Jute Fiber in Handicraft Industry: Benefits and Uses

Shafiun Nahar Elma
Industrial & Production Engineer
National Institute of Textile Engineering & Research (NITER), Bangladesh.
Email: shafiun.elma05@gmail.com

Sustainable Jute fiber which is known as Golden Fiber is picking up a buzz as an organic material and natural fiber used in different sectors along with the textile industry, especially handicrafts. For its sustainable character and availability, it is acclaimed as a fiber of the future, given its ability to serve its positive environmental impacts, its flexibility, and its low cost. Jute fiber in handicraft industry, is most useful in replacing synthetic materials because of its completely bio-degradable nature.

The Golden Fiber: An Overview of Jute

Jute is a rain-fed crop cultivated mostly in Bangladesh, India, China, and Thailand. Jute fiber is derived from the jute plant’s stem and ribbon (outer skin). The fibers are initially removed using retting. The retting procedure involves wrapping jute stems together and submerging them in low-flowing water. Because of its relatively low cost and biodegradability, jute finds exclusive and extraordinary applications in many sectors of the economy, ability, and durability should be emphasized for handicraft products for sustainable development.

Key Characteristics of Jute Fiber:

Biodegradable and Renewable: After its life cycle, can easily be bio-degradable which reduces the chances of pollution.
Durable: Due to their durability character they can be used for handicrafts for it to have a long time usage.
Cost-Effective: The jute cultivation process is not so costly and local artisans from the rural area do the work at a very cheap cost.

Function of Jute Fiber in Handicraft Industry:
The handicraft industry has adopted jute claiming that it is a very flexible and natural material. The traditional hand-woven items which are produced from jute, include bags, mats, rugs, baskets, containers, and even fashion ornaments. Since the jute products in handicraft are unique due to various techniques of weaving and designing they can offer their buyers tangible cultural as well as a sustainable product.

Sustainable Products of Jute Fiber in Handicraft Industry:

Bags and Totes: Jute bags are weather resistant as well as very strong and elegant so they are used in many countries around the world.
Fig: Jute bags
Wall Hangings and Mats: A wall décor made of jute and mats also helps to create a rustic look in interiors and is quite popular with minimalism.
Fig: Jute Wall Hangings
Baskets: Jute baskets are stylish, versatile, and sustainable and can be used for storage or display purposes. It is completely safe to use because of the absence of harmful chemicals.
Fig: Jute basket
Decorative Items: They also use jute to make items such as lampshades, plant holders, and other ornaments that give natural and organic vibes.
Fig: Decorative Items
Jute-Based Textiles: It is also used in fashion accessories like scarves, and wraps, and even in fashion products like dresses and what have you. This nurtures proper fashion trends and will sell well to the conservationist clients.
Fig: Jute dress
Furniture Accents: Here, jute fabric can be used in making small furniture items such as stools, tables, and even decorative pieces in upholstery which gives accommodation of a natural feel in interior designing.
Fig: Jute Furniture Accents

Advantages of Jute Fiber:
Jute production for yarn and fabric manufacturing saves the environment without such a major detrimental impact. Jute plants take up a significant measure of carbon dioxide and thus are effective in controlling greenhouse gases. Secondly, products made of jute fabric are fully biodegradable reducing waste and making soil fertile. It can consume about 15 tons of CO₂ per hectare per year.

Economic Impact of Jute Fiber in Handicraft Industry:
The jute industry is one of the largest employers offering work to millions of village people mainly from Bangladesh. To rural economies, therefore, the cultivation of jute and handicrafts provides economic returns and development. In Bangladesh, more than 30 million people are employed in this sector of the jute industry. Bangladesh earns nearly about one billion dollars every year from the export of jute.

Jute Fiber in Handicraft Industry: Export-Import Data (2024)
Jute craft and aesthetic products are very popular all over the world, especially in the sustainability-conscious markets of Europe and North America. The opportunity to expand and increase the production of jute bags and packaging solutions has been attributed to growing limitations on single-use plastics. Jute fiber in the handicraft industry, especially bags has become fashionable and sustainable in countries such as the USA, UK, Germany, and so on. Recently, more people are considering jute bags and other decorating commodities because of the change in the trend of saving the environment. Bangladeshi exporters earn forex from jute handicrafts, in 2024 figure around $250 million at which a considerable growth is predicted, especially in the green economy.

For general utility uses, jute goods fall into four categories of manufacturing:

Hessian or Burlap: A plain woven cloth weighing 5 to 12 ounces per yard and constructed of high-quality jute yarn. It has a wide range of applications, including textiles and bags.
Sacking: It is also known as “heavy goods,” constructed from lesser grades of fiber, loosely woven cloth in plain or twill weave, weighing between 12 and 20 ounces per yard of various widths.
Canvas: The finest jute product, tightly woven from the highest quality fibers and widely used in India for weather protection.
Jute Yarn and Twine: The mills use single-strand jute yarn shaped into a variety of fabrics and twine. Jute twine of varied weights and thicknesses is widely used in India and worldwide for sewing, tying, and a range of industrial uses such as pipe packing, cable binding, and so on.

Socio-Economic Prospects of Jute Fiber:
Jute, one of the important vegetable fibers next to cotton, is used for packing cotton bales, preparation of sacks, and low-grade fabrics. While synthetic fibers continue to rise in popularity, jute is still useful for creating things such as twine and rope, with the coarse tips at the ends used to make affordable clothing. Jute fibers are also used in the pulps and paper making which could see light in case of raised deforestation difficulties.

The handicraft industry is one of the supporting sectors of the Bangladeshi government; thus, the non-reusable and environmentally friendly product known as Sonali Bag is produced from jute material. The future for the jute handicraft market is bright due to the growing consciousness of consumers concerning sustainable products. Newer techniques in the treatment and incorporation of jute fabric and allied fibers are broadening fashion uses, and the global demand is expected to increase at a growth rate of about 8% for the USA, Europe, and Asia.

Conclusion:
Jute fiber is one of the most demanding materials for sustainable handicraft production and it has positive impacts on the environment as well as on the economy. The handicraft industry further effectively reduces synthetic errant material from its range by using jute which helps our planet to become greener. Due to the environmental features of sustainable resources, non-restriction in its usage, and affordability, jute is a “fiber of the future”. As the jute fiber in the handicraft industry continues to embrace its quality, its future can only get bigger and better. With everything from bags and home décor to textiles and furniture, jute has grown to be an organic resource that helps artisans for earning a livelihood and sustainable handicrafts for consumers.

References:

https://www.basebangladesh.org/bangladesh-jute-products/
https://www.thejutefibersbd.com/properties-of-jute/
https://jutebagbd.com/jute-product/uses-of-natural-jute-fibers/
https://www.sourcing-bangladesh.com/products/jute-jute-products

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Mazharul Islam Kiron

Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.