby loom that was salvaged by the mill especially for
this purpose -- it has a special shuttle that just happens to handle cassette tape
perfectly.
 Weaving Waste into Bags

It seems only recently people have started to become aware of the sheer volume of plastic
that goes to waste each year. Out of an annual global production of 78 million tonnes of
plastic, only 14 percent is recycled and only eight percent is reused. But some
individuals, armed with design backgrounds and creative minds, are seeing the potential
of reusing waste plastic to make new and unique products.
I came across this woven recycled plastic material and became fascinated with how the
artisan women, out of need, had turned a material that is considered trash and ‘finished’
into something new and beautiful. They could see how their land was drowning in plastic
waste and decided to do something about it. At the same time as making new things, those
local women were creating work and an income for themselves by using their own
traditional craft culture.
Cleaned plastic is cut into long strips. The plastic strips of different colors are
woven into durable textiles. Nylon is used for the warp, and plastic forms the weft,
creating a thick dense material useful for mats, backpacks, or cushions.
The Recycled Plastic initiative is an example of the way craft can alter a space and
generate income for marginal people. This is a skill that can be easily learnt by neo-
weavers and can become a source of supplementary income to medium skilled weavers, home-
based workers, disabled and senior citizens. In our age of global warming, this project
has great significance. Rather than creating new materials, this intervention has found
a way to re-use waste and protect our environment from the harsh toxins that modern
production technologies may produce.
 Bibliography
• http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/13/tech/innovation/sonic-fabric-recycled-cassette-tape/index.html
• https://environmentalcritique.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/the-weaving-artwork-consumes-waste-materials/
• http://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/india-s-challenges-in-waste-management-56753
• https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/11/the-company-that-turns-plastic-bottles-into-fabricand-
jobs/382473/
• http://www.momtastic.com/webecoist/2012/11/12/eco-fabric-14-strange-and-amazing-textile-innovations/