Jute is a natural fibre with golden and silky shine and hence called The Golden Fibre. It has high tensile strength, low extensibility, and ensures better breathability of fabrics.Jute fibre is 100% biodegradable and recyclable and thus environmentally friendly. It is one of the most versatile natural fibres that has been used in raw materials for packaging, textiles, non-textile, construction, and agricultural sectors. It helps to make best quality industrial yarn, fabric, net, and sacks. There are 4 types of Jute;
HESSIAN or BURLAP: A plain woven fabric of 5 to 12 ounces, a yard, made of good quality jute yarn. It is used for a wide range of applications in cloth form and in the form of bags.
Traditionally Hessian cloth has been used for making Gunny sacks for use in the agriculture and transportation sector. It is breathable and thus immune to condensation. It is also sturdy and durable and is able to handle a rough transit; these characteristics also makes it ideal for temporary protection such as wet covering to prevent rapid moisture loss in the setting of concrete and cement in the construction industry. It is also commonly used to make effective sandbags.
SACKING: Also known as “heavy goods,” made from lower grades of fiber, loosely woven cloth, in plain or twill weave, weighing from 12-20 ounces per yard of varying widths. It is used for bags of all types.
The most common use of Hessian is in making sacks for the agriculture and construction sector. Gunny sacks are used to ship wool, cotton and tobacco, as well as agricultural goods such as potatoes, grains, coffee, vegetables etc. Due to its ability to allow the contents to breathe, it is able to prevent rotting like nothing else on the market. Hessian is also often used for the transportation of unprocessed dry tobacco. Hessian sacks in the tobacco industry hold up to 200 kg (440lb) of tobacco, and due to hessian’s toughness, a hessian sack can have a useful lifespan of up to three years.
CANVAS – The finest jute product, closely woven of the best grades of fiber widely used in India for protection from the weather.
JUTE YARN and TWINE – Most of the single strand jute yarn produced is consumed by the mills themselves in fabric and twine manufacture. Jute twine in varying weights and thickness is used extensively both in India and abroad for sewing, tying, and for a variety of industrial applications such as packing pipe joints, cable binding, etc.
Owing to its superior characteristics, affordability and its Golden shiny color, Jute is also referred to as the ‘Golden Fiber’. It is cultivated from the bark of the Jute Plant or the Genus Corchorus.
Today’s technology addicted society is moving ahead at an unprecedented pace. The sheer scale of growth and development in the last decades has, unfortunately, come at a cost to our natural environment. Changes in ecology have led to more consumer awareness about nature & energy preservation and about the harmful effects of synthetics such as plastic. In these tough times, Jute has emerged as a fiber of choice with endless possibilities. It is natural, bio-degradable, eco-friendly, renewable and inexpensive and possesses characteristics which makes it ideal for use in a range of sectors such as packaging, construction, fashion, etc.
Jute is primarily produced in the Bengal delta region in India & Bangladesh. It requires help from the Monsoon climate as it is a rain fed crop. Moreover, Jute does not need much, if any, fertilizer or pesticides. Its production is 2nd only to cotton in the list of natural fibers.
Jute plant absorbs 3 times the amount of carbon dioxide as the average tree. After harvest, the leaves and roots enrich the soil with micronutrients
Interesting fact
During a typical jute growing season lasting 3-4 months, one hectare of Jute plant is estimated to release 11 tonnes of Oxygen and absorb 15 Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide. For perspective, 1 ton of Carbon Dioxide will fill a house of 150m2 with an average height of 4m!
History
Jute has had an interesting history. The earliest known use of Jute was as far back as the 3rd century BC to make textiles. It has been used ever since in the Indian sub-continent mostly as a fabric. The British started trading in Jute after their arrival in the Indian sub-continent; they also setup the 1st Jute mill in Dundee, Scotland. It was used in the fishing, construction, art and the arms industries. The industry boomed through the 18th and 19th century, right upto the 1970’s, at which point the industry went into a steep decline owing to synthetic fibres. In the last few years though, Jute has once again regained its popularity owing to its eco-friendly and affordable nature. The use cases are set to rise further with time
Interesting Fact
Some Dutchmen, participating through the Dutch East India company, were the 1st ones to start trading in Jute in the 17th Century