Natural fibre straps

Natural fibre straps

A strap is a flexible flat material, that is applied to an item to combine, hold, reinforce or fasten it. Straps have been used to build no glue/no screws disassemblable furniture, but it is also common to use them in seats and sofas.

Natural straps are commonly made out of cotton, but jute and hemp are more environmentally friendly and widely available materials.

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The life cycle	Pro	Con
		High energy Textile straps have a higher embodied energy than glues and metal fasteners, even natural fiber ones. Producing 100g of cotton straps requires the same energy as producing 30 stainless steel screws. Jute and hemp require one third less (1). Show Alternatives » Alternatives connections Low Energy Animal glue Casein glue Dowels, biscuits and lamellos Soy glue Tie-wraps High water use Cotton is water intensive, choose alternative fibers like jute or hemp instead. Their price is lower or similar to cotton (1). High footprint While with glues and fasteners you connect using just a few grams of material, straps are more material intensive. Cotton actually requires even more natural resources than synthetic fibers, because of its need for land, water and agricultural inputs. Other natural fibers are in fact much better, as they yield more with less inputs (1). Show Alternatives » Alternatives connections Low footprint Animal glue Dowels, biscuits and lamellos Soy glue	Tips The thinner the yarn, the higher the environmental impact on a weight basis. Choose for straps with thicker yarn and your product will have a lower ecological footprint.This is because the energy required to spin yarn and weave a piece of strap of the same size is much higher when you have to produce and weave a longer, thinner yarn. Also, the environmental cost of knitted fabric is as much as 40 times better than for wovens. Velden, Natascha M. van der, Martin K. Patel, and Joost G. Vogtländer. “LCA Benchmarking Study on Textiles Made of Cotton, Polyester, Nylon, Acryl, or Elastane.” The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 19, no. 2

	Non toxic No particles or emissions are released when you work with natural textiles. Low cost It has a similar price to plastic straps. Jute or hemp are cheaper and more sustainable Quick Strapping is faster than drilling, screwing or gluing connections
	Space saving If strapped furniture can be disassembled, it can be more compact when transported, therefore saving space and fuel
	Non toxic Natural fibers straps are safe in the house, unless they are treated with brominated or halogenated fire retardants (3).

	Easy reuse If strapped furniture can be disassembled, it becomes easier to reuse. The strap can also be reused if the furniture is disposed of.