About Jute

Jute Fiber is known as the ‘Golden Fiber’ due to its golden brown color and its importance. In terms of usage, production, and global consumption, jute is second only to cotton. It is the fiber used to make hessian sacks and garden twine. Jute is environmentally friendly as well as one of the most affordable fibers; jute plants are easy to grow, have a high yield per acre, and, unlike cotton, have little need for pesticides and fertilizers. Jute is a bast fiber, like flax and hemp, and the stems are processed similarly.

Jute is an annual crop grown mainly 80% in Bangladesh in the fertile Ganges Delta. It is classified in the lime tree family (Tiliaceae) by Kew Royal Botanic Gardens but jute has sometimes been placed in Malvaceae with cotton or more recently in Sparrmanniaceae.

Jute fibers are very long (1 to 4 meters), silky, lustrous, and golden brown in color. In contrast to most textile fibers which consist mainly of cellulose, jute fibers are part cellulose, part lignin. Cellulose is a major component of plant fibers while lignin is a major component of wood fiber; jute is therefore partly a textile fiber and partly wood. Jute fiber has strength, low cost, durability, and versatility.

Jute is used where low cost is more important than durability, for example in coffee sacks and cotton bale covers. You are probably familiar with jute as twine used to tie garden plants, and as hessian fabric (or burlap in the US). Jute is used in shopping bags, carpets and rugs, backing for linoleum floor covering, chair coverings and environmentally friendly coffins.

Jute is also useful as a geotextile fabric laid over soil to stabilize it against landslides and to control erosion or weeds. The fabric helps to keep the moisture in and holds the soil in place, whilst the open weave structure of the fabric allows space for plants to grow. As the plants get established, the jute fabric starts to biodegrade. This fabric is also used to wrap plant root balls, as it allows water and air to reach the roots.

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Experimental use of jute fiber in commercial papermaking has proved moderately successful and may eventually supplement pine and spruce as papermaking fibers.

This is a fiber crop that you will not be able to grow in European back gardens as jute needs tropical rainfall, warm weather, and high humidity. Unlike cotton, it has little need for pesticides or fertilizers. Jute is planted close together so that the plants grow tall and straight.

Jute is ready to harvest in four to six months after the flowers are shed. The plant stems are then about 2.5 to 3.5 meters tall and as thick as a finger. Jute fields may be underwater at the time of harvest and the workers often need to wade in the water to cut the stems at ground level or to uproot the plants. The stems are then tied into bundles.

On average, jute yields four times more fiber per acre than flax. The fibers lie beneath the bark around the woody core or ‘hurd’. To extract the fiber, the jute bundles are submersed in water and left for a few days until the fibers come loose and are ready for stripping from the stalk, then washed and dried.

Jute has a low carbon footprint, it is biodegradable, feeds the soil and all parts of the plant can be used.

Jute is known as the “Golden Fiber” because of its golden color and meaning. In terms of uses, production and global consumption, jute is second only to cotton. It is a fiber used for jute bags and garden twine. Jute is environmentally friendly and he is one of the cheapest fibres. Jute is easy to grow, produces high yields per hectare and, unlike cotton, requires little pesticides or fertilizers. Jute is the same bast fiber as flax and hemp, and the stems are processed in the same way. Jute is an annual crop mainly 80% grown in Bangladesh in the fertile Ganges Delta. Although it is classified in the Lindenaceae (Tassinaceae) at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, jute is sometimes classified with cotton in the Malvaceae family, and more recently in the Spermaniaceae family.

Jute fibers are very long (1 to 4 meters), silky, shiny and golden yellow in color. Unlike most textile fibers, which are mostly cellulose, jute fibers are partly cellulose and partly lignin. Cellulose is the main component of plant fibers and lignin is the main component of wood fibers. Jute is therefore a woven fiber and part of wood. Jute fiber has strength, low cost, durability, and versatility.

Jute is used when low cost is more important than durability. For example, coffee bags or cotton bale wrappers. Jute is commonly known as twine for tying garden plants and as burlap (burlap in the United States). Jute is used in shopping his bags, rugs, rugs, linoleum floor linings, chair covers, eco-friendly coffins and more.

Jute is also useful as a geotextile fabric laid over soil to stabilize against landslides and to control erosion and weeds. The fabric retains moisture and keeps the soil in place, but the fabric’s open weave gives plants room to grow.As the plants take hold, the jute fabric begins to biodegrade. This cloth is also used to wrap the root ball of plants to allow water and air to reach the roots.

Experimental use of jute fibers in commercial papermaking has met with some success and may eventually complement pine and spruce as papermaking fibers.

Jute is a fiber crop that cannot be grown in European backyards because it requires tropical rainfall, a mild climate, and high humidity. Unlike cotton, it requires little pesticides or fertilizers. Jute is planted nearby, so the plants grow tall and straight.

Jute can be harvested four to six months after the flowers have fallen. The plant stem is about 2.5 to 3.5 meters high and one finger thick. Jute fields can be flooded during harvest, and workers often have to walk through the water to cut stems above ground or uproot plants. Then tie the stems into a bundle.

On average, jute yields four times as much fiber per hectare as flax. The fibers lie beneath the bark around the woody core or ‘hard’. To extract the fibers, the jute bundles are soaked in water and left for several days until the fibers are loosened and ready to be pulled from the stems, then washed and dried.

Jute has a low carbon footprint, is biodegradable, nourishes the soil, and allows all parts of the plant to be used.

1. Good for the air
2. Good for the soil
3. Source of wood pulp