Evaluating Environmental Impact of Natural and Synthetic Fibers: A Life Cycle Assessment Approach

This research aims to analyze the environmental impact of six fibers in textile industry: conventional and organic cotton, silk, jute, flax, polyester. The study used a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology with cradle-to-gate system boundary analyzed stages agriculture, spinning, weaving, dyeing. In agriculture production, five categories (i.e., fossil resource scarcity, global warming, land use, terrestrial ecotoxicity, water consumption) have most significant differences across these fibers. Polyester production significantly impacted ecotoxicity category, while stratospheric ozone depletion had minor impact. yarn preparation silk has categories, followed by jute minimal visible were consumption. Conventional cotton dyeing showed impacts on warming potential ecotoxicity. contributes limited literature existing LCA industry. Adding updated information will help increase comprehension guide stakeholders transitioning fashion supply chains more sustainably.