Meanwhile, there is a search for alternative sources of fibres to produce clothes in the future, alongside optimisations in terms of more water and energy-efficient home appliances. The use of chemicals used to turn raw materials into textiles and during the dyeing process end up in water streams causing further pollution, and the same goes with the detergent used once clothes have been purchased and are washed at home.įrom a legislation viewpoint, a study of the water footprint assessment of a pair of jeans and the influence of agricultural policies on the sustainability of consumer products concluded that, in that case, the impact of the policy was greater for the condition of the basin’s water resources, rather than for the water footprint of the cotton produced to make a pair of jeans, highlighting the need to look at local context ( Chico et al.) That’s the estimated water cost of a single T-shirt!Īnd here’s what a pair of jeans’ water footprint looks like according to Stephen Leahy‘s sources. as a solvent or reactant in a chemical reaction.Īdd to that water used for washing garments during production, de-sizing, rinsing and dyeing…Ĭonsidering all these steps, the total virtual water needed for the production of a simple T-shirt or a pair of jeans is really high:.cleaning and rinsing products, parts and vessels. cooling of machinery (which uses a lot of energy to operate).However, while the National Geographic video’s solution aims to tackle the issue of taking care of garments by advising to skip drying and the ironing, it omits the issue of all this water used and polluted during the dying of garments.ĭuring the production of cotton items of clothing the fashion industry uses enormous amounts of both energy and water, as well as generating waste and pollution. The fashion industry’s virtual water cost lies, in this case, in the growing of the cotton and the finished product aftercare. Take a look.Īs the video suggests, thinking of it on a global scale really helps to attempt to imagine the amount of pressure our planet is under, when it comes to manufacturing and taking care of all of our clothing. This National Geographic video infographic efficiently shows how cotton is a very thirsty crop and every garment requires a lot of water and energy to be washed and dried post-purchase. Let’s take cotton, the world’s most widely used natural fibre: it makes up for almost half the fibre used to make clothing and textiles globally, and adequate water provision is necessary for its vigorous growth. Similarly to food production, the environmental cost of clothing is due to many factors we need to take into consideration.įrom the need of water resources during the initial stages relating to growing the materials, such as cotton natural fibres, to the making or processing of materials such as tanning leather, up to the final stages where clothing is sprayed with chemicals, each garment quickly tallies up to vast amounts of water use and water pollution caused during such production. This fast fashion culture, comprising the speed of production and consumption of fashion, has turned into a regular purchasing habit for many, meaning we have never gone through so many items of clothing and so quickly, and the link to environmental effects and the use of water is profound. Virtual water cost of jeans – Nordiska MuseetĮvery day we have the opportunity to see or, especially in urban centres, we are extraordinarily surrounded by advertisements which encourage us to admire, desire and purchase new items of clothing, to the point where we’ve come up with the expression retail therapy, an established pastime for many.
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