The new Commission strategy also includes measures to support circular material and production processes, tackle the presence of hazardous chemicals and help consumers to choose sustainable textiles.
The EU has an EU Ecolabel that producers respecting ecological criteria can apply to items, ensuring a limited use of harmful substances and reduced water and air pollution. The EU has also introduced some measures to mitigate the impact of textile waste on the environment.
A more sustainable model of textile production also has the potential to boost the economy. Launch the search.
The impact of textile production and waste on the environment infographic. Created: - Share this page:. Lead MEP on the circular economy action plan. Share this quote:. Facebook quotes. Twitter quotes. Infographic with facts and figures about the environmental impact of textiles. Water use It takes a lot of water to produce textile, plus land to grow cotton and other fibres. McKinsey would only say that it analyzed proprietary data provided by market research firms to come to their conclusions.
An Ellen MacArthur Foundation report says that 20 percent of global industrial water pollution is from the fashion industry, but EcoTextile News shredded this in its December issue dedicated to myth-busting, tracking the statistic back to a vague assertion by a paper that attributed it to the World Bank; the bank denied it was the origin of the fact. The idea that the average American throws away 80 pounds of clothing comes from a Environmental Protection Agency report , but that data is also inaccurate: It includes textiles like carpets and mattresses and garment factory waste.
If you were to try to publish that in a peer-reviewed journal, you would be rejected in 30 minutes. It should have died a quick death. And it keeps getting cited. By me, by other journalists, by panelists, by everyone. Some of this bad data has even cynically been pressed into service to increase our consumption. Brands have also zeroed in on circular design, a utopian economy where waste materials would be recycled right back into new clothes.
Right now, we think that 99 percent of old clothing is eventually landfilled or burned. The false stat about how much global industrial water pollution comes from the fashion industry, for instance, is not going to cut it. That money needs to come from the government or a consortium of fashion brands, because getting good data is expensive. Unless the public is crying for it, who is going to fund that? There is some progress. But the fear is that the resulting data will only be available for brands to use.
She sees her students get snapped up by fashion brands at graduation, essentially privatizing the vast majority of fashion science. This might be her last year at UC Davis, too. Her research funding has dried up, and UC Davis shut down the two undergraduate majors, textiles and clothing and polymer science. Incoming graduate students interested in fashion sustainability will now have to choose either fashion design or material engineering.
Students revolted and signed a resolution against the move, but it was no use. Instead of researching what fashion does to our world, they now can only study how to make more of it. But despite all this, she thinks the conversation is shifting. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower through understanding. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all.
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By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Fashion has a misinformation problem. It has extremely detrimental effects on the environment such as the usage of harmful chemicals and the unethical resourcing for the material. As the companies use toxic chemicals, others are worried about other impacts beyond environmental factors For instance, the carbon disulphide that is used in viscose fiber production leads to lethal health side effects on workers as well.
Thus, perhaps it is not surprising that viscose consequently results in a larger amount of greenhouse gas emissions than cotton production. Instead of using viscose, there are alternatives that we can opt for such as more sustainable cellulosic fibers. In Finland, a company named Spinnova has transformed wood fibers into recyclable fibers without harmful chemicals such as caustic soda, carbon disulphide, and sodium hydroxide that are commonly found in viscose.
Inspired from the web-weaving by spiders, the method is applied with wood fiber material. The method is particularly promising because it is far safer, uses less resources, and provides support that sourcing sustainably is not impossible for many other companies. With a growing concern among the general population, many start-ups have taken on the challenge of sourcing cellulosics from a myriad of other sources such as orange, milk and coffee.
For instance, modal from the s and lyocell from the s are both revolutionary by being biodegradable, using less fiber, less dye and better for moisture absorption or moisture-wicking than many other fibers. As a result, they have grown in popularity with consumers and a vast amount of companies nowadays.
Though the issue of sustainability is evident, there have been a variety of innovations over time that are moving the industry in the right direction. As the movement gains momentum, we have the ability to make a significant change.
By supporting companies such as Spinnova, we actively are building towards a cleaner and greener future, one step at a time. The fashion industry is currently responsible for more annual carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. By analyzing the root causes of the problem, the next steps are easier to understand as we can connect the dots and create solutions.
A few possible solutions were listed in the article, but some others include mindful purchasing of fast fashion brands and supporting reform.
If you are not entirely sure of which brands to support, you are not alone. Doing background research on brands before purchasing clothes can help you become a more informed consumer and steer your purchases in a manner that aligns with your environmental values. The fashion industry has caused a substantial amount of damage to our environment. However, if we start to take proactive steps towards advocating for a green-friendly fashion industry and becoming an environmentally-conscious consumer, we can finally slow down climate change.
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