Sustainable fashion is becoming more and more popular. Compared to synthetic fibers, natural plant-based fibers are more likely to be low or even zero-carbon throughout the entire production process, as well as consume fewer resources and produce fewer pollutants. 

Ramie Revealed: The Eco-Friendly Fabric You Need to Know

In the plant growth segment, ramie, as a hemp plant, uses fewer pesticides and chemical fertilizers as well as water compared to cotton. Compared to linen, ramie is a perennial plant. After a single planting, ramie can grow continuously for more than ten years (harvested dozens of times), reducing labor costs and energy consumption in the seeding process. 

In the fabric use segment, ramie fiber is resistant to wear and tear due to its high strength. The innate antimicrobial and anti-mildew properties reduce the need for chemical treatments during use. After recycling, ramie fibers will naturally degrade due to their biodegradability, minimizing the harm to the natural environment. However, traditional ramie processing still causes contamination, mainly in the degumming process. Ramie is a bast fiber, and there is a large amount of gum between the fiber bundles, which needs to be removed as much as possible before spinning in order to improve the quality of the yarn. 

In ancient times, people used rainwater to soak ramie fibers, and the microorganisms in the water would remove some of the gum, but the residual gum rate was high. Later, with the development of chemistry, mills were able to remove almost all of the gum by using acids and alkalis. However, this method produces a large amount of wastewater, which is economically expensive to treat and consumes a large amount of energy. 

Nowadays, it is possible to utilize highly efficient biological enzyme degumming or microbial reaction pool degumming, which is very environmentally friendly compared to chemical degumming, and is the ideal solution for degumming. Unfortunately, at present, biological degumming still has problems such as high residual gum rate and unstable degumming effect, which need further research.

Why Ramie Deserves a Place in Your Wardrobe

Ramie fiber, a member of the hemp fiber family, has the common advantages of hemp: high breathability, high moisture absorption, and high antibacterial properties. The first two characteristics allow the wearer to stay cool even on hot summer days. 

Compared to flax, ramie can be made into clothes that are lighter and thinner due to its finer fibers, which further enhances wearing comfort. The high antimicrobial properties of ramie keep the clothes clean and less likely to smell, and reduce the possibility of the wearer getting sick. 

Ramie also has its own unique characteristics. Ramie fibers have smooth surfaces, rounded fiber cell sections, and high light reflectivity. After proper treatment, it can show a luster similar to that of silk. Because of its natural luster and silk-like feel, it is often called ‘plant silk’. Ultrafine Ramie Fiber feels wonderful to wear.

Currently, ramie fabrics can be categorized into 100% ramie and blended ramie. 100% ramie clothing has a distinctive hemp style with a fine appearance and good drape. Ramie fabrics blended with cotton can be made to resemble the appearance of cotton fabrics, but retain the unique breathability and moisture absorption of hemp fibers, while still being anti-bacterial and not smelly. 

Overall, ramie fabrics are suitable for all seasons. Whether used for formal business wear or casual vacation suits, ramie fabrics offer consumers a valuable, cost-effective experience.

The Future of Ramie

Currently, the main production and sales areas for ramie products are in East Asia, which means that the market scope is relatively limited.

Firstly, due to historical reasons, ramie is native to East Asia, mainly China and Malaysia, and other parts of the world do not have the cultural habit of growing and using ramie products. 

Secondly, the area suitable for ramie growth is specific, and it needs to be a tropical and subtropical sandy soil with a monthly precipitation of 75-130mm. In areas with lower temperatures and less precipitation, the yield of ramie will be drastically reduced or even impossible to grow. 

Thirdly, ramie is still only harvested by hand, without large-scale mechanization, resulting in high costs. In the future, if the above problems can be resolved, ramie will be able to secure a position in the high-end textile market due to the high quality of its fibers.

As a plant fiber that has been used by mankind for thousands of years, ramie has benefits that cannot be ignored. Ramie fibers produce very little waste during harvesting and processing, and the entire ramie plant can be used, which means that ramie may become one of the materials of choice for zero-waste fashion as the concept of sustainable fashion becomes more and more popular. The promotion and use of ramie can effectively contribute to the development of sustainable fashion.

No plant fiber is perfect, and ramie is no exception. If higher-yielding, cold- and drought-tolerant varieties can be developed through botanical research, the cultivation of this crop could be promoted on a larger scale, increasing yields while reducing water usage. 

Developing varieties that contain less gum can reduce the consumption of resources and pollution in the degumming process from the source, and can produce purer fibers of higher quality. The development of varieties with greater fiber fineness can broaden the applications of ramie fibers, from the traditional garment and household fields to the industrial field of packaging materials and construction materials.

If you would like more information about Ramie, you can visit www.ramiefabric.com