CHAPTER 7: EMPLOYING TEXTILE FABRIC WASTE IN MAKING INNOVATIVE FUNCTIONAL MODERN HOME ACCESSORIES

Abstract

INTRODUCTION 
Cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibers often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other materials. Textiles are formed by weaving, knitting, crocheting, knitting, or pressing fibres together. (Balter, 2019). The words fabric and cloth are used in the textile assembly trade (such as tailoring and dressmaking) as synonyms for textile. However, there are subtle differences in these terms in specialized usage. Textile refers to any material made by interlacing fibre, (Abamowilz, 1998). Fabric refers to any material made through weaving, knitting, spreading, crocheting, or bonding that may be used in the production of further goods (garments among others). Cloth may be used synonymously with fabric but it is often used for a specific purpose (for example table cloth). 
Clothing as a textile product is one of the basic needs of man. This is an indispensable element in human society and has been used as a means of expressing identity, wealth, and power as well as a commodity traded globally over centuries. The versatility of textiles and their importance in the daily lives of people are very numerous to be ignored. In the quest for garment makers to meet the high demands for clothing, and to cover the nakedness of humanity, several tons of waste are generated which usually are not properly managed, but are indiscriminately disposed of to cause environmental problems (Chua, 2013). The situation is therefore, very disturbing particularly in this era when efforts are been made to save the environment by engaging in reducing, reusing, and recycling waste to curtail climate change and global warming. (Udeani, 2002).