Posts Tagged ‘jute’
Clothing is Made from Plants Including Jute!
Monday, May 2nd, 2016
Tags: hemp, jute, jute bags, jute matting
Posted in Agricultural Packaging, Arts and Crafts, Burlap, Flood Protection, Nursery Horticulture, Nursery Supplies | No Comments »
We purchase clothing all the time, often without checking to see what the material is made from. There are fabrics we find instantly identifiable while others are not as familiar. Many of our fabrics are made from plant fibers. Those fibers are blended with others for certain characteristics like durability, comfort, and the ease with which they can be dyed for color options. Some fabrics previously not chosen for clothing are being considered for blends especially since new technologies have been able to make them more workable.
Burlap is made from plant fibers like jute or hemp. Burlap is a very coarse fabric, but there have been efforts over the years to use it for making inexpensive clothing with various results. 
Jute fiber is used to make Ghillie suits for military camouflage that resembles grasses or brush. While it is still considered uncomfortable on its own, jute can be blended with cotton and other fabrics to make espadrilles, soft sweaters, and cardigans.
Pure hemp has a similar feel to linen. Hemp was used extensively by the United States during World War II to make uniforms because it tends to be strong, insulating, absorbent, and durable. These are excellent qualities for garments that will see hard wear and tear. The fibers can last up to three times longer than cotton fibers. Advances in breeding and treating hemp can create much finer, softer fabrics and it is also able to blend with flax, cotton or silk.
Hemp jewelry is the product of knotting hemp twine called macramé. Hemp jewelry includes bracelets, necklaces, anklets, rings, and even watches. 
While this isn’t clothing, it is definitely wearable as well as creative.
Consumers are far more likely to use basic burlap material for tablecloths, throw rugs or other applications like decorative tapestries, pillows, or lampshades in homes with a rustic charm.
Linen fabric is made from the flax plant. Clothing made from it is usually comfortable and designed for a generous flowing fit. Flax was first used in the Mediterranean to make string and then finer strands made comfortable tunics to wear when it was warm. It was covered up by wool when it became cold. Linen became considered an undergarment and was hard to dye so it was mainly worn in white. There are many types of clothing made with flax today including skirts, dresses, blouses, shirts, pants, and jackets.
Other natural plant fabrics that can be used for clothing include Cotton and Ramie. Cotton is still the most widely used natural fiber in the global textile industry because it is naturally soft and easy to dye, but Jute production comes in second because of its variety of uses. Ramie is silky in texture and one of the strongest natural fibers, but Hemp is the strongest. All of these plants can be spun into a thread or rope and woven, knit, matted, or bound.
Get curious and read the label next time you go shopping!
Jute is a Natural Product with a Variety of ‘Green’ Uses
Monday, April 25th, 2016
Tags: jute, jute bags, jute matting
Posted in Agricultural Packaging, Burlap, Flood Protection, Industrial Packaging, Nursery Horticulture, Nursery Supplies, NYP-Corp News, Sandbags | No Comments »
In an age of technology, we sometimes learn that simpler, natural products are better. In the case of Jute, we have not successfully duplicated a synthetic fiber that is as environmentally friendly as the one nature made.
Jute is a vegetable fiber that can be woven into a coarse fabric commonly known as burlap. Jute is not the only plant fiber that is used to make burlap. Hemp and Flax fibers work as well.
For many centuries, jute has been used to create packaging materials such as cloth for sacks, rope, yarn, carpet backing, and other woven goods. It is inexpensive to produce and has added insulation, low thermal conductivity, and anti-static features.
The construction industry looked for a replacement because of its tendency to become yellow, brittle, and break down when exposed to sunlight, water, and humidity, but it came at a price.
Synthetic Replacements for Jute
Linoleum was the precursor to vinyl flooring, came in rolls, and required a backing when installed just like carpet. It was made of linseed and wood materials, then backed by canvas or burlap fabric. Unlike carpet and wood flooring, it was water resistant and easy to clean. It was even popular on battleships and commercial buildings because of its strength and stability.
Synthetic materials mostly made out of PVC or plastic have replaced jute in many residential and commercial construction applications because they are even less costly to create and more efficient to use. Over the years, many of these synthetics products have proved to be toxic and environmentally unfriendly. Carpeting, vinyl, and insulating materials now contain rubber, PVC, and recycled petroleum products. These materials are not biodegradable and release chemicals into homes that can cause cancer.
Thinking Green
Today, “thinking green” has the building industry suggesting a return to the original, less toxic flooring using plant fibers again. Industrial uses for jute and burlap are being used in ceiling tile (composite insulation), filtration, reinforcement materials and hardboards, carpets, and upholstery. The engineering and automotive industries are using technical textiles for insulation, isolation, and reinforcement. Technical and geotextiles are made of jute, coconut raw material, and other fleece materials made of special fiber types put through specific processing techniques to create flexible, high moisture absorption fabrics.
Wood Products
Jute is being considered a possible alternative to wood. Its stem contains a wood-like center core. Taking no more than six months to grow to maturity, it can be harvested faster than trees. It could be used as an alternative source for making paper, rather than cutting down trees for pulp.
Products made of jute like fabrics, residential textiles, composite building materials, geotextiles, pulps, technical textiles, handicraft materials, and fashion accessories are more competitive against oil derivative counterparts than they once were. Features of jute that cause it to slowly fade and break down in the environment are welcome and in some industries, like agriculture and landscaping, precisely why we use it.
Innovative, New Jute and Fiber Products Rediscovered
Friday, April 22nd, 2016
Tags: bulk burlap rolls, burlap, burlap bag uses, burlap bags, burlap crafts, burlap nursery supplies, burlap protection, burlap rolls, burlap uses, burlapped tree, cleaning burlap, gardening with burlap, growing plants using burlap, jute, jute bags, jute matting, maintaining burlap, outdoor uses for burlap, reusing burlap bags, summer burlap protection, winter burlap protection
Posted in Agricultural Packaging, Burlap, Citrus Produce Bags, Flood Protection, Grain and Feed Bags, Industrial Packaging, Military Sandbags, Nursery Horticulture, Nursery Supplies, NYP-Corp News, Sandbags | No Comments »
Quick History
For many centuries, jute has been traditionally used for the manufacturing of woven fabrics, ropes, nets, and yarns in order to package other materials. Hessian fabric, also known as burlap in the US and Canada is made from the skin of jute plants or sisal fibers and other vegetable fibers.
It originated in India for rope and paper production, then the English brought it to Britain and the Scottish made it into yarn. Bangladesh and India are the world’s largest producers of Burlap today with close competition from China, Myanmar, Brazil, and Thailand.
Jute is largely grown in the Ganges delta where climates are warm and humid and there are 2-3 inches of rainfall per week. Two varieties include plants related to hibiscus and cotton. The outer stem of the plant goes through a process called retting where they are soaked and broken down into workable fibers. The fibers are woven into dense fabrics that are strong, flexible, biodegradable, and extensively recycled due to their various uses.
For a long time, the use of jute and other fiber products were declining due to new synthetic technologies, but recently there has been a surge to return to these products for new innovative and environmentally conscious reasons.
Natural Fabrics
Geotextiles and technical textiles are made of jute matting, coconut coir, straw, and wood fiber materials that absorb moisture, maintain flexibility and drain well. This makes them perfect for agricultural, structural, and civil engineering.
Highway Construction
When large quantities of the earth are moved it creates bare slopes and hillsides that easily erode. Temporary protective barriers made with plant fibers are installed to stop erosion while still allowing vegetation to grow for a more permanent solution of grass, plants, trees and rocks.
Environmental Emergencies
When it comes to natural disasters like landslides, floods and fires, sandbags are used to protect against moving soil, water, and extinguishing chemicals, then naturally disintegrate over time. They are inexpensive enough for use in developing countries.
Other Uses
Some other uses of raw fiber like jute are used for composites, insulation, soil layer separation, pond construction, rope to secure trees, camouflage nets, and shading.
Not all geotextiles are made of natural products so be sure to ask when looking for supplies. There are three types:
- Non-woven for drainage, stabilization, and filtering
- Woven for road construction, under rip rap, for heavy erosion on embankments and steep slopes
- Coir for sediment control and bio-engineering in short-term applications.
Whether you are preparing for a major commercial project or doing some landscaping at home, burlap and other jute matting and materials are durable and versatile products that get the job done without harming the environment or requiring removal when you are done. The long history of plant fiber products and their clever and practical uses has been rediscovered.
Erosion Control Fabric Jute Matting
Thursday, August 29th, 2013
Tags: gardening with burlap, industrial packaging, jute, jute matting, outdoor uses for burlap
Posted in Industrial Packaging, NYP-Corp News | Comments Off
If you are looking for erosion control fabric, Jute Matting is an all-natural biodegradable fiber that can be woven into a groundcover cloth or net used to reduce the effects of erosion.
Jute matting is suitable for both residential and commercial uses, environmentally friendly and easy to install.
When Asked Paper or Plastic, Choose Jute Instead
Wednesday, December 26th, 2012
Tags: biodegradable bags, burlap, jute, jute bags, shopping bags
Posted in Burlap, NYP-Corp News, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
NYP Corp. manufactures textile packaging of burlap, jute, paper, cotton, feed & grain bags and emergency sandbags, is very proud to introduce a truly earth-friendly alternative shopping bag made entirely of natural jute.
Did you know that the average plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to disintegrate? Each day millions of shoppers across the globe purchase products from large chain or retail stores and carry them home in a plastic bag. Once home, that bag is often thrown away to begin centuries of degrading. Precious wild, plant and ocean life throughout the planet are being harmed or killed from the toxic chemicals released when plastic begins to break down. Investing a small amount of money into a jute bag is a smart move not only environmentally, but economically as well.
Different Uses for Burlap
Friday, September 14th, 2012
Tags: burlap, burlap bag uses, burlap uses, jute, upholstering products, uses for burlap
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Burlap | No Comments »
The uses for burlap are many, varied and quite creative. This coarsely woven durable biodegradable natural breathable cloth is also known as jute or hessian and has a long history of being used in a wide variety of traditional ways as well as in new creations that are only limited by one’s imagination. It is very inexpensive for a fabric with such a nice texture.
Creative Ideas for Reusing Burlap Bags
Thursday, October 6th, 2011
Tags: burlap, burlap bags, burlap crafts, jute, reusing burlap bags
Posted in Agricultural Packaging, Burlap, Sandbags, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Known as jute or hessian, burlap has been described as durable, tough, and coarsely woven cloth that majority of the people know it as the component used for sandbags and the familiar coffee bag.
How to Care for Burlap
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
Tags: burlap, cleaning burlap, hessian, jute, maintaining burlap
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Burlap, NYP-Corp News | No Comments »
Burlap, also known as hessian, is a durable, rough fabric made from jute that can be used for different purposes including storage, home decorations and sandbags for flood protection.
However, it is susceptible to fraying and disintegrating at many different methods of washing. This is problematic since burlap can often hold strong and stubborn odors and stains. Even if it’s just being used for storage, many people can become frustrated with the unpleasant smells since odor can easily transfer to whatever is being stored.
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The History and Uses of Burlap
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011
Tags: burlap, hessian, jute
Posted in Burlap | No Comments »
Tough and durable, burlap is known globally by many names (e.g. hessian or jute). The ancient people of India are credited with discovering the many uses of the jute plant. While the Indians used small amounts of the plant to make rope and paper, upon its discovery in the 1790s by English traders, the plant had not yet seen massive exportation. By 1793, Britain received 100 tons of the plant, and continued shipping the plant home for use.
The plant also made its way into Dundee, Scotland where the jute earned royal treatment, and by the 1830s, it was discovered how to make this tough material spin into yarn. Due to the hard-earned spinning discovery, Dundee Scotland was able to begin spinning large quantities of the material and he thrived.