The United Nations, along with 70 other countries, has adopted a net zero carbon emissions commitment which is expected to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions (GGHGE) by 76% (United Nations, 2022). Simultaneously, one of the largest sectors contributing to GGHGE, the apparel industry, is experiencing an unprecedented rise in popularity, bringing its expected global revenue to nearly $2.25 trillion by 2025, up from $1.5 trillion in 2020 (Centobelli et al., 2022). Despite climate pledges and increased awarness of consequences, people continue to crave and consume the latest fashion trends, no matter the environmental cost.
Textile production is the world’s second most polluted industry, falling just short of the oil and gas sector (Chen et al., 2021). It provides more pollution than the aviation and maritime shipping industries combined, and by 2050 it is expected to be responsible for 25% of global carbon emissions (Leal Filho et al., 2022). Despite being a long-standing environmental concern, global clothing consumption has surged by 400% since the beginning of the century (Chen et al., 2021). This increase can be attributed in part to the recent trend of “fast fashion.”
Many brands have begun offering inexpensive, widely available and appealing clothing that offers the latest styles and trends to the masses (Chen et al., 2021). While this has allowed those from varied socioeconomic backgrounds to access affordable and fashionable clothing, it has also created an unprecedented amount of waste. In the United States alone, 3.8 billion pounds of textile waste is sent to landfills annually, which is equivalent to 85% of all purchased clothes (Bick, Halsey and Ekenga, 2018). While the amount of waste produced as a result of this clothing is of significant environmental concern, it is their production and transportation that causes the most environmental harm (Figure 1).
Figure 1: The figure shows critical components of the textile supply chain as well as the associated countries that contribute to that component. The impact of each section is also included. While companies often outsource some of the most environmentally unfriendly portions of the process to underdeveloped countries, each section of the process contains a significant environmental impact (Niinimäki et al., 2020).
In North America, an estimated 90% of clothes are made from cotton or polyester (Chen et al., 2023). To produce the required cotton, extensive amounts of water, energy, pesticides, and fertilizers are consumed and large sections of land are used to grow the plants. This results in a reduction of potable water and the release of harmful chemicals into the environment. Polyester, which is a synthesized fibre, is made out of oil-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (Figure 2) (Palacios-Mateo, van der Meer and Seide, 2021). The production of PET results in the emission of pollutants throughout its entire life cycle, making it one of the most harmful materials in the clothing industry.
Figure 2: A graphical depiction of the production of PET. To start the process, crude oil is first extracted and refined. Additional chemicals are then added to polymerize the refined oil into PET pellets. The pellets are then converted into fibres through extrusion and spinning. Then, fibres are sowed together as garments and other textiles (Palacios-Mateo, van der Meer and Seide, 2021).
As organizations around the world begin to place a greater emphasis on reducing their GGHGE, the apparel industry will need to find novel methods to reduce their footprint. Whether it is altering the societal norm of fast fashion or discovering more sustainable materials, changes will need to be implemented to help us reach our climate goals.
References:
Bick, R., Halsey, E. and Ekenga, C.C., 2018. The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environmental Health, 17(1), p.92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7.
Centobelli, P., Abbate, S., Nadeem, S.P. and Garza-Reyes, J.A., 2022. Slowing the fast fashion industry: An all-round perspective. Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 38, p.100684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2022.100684.
Chen, S., Zhu, L., Sun, L., Huang, Q., Zhang, Y., Li, X., Ye, X., Li, Y. and Wang, L., 2023. A systematic review of the life cycle environmental performance of cotton textile products. Science of The Total Environment, 883, p.163659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163659.
Chen, X., Memon, H.A., Wang, Y., Marriam, I. and Tebyetekerwa, M., 2021. Circular Economy and Sustainability of the Clothing and Textile Industry. Materials Circular Economy, 3(1), p.12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42824-021-00026-2.
Leal Filho, W., Perry, P., Heim, H., Dinis, M.A.P., Moda, H., Ebhuoma, E. and Paço, A., 2022. An overview of the contribution of the textiles sector to climate change. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.973102.
Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T. and Gwilt, A., 2020. The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1, pp.189–200. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9.
Palacios-Mateo, C., van der Meer, Y. and Seide, G., 2021. Analysis of the polyester clothing value chain to identify key intervention points for sustainability. Environmental Sciences Europe, 33(1), p.2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-020-00447-x.
United Nations, 2022. Net Zero Coalition. [online] UNEP Emissions Gap Report. Available at: <https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/net-zero-coalition> [Accessed 22 October 2023].