Written by August 18, 2019

The Textile Industry: Environmentalism & Social Justice Interwoven

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Image credit: www.treadright.org

The textile industry impacts the earth and humans in various ways. Creating textiles is both an environmental issue and a social justice issue globally.

Did you know that from 2000 to 2015 the clothing production has DOUBLED? (Figure 1, page 18). This can be attributed to factors, such as the global growing middle class and fast fashion. Fast fashion, as defined by Merriam Webster is, “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers”. Some examples include big retails stores such as Forever 21, H&M, Primark, and more.

So you recycle your clothes or donate it to Goodwill? Less than 1% of recycled clothing is used to make new clothing.

Did you know? In the United States clothes are worn 1/4 of the global average. Stop to reflect: What are your shopping habits like? What is your relationship with buying? People are often driven by practical, emotional, or social motives to make purchases. Are you ready to live more consciously?

(Some) Impacts on The Planet

  • According to the Mac Arthur Foundation, total greenhouse gas emissions from textiles production, at 1.2 billion tonnes annually, are more than those of all international flights and maritime shipping COMBINED.
  • Textile pollution starts way back at the farming process with pesticide use for cotton production or with the use of non-renewable resources for synthetic materials, such as crude oil. Toward the end of the life cycle textiles or clothes die in landfills where the toxins of the greenhouse emissions penetrate in the soil and run off into bodies of water (Planet Aid, 2019).
  • It takes 2,700 liters of water OR 713.26 gallons of water to make one cotton t-shirt! Mind blowing!!!!!
  • 20% of industrial water pollution globally is attributable to the dyeing and treatment of textiles (Figure 3, page 20).
  • Tonnes of microfibers end up in the ocean. Scientists do not even know how much truly ends up there because they are still working on fine tuning standardized ways to measure microplastics (something I learned about from a panel of scientists at the 2019 National Surfrider Summit).
Photo from India Today

(Some) Impacts on Humans & Animals

Clothing and textiles are often outsourced overseas for cheaper labor costs. In some cases people are not even getting paid to make the shirt or underwear you wear. Check out the US Department of Labor to search for the reports of forced and child labor for textile use. If you are curious you can also filter the country you are interested in learning about, the specific good, and the type of exploitation. Knowledge is power! Get informed.

Local communities living nearby textile factories suffer from discharging untreated waste water back into local rivers or bodies of water, which affect their drinking water. No access to clean water affects not only the humans but the animals and crops grown in the area. According to the CDC, “unsafe drinking water, inadequate availability of water for hygiene, and lack of access to sanitation together contribute to about 88% of deaths from diarrheal diseases”.

Textiles Biodegrading Estimated Timeframe

  • Cotton- If correctly composted, 100% cotton can breakdown in 1 week to 5 months (Close the Loop).
  • Silk- 1 to 3 years. Learn more here about silk and ethical concerns of how silk is harvested. I had no idea about the ethical concerns until I read the article. Make informed decisions.
  • Wool- 1 to 5 years depending on the blend.
  • Bamboo- 1 year or more.
  • Hemp- 4-6 months. Hemp is highly biodegradable because it is derived from plants.
Image from www.wferl.org

So, what can we do?

Avoid fast fashion and do your research at Fair Trade Certified to find out if the company you are thinking of purchasing from is adding to the problem or consciously involved in caring for people and the planet.

Fair trade is a choice to support responsible companies, empower farmers, workers, and fishermen, and protect the environment.

Purchase high quality items that might cost more initially but will likely last longer overtime in comparison to cheap quick buys.

Shop at your local thrift or consignment store to help decrease the amount of waste going into landfills. I was recently living in the South Bay and loved heading to Uptown Cheapskate in Torrance for a good find! (Bonus: you can find some awesome pieces for a a bargain! That means mo’ monaaayyy for travel, paying off debt, going for a nice dinner, investing in retirement, self-care etc! The list goes on and on).

Shop at homemade sites or local shops, such as etsy or small boutiques to find local handmade clothing near you.

Get hand-me-downs from friends and family & give away yours too!

Borrow clothing or items you for one time occasions from a friend. Shout out to my coworker P who lent me one of her purses for a wedding, Cookie for lending me water-shoes for my Philippines trip, and my sista-sita Yosie who lent me her dress on a night out! Sharing the love & saving the planet.

Let’s keep living consciously together. Knowledge is power. We are in this together.

Peace and love,

Joanna

instagram: @waveofconsciousness

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