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Polyester Clothes You've given up your gas-guzzling SUV, bought a high-efficiency furnace

and have switched to organic produce, all in the name of the environment. But have you

given any thought to what you're wearing?Cotton may come from the Earth, but the large

amount of pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals used to grow and process it can make

conventional cotton fabrics an unfriendly environmental choice.As a result, many companies

have sought out alternatives, creating a growing number of clothes made from sustainable

fabrics like organic cotton, bamboo and soy yarns.No, that doesn't mean shirts cut from

coarse sack-cloth or skirts woven from stiff bamboo poles. These new fabrics can be as

soft, washable, colourful and stylish as cotton or polyester jersey.Organic cotton looks

and feels no different than non-organic cotton, and both bamboo and soy jersey fabrics are

super-soft, says Jessica Kennedy, owner of Nokomis, an Edmonton store that carries a number

of sustainable fabric lines, including its own, in-house pieces.Organic cotton is grown

without pesticides or fertilizers and processed without chemicals like formaldehyde, which

is used to prevent wrinkles, explains Michael Kalmanovitch of Earth's General Store in

Edmonton.Bamboo grows quickly, doesn't need added chemicals, is durable and has long fibres

that work well for making fabric.Clothes made from organic fabrics are slightly more

expensive, but as those fabrics become more popular and widely used, the prices are coming

down, says Kennedy.Her store carries a range of clothes made from sustainable fabrics.

Silk industry in India is an agro based industry. In the process of production of cocoon to

fabrics various types of wastes are produced at different stages from Cocoon to fabric 

garment. The important categories of the silk waste are: Pierced Cocoons from Grainages in

which moth has emerged.Unreelable Cocoons which are cut, soiled, irregular shapes, Thin

transparent cocoonsFilature wasteThrowsters waste.Waste produced during weaving, Knitting,

cutting waste-Apparel productionNormally above mentioned wastes are the Raw material for

the Spun Silk yarn both in Mulberry and Non-Mulberry silks. One of the major byproducts in

Sericulture is Pierced Cocoons and Defective cocoons which are not suitable for the

production of continuous filament silk. Pierced cocoons give top quality silk. Both

Mulberry and Non-Mulberry Unreelable cocoons can be converted as Hand made Nonwoven

suitable for QUILTS, Wadding garments.First step in QUILT is sorting, softening of

Unreelable cocoons without pupae through degumming i.e. removal of Sericin-the gum Excess

water is squeezed from the degummed cocoons and the cocoons in wet condition are used for

making web. Individual wet cocoon is slightly opened by hand and then stretched  pulled

from the top along the Bell shaped Web Maker till the base to form a bell shaped thin layer

of web. The same process is continued placing 3to 4 layers one above the other as per the

required thickness. The web is then removed and dried under shade.Bell shaped dried webs

are placed on table and stretched gently and uniformly on all sides to form a square web 

Felt  sheet form. Number of such webs are placed one above the other as per the thickness,

length, width of QUILT required (say 7 X 7 x 6) `The Web in spread sheet should be stitched

at different places wrapped with the bandage  mosquito type cloth. Finally to add value to

the quilt, Dupion silk or printed silk or Embroidered Silk fabric may be used as cover. The

stitching method is similar to that followed in preparation of cotton quilts 

beds.Mulberry, ERI, Tassar Unreelable cocoons are suitable for the production of QUILT

which will be bulky, light weight and warmer than cotton. Organisations like KVIC, HHEPC,

NGOs which are mainly concerned with the promotion of hand made products may implement the

technology of diversified utility of Unreelable cocoons for the production of value added

products without involving much additional expenditure  infrastructure. In India, Self-Help

Groups are promoted by N.G.Os, banks and co-operatives can take up the project. The SHGs

have made a lasting impact on the lives of the women particularly in the rural areas. Their

quality of life has improved a lot.