The Environmental and Health Impact of Eco-friendly Textiles in the Interior Space

Abstract

Textiles hold a significant percentage in interior spaces. According to a previous article titled “Recognizing textiles as a significant contributing factor to interior design as opposed to conventional understanding”, it was shown that textiles in interior spaces, both residential and commercial spaces, cover a percentage between 60% to 70% of the space. Regular textiles are usually made of materials that are full of chemical components produced during the textile’s production process: pre finishing, finishing, dying, and weaving. Such chemical components in textiles causes many diseases and allergies, making it extremely harmful to use in an interior space. Therefore, and since textiles make up the majority of an interior space, it is extremely important that interior designers shift their practice of using regular textile to selecting, using and applying eco-friendly textiles, to contribute to the creation of a healthy and sustainable interior space. It is also encouraged that textiles suppliers are made aware of this to allow them to designate sections in their shops for green/eco-friendly textiles, giving the users an option to go for eco-friendly textiles instead of regular ones to avoid diseases, allergies and reduce negative environmental impact.