Greta Jimenez
The fashion industry is the second-largest polluting industry in the world, just after the oil industry. It is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, with apparel and footwear production contributing between 4% and 8.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The industry is also a significant water consumer, with textile manufacturing responsible for about 20% of the world's industrial water pollution. The production and distribution of crops, fibres, and garments used in fashion all contribute to various forms of environmental pollution, including water, air, and soil degradation. The fashion industry's environmental impact is further exacerbated by the vast overproduction of fashion items, the use of synthetic fibres, and the proliferation of microfibers in global water sources.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of global carbon emissions | 10% (UN Environment Programme) or between 4% and 8.6% (other sources) |
| Comparison to other carbon emitters | More than all international flights and maritime shipping combined |
| Position as an industrial polluter | Second-largest polluter in the world, after the oil industry |
| Water consumption | Second-largest consumer of water |
| Water pollution | Responsible for 20% of industrial wastewater pollution worldwide (World Bank, 2020) and 20% of global wastewater (United Nations Environment Programme) |
| Water contamination | Hazardous chemicals and fertilizers used in cotton production are disposed of in local waterways |
| Waste | 85% of textiles go to dumps each year, with 17 million tons of textile waste produced in 2018 alone |
| Recycling | Less than 1% of clothing is recycled to make new clothes |
| Overproduction | 80 billion items of clothing consumed annually, with 85% of clothes consumed in the US sent to landfill |
| Microplastics | 35% of microplastics in the ocean come from laundering synthetic textiles |
| Synthetic fibres | 60% of clothing and 70% of household textiles are made of synthetic fibres, which take hundreds of years to biodegrade |
| Worker exploitation | Human rights abuses, including derisory wages, long hours, health and safety issues, and higher risks of sexual violence in the workplace |
Explore related products
Water pollution
The fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of water, contributing to 20% of global water pollution. It is anticipated that the industry's global emissions will double by the end of the decade if no action is taken.
Cotton is the most widely used natural fabric for clothing and requires large amounts of water for irrigation and treatment, depleting local freshwater and groundwater resources. Cotton farming has a significant impact on the global water crisis. To increase production, pesticides and fertilisers are often used to increase cotton output. However, besides damaging soil quality and destroying underground microbial communities, the runoffs from the agrochemical-contaminated water pollute nearby water sources, posing threats to local biodiversity and human health.
Textile dyeing and finishing are also major contributors to water pollution, responsible for over 20% of global industrial water pollution due to the toxic and hazardous chemicals used. The dyeing process releases colourants and harmful chemicals into the wastewater when untreated, and this water is often dumped into ditches, streams, or rivers. In addition, the use of synthetic fibres like polyester, nylon, and acrylic, which take hundreds of years to biodegrade, further exacerbates the problem. Microfibre pollution from synthetic materials can disrupt underwater ecosystems and has been found in fish and other seafood.
Washing synthetic clothing also contributes to water pollution, as each wash releases microfilaments that move through sewage systems and end up in waterways. It is estimated that half a million tons of these contaminants reach the ocean each year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.
To mitigate these issues, sustainable practices such as switching to organic cotton farming, reducing water consumption, and focusing on producing quality garments that stay in style longer are necessary.
The World's Annual Pollution Problem
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Carbon emissions
The fashion industry is responsible for 2-10% of global carbon emissions, a figure that is more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. This is largely due to the industry's complex supply chain, which involves the transportation of fabrics and garments from production points, usually in developing countries, as well as its energy-intensive production.
The carbon emissions from the fashion industry have increased due to the shorter lifespan of garments, which end up in landfill or are incinerated, as well as the production of materials used by the industry. The use of synthetic fibres, such as polyester, has grown exponentially and has now surpassed cotton as the most widely used fashion fabric. Carbon emissions from synthetics are much higher than those from natural fabrics, as they are made from fossil fuels such as unrefined petroleum products, contributing to climate change through carbon emissions. It is estimated that 5.5 kg of carbon dioxide is emitted to produce one polyester t-shirt, compared to 2.1 kg for a cotton t-shirt.
The production of chemical fibres has more than doubled in the last 20 years and, in 2020, synthetic fibres accounted for approximately 64% of global fibre production. An estimated 60% of clothing and 70% of household textiles are made from synthetic fibres. These plastic-based textiles have a significant impact on the environment and climate throughout their life cycle due to emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants.
Textile dyeing is the world's second-largest polluter of water, as the leftover water from the dyeing process is often dumped into ditches, streams, or rivers. The fashion industry is also responsible for the emission of massive amounts of microplastics, with 35% of all microplastics in the ocean coming from the laundering of synthetic textiles.
To tackle the environmental impact of the fashion industry, the EU has introduced a strategy to make textiles more durable, repairable, reusable, and recyclable, as well as to tackle fast fashion and stimulate innovation within the sector. The Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Change, launched at COP24 in 2021, serves as a roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 within the textile, clothing, and fashion industries.
The Earth's Pollution Crisis: A Global Emergency
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Synthetic fibres
The fashion industry has been criticised for its extensive use of synthetic fibres, which have a significant impact on the environment and climate. Synthetic fibres are made from plastic and are non-biodegradable, contributing to the growing problem of plastic pollution. The production of these fabrics emits greenhouse gases, and the use of synthetic fibres means they may contain plastic, further impacting the environment when they are discarded.
Synthetic fabrics like polyester, polypropylene, acrylic, and nylon are commonly used in fast fashion due to their low cost. They are made using fossil fuels, and the production process is energy-intensive, requiring large amounts of petroleum and releasing volatile particulate matter and acids like hydrogen chloride. The use of synthetic fibres has grown exponentially, and polyester has now surpassed cotton as the most widely used fashion fabric. Carbon emissions from synthetics are much higher than those from natural fibres like cotton because they are made from fossil fuels such as unrefined petroleum products. It is estimated that 5.5 kg of CO2e is emitted to produce one polyester t-shirt, compared to 2.1 kg of CO2e for a cotton t-shirt.
The washing of synthetic clothes is one of the biggest causes of microplastics entering the waterways. A single laundry load of polyester clothes can discharge 700,000 microplastic fibres that can end up in the food chain. The majority of microplastics from textiles are released during the first few washes, and fast fashion, with its high sales volumes, promotes many first washes. Washing synthetic products leads to the accumulation of more than half a million tonnes of microplastics on the ocean floor each year. A 2017 report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimated that 35% of all microplastics in the ocean come from the laundering of synthetic textiles like polyester.
The constant production and disposal cycle of fast fashion exacerbates environmental issues at every stage of the lifecycle. The mass demand for synthetic materials has a significant environmental cost, and the sales of fashion have doubled over a 15-year period, while the number of times an item of clothing is worn before being discarded has dropped. The rise of fast fashion has been crucial in the increase in consumption, driven partly by social media and the industry bringing fashion trends to consumers at a faster pace. Globally, consumers lose about $460 billion each year by throwing away clothes that could still be worn, and some garments are estimated to be discarded after just seven to ten uses.
To address these issues, new strategies include developing business models for clothing rental, designing products to be more repairable and reusable, and stimulating innovation within the sector. The European Commission has presented a new strategy to make textiles more durable and tackle fast fashion, and MEPs have proposed tougher EU measures to halt the excessive production and consumption of textiles.
E15 Gas: More Power, More Pollution?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Textile waste
The fashion industry produces an alarming amount of waste, with a significant proportion of it being textile waste. Textile waste refers to the discarded textiles and clothing that are no longer used or repurposed. This waste is generated at various stages of the fashion value chain, from production to consumption.
Textile production itself is a major contributor to waste. The process of manufacturing textiles, especially synthetic fibres like polyester, nylon, and acrylic, can generate significant pollution. These synthetic fibres are not biodegradable and can take hundreds of years to break down. Additionally, the dyeing and finishing processes are responsible for a substantial portion of the industry's water pollution. According to estimates, the fashion industry contributes about 20% of global clean water pollution from these processes alone.
The rise of fast fashion has exacerbated the issue of textile waste. Fast fashion is characterised by mass production, low prices, and rapid introduction of new styles, leading to increased consumption and a throwaway culture. Consumers are discarding clothes at an unprecedented rate, with items being worn only seven to ten times before being tossed. This trend has resulted in a significant increase in textile waste, as people are buying more and disposing of clothes faster.
The way people dispose of unwanted clothes has also changed. In the past, clothing was often repaired, mended, or passed down to other family members. Today, less than half of used clothes are collected for reuse or recycling, and only a small percentage of those are recycled into new garments. The majority of discarded clothing ends up in landfills or is incinerated. For example, in the United States, Americans throw away approximately 68 pounds of clothing and textiles per person per year, contributing to about 4% of municipal solid waste.
To address the issue of textile waste, several strategies are being proposed and implemented. The European Commission, for instance, has introduced a strategy to make textiles more durable, repairable, reusable, and recyclable. This includes new ecodesign requirements, clearer information for consumers, and encouraging companies to minimise their environmental impact. The revision of the waste directive will also introduce extended producer responsibility schemes, where producers of textiles will be responsible for the separate collection, sorting, and recycling of their products. Additionally, organisations are advocating for a shift towards slow fashion, which prioritises sustainable and ethical practices, and the development of new business models for clothing rental and reuse.
While there are efforts to mitigate textile waste, it remains a significant issue within the fashion industry. The environmental impact of this waste, coupled with the social and economic costs, underscores the urgency to reduce, reuse, and recycle textiles more effectively.
Understanding Non-Point Pollution: Transporting Pollutants in the Environment
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Human rights
The fashion industry has a significant impact on the environment, contributing to water pollution, carbon emissions, and the use of non-renewable resources. It is also a major contributor to global carbon emissions, with the production of synthetic fibres and the use of fossil fuels playing a significant role.
However, the human cost of the fashion industry is also significant. The industry has long been associated with the exploitation of people, from cotton demand fuelling slavery to the use of synthetic fibres driving oil production and pollution. The industry's rapid production and focus on sales and profits often come at the expense of human welfare. Developing nations are often targeted for garment production due to cheap labour, lax regulations, and tax breaks, leading to poor working conditions and low wages for workers, primarily women in these countries. The 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza factory building in Bangladesh, which killed and injured thousands of workers, is a stark reminder of the human cost of the industry's pursuit of profit.
Infringements on human rights are prevalent in the fashion industry, particularly in the case of textile workers in developing countries. These workers often face derisory wages, long working hours, and dangerous working conditions. The rise of fast fashion has exacerbated the issue, with the constant provision of new styles at low prices leading to increased pressure on workers and the unnecessary overproduction of clothing. The demand for oil-based synthetic fibres, such as polyester, has also fuelled conflicts, as seen in the case of Russia's war.
To address these human rights concerns, various organisations are advocating for a shift towards sustainable fashion. The UNECE, for example, works to improve transparency and traceability in the fashion industry to identify and address labour and human rights violations. The EFI programme connects marginalised artisans, mostly women, from developing countries with international fashion houses to promote mutual benefit and sustainable production practices. Consumers also have a role to play by holding companies accountable for their promises and joining campaigns that scrutinise fashion companies' environmental and labour rights practices.
While some companies are making strides towards sustainability, the industry as a whole needs to do more. Governments and policymakers must also take a more active role in mitigating the damaging effects of the fashion industry on both the environment and human rights.
Airplane Pollution: How Many Cars' Worth of Emissions?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The fashion industry is responsible for about 20% of global wastewater. It is the second-biggest consumer of water and is the second-largest polluter of water. Textile dyeing is the world's second-largest polluter of water, as the water left over from the dyeing process is often dumped into ditches, streams, or rivers.
Apparel and footwear production is responsible for 4 to 8.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
Clothing accounts for a fifth of the world's 300 million tons of plastic pollution every year. Washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year.
The fashion industry is a significant driver of soil degradation. It is also responsible for agricultural pollution from the use of fertilizers for cotton production, which heavily pollutes runoff waters and evaporation waters. The industry also contributes to packaging waste, with about 75 million tons of waste produced in the United States alone.
