Bacterial cellulose biotextiles for the future of sustainable fashion: a review

Fashion is one of the most polluting world industries, surpassed only by the petroleum industry. Environmental damages originate from the production, manufacture and dyeing of fabrics, calling for alternative feedstock such as bacterial cellulose. Bacterial cellulose is attracting industrial interest from the textile sector due to advanced properties of bacterial cellulose compared to plant cellulose. For instance, bacterial cellulose is produced by microorganisms in a sustainable way, is biodegradable and does not pollute the environment. Moreover, bacterial cellulose can be dyed, resulting in an attractive textile surface that meets the actual socio-environmental awareness of the industry. Here, we review properties and production methods of bacterial cellulose and applications, focusing on the textile industry. We also discuss the main features of the dyeing process using natural dyes, as well as the registration of patents related to the textile industry, in order to demonstrate the growing application potential in the fashion market. This is the first review that explores the applications of bacterial cellulose related to the textile industry.