white jute

White jute refers to one of two species of Corchorus plants, specifically C. capsularis. This plant, belonging to the hibiscus family, is a source of bast fiber, extracted from the inner bark tissue of its stem. Jute fiber is primarily used for making fabrics for packaging, such as bags, sacks, and wrappings, due to its low cost and resistance to stretching.1

The jute plant is an annual herb that typically grows 10 to 12 feet tall. Its fibers are extracted through a process called retting, where the stems are steeped in water to break down gummy materials. After retting, the fibers are separated, washed, dried, and baled for processing into yarn and then woven into products like burlap, twine, and carpet backing. While jute has been cultivated in the Bengal region of India and Bangladesh since ancient times, it is also grown in China and Brazil.1