An evaluation of cotton versus synthetic fibres

Abstract

There has been a major increase in the consumption of synthetic fibres over the past fifteen years. This growth has been in competition with cotton, so that cotton's share of total fibre consumption has fallen. However, because of rising world demand for textiles, the absolute quantity of cotton consumed continues to rise. The pattern of consumption differs considerably from region to region, and is least predictable in developing countries where the greatest growth in fibre consumption will occur.