Rakobe (left) and Dr. Mihindi (right) visiting Advanced Materials Laboratory |
By: Seshadri Ramkumar,
Professor, Texas Tech University, USA
(Lubbock, USA, July 15,
2024)—Sustainability is the way forward in the textiles and manufacturing
sectors.
Outreach and educating the
consumers and brands are strategies that will help with enhancing the
consumption of natural fibers. Also, as natural fibers have not penetrated
technical textiles as much as synthetics, given the need for sustainable
products, efforts must be made towards research, dissemination of results, and
outreach. It may not be possible to find use in all sectors of advanced
textiles, but areas such as environmental protection, insulation and health
offer immediate possibilities.
Opportunities for cotton in
advanced textiles must be disseminated to young leaders and consumers to boost
its consumption.
On July 12, 2024, two young
leaders from Africa visited the Cotton and Advanced Materials Laboratory at
Texas Tech University (TTU). In their first visit to the United States as
Mandela Washington fellows funded by the United States’ government, they are spending
6 weeks at TTU.
Dr. Idda Mihindi is a
medical doctor from Tanzania who has founded Fursa Foundation, which
manufactures and distributes washable cotton-based sanitary pads for rural
women and secondary school girls, who cannot afford hygiene products. Greogory
Rakobe is from Botswana and has interest in using native plants to develop skin
and health care products. As these two young leaders work in the sustainability
area, they expressed interest in visiting the Advanced Materials Laboratory to
learn about industrial applications of cotton.
Mihindi and Rakobe conducted
experiments using waste cotton based nonwoven pads and understood the oil
sorption capabilities of cotton. “The sustainable role of cotton used is
eye-opening to me,” stated Idda Mihindi.
Visitors interacted with
graduate students in the laboratory who work in cotton and sustainability
projects enabling advanced applications for cotton.
Timely disseminating
information on new applications of cotton and natural materials will advance
the sustainability goals of textiles and manufacturing sectors. As African
continent has large population and is advancing in its economy, engaging with
next generation leaders will boost the consumption of natural fibers.
The industry should look for
opportunities for natural fibers and recycled natural products in the advanced
textiles industry.
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