The environmental impact caused by the textile industry

80% of the fibers used in clothing are not recyclable and, according to the Portuguese Environmental Association (APA), we Portuguese throw away around 200 thousand tons of textiles per year.

Clothes are an essential item for every day, in all seasons, whether it's cold or sunny. We all like to look well-groomed, especially on special occasions, and sometimes it's hard to go to our favorite store and resist a piece of clothing that we see and love, right? Clothes are becoming more affordable and beautiful all the time, and our urge to buy them is growing.

But do you know how big the environmental impact of the textile industry is? Learn about the life cycle of a piece of clothing, the environmental impacts of fast fashion and more sustainable solutions.

The life of a piece of clothing

The increase in the number of sizes and styles, brands on the market and advertising, especially on social media, are factors that can lead to an increase in clothing purchases. The increase in supply and the possibility that some brands offer for personalization can also be considered other factors.

According to the European Commission , in 2015, around 6.4 million new items of clothing were purchased by Europeans. The textile industry is the second most polluting in the world, including in its various phases: production, manufacturing, transport and in the use by consumers when washing, drying and ironing.

And do you know the life of a piece of clothing from the time it is produced until it is discarded?

Image 1 – Graph demonstrating the life cycle of a piece of clothing.

We Portuguese throw away around 200 thousand tons of textiles per year

The environmental impacts of the textile industry

From the raw material itself to the landfill, a “simple” piece of clothing goes through several phases and all of them have lasting environmental impacts, whether on the air, soil and even available water.

Raw materials for producing clothing also cause problems

According to the European Commission, the production of raw materials is responsible for a large part of the textile industry's environmental footprint:

• Cotton: is a raw material that requires large amounts of water, fertilizers and pesticides;
• Polyester: unlike cotton, it does not require as much water, but on the other hand, it is made from fossil fuels and is not biodegradable. In addition, clothes made from this material can release around 700 thousand microplastic fibers that end up affecting ecosystems;
• Synthetic cellulose: These are cellulose derivatives made from dissolved wood pulp from trees and represent 9% of the fibres used in EU clothing; several trees are cut down every year.

Greenhouse gas emissions

According to the study “Environmental Impact of Global Clothing and Footwear Industry”, by Quantis, the clothing and footwear industries are responsible for around 8% of greenhouse gases worldwide. Footwear accounts for 1.4% and clothing for 6.7% of climate impacts.

The following image, produced in the same study, shows that CO2 is released at various stages of a garment's life cycle. This is because the textile industry, which is centered on the Asian continent, depends on coal and natural gas to produce electricity and heat.

Image 2 – CO2 emissions at each stage of the life cycle.

It is possible to see that the dyeing and finishing stages, as well as the preparation and production of fibers, are those that generate the most CO2 emissions.

In a practical and direct way, transport, animal farming (for example, sheep), the type of fiber used (for example, in this case, polyester derived from petroleum) and the need for energy sources are responsible for the release of these gases.

The clothing and footwear industry is responsible for around 8% of greenhouse gases globally

Impact on water

At the water level, the same stages are also those that have the most consequences, with special emphasis on fiber production, followed by dyeing and finishing.

While water is removed from the environment during fiber production and returned in a polluted form after processing, a large amount of water and toxic chemicals are used in dyeing and finishing.

Image 2 – Water extraction at each stage of the life cycle.

Soil pollution

Many of the items of clothing we have access to come from cotton, right? The production of this raw material, in addition to the large amount of water ( around 10,000 liters per kg ), uses pesticides that end up polluting the soil.

Impacts on human health

This is also one of the issues that are on the table due to the use of chemicals for some production processes as well as the ingestion of water that may have been contaminated.

Furthermore, this industry is produced in countries where labor costs are low, which means that employees have low wages and precarious working conditions.

What about you? How can you reduce your textile footprint?

Do you have extra clothes and don't know what to do with them? Do you want to reduce the textile industry's environmental footprint and the number of times you buy new clothes? Here are some tips:

Bet on Slow fashion

Unlike fast fashion, this trend aims to make you buy fewer but better quality clothes so that you can keep them and wear them for longer. In this case, traditional shops and small-scale stores that use local materials can be an idea;

Take care of your clothes in an ecological way

Are you using the right detergents that are environmentally friendly and make your clothes more comfortable? EcoX ecological detergents are made from used cooking oil and, as they are concentrated, you don’t need to use so much detergent. They are also vegan and 100% biodegradable.

Using environmentally friendly detergents is essential to reduce the ecological footprint of a garment over its lifetime. This is even more so when you consider that many of the natural products we use can help restore our clothes, thus extending their average lifespan.

Natural whiteners, such as EcoX Whitener, are based on percarbonate and help restore the original appearance of many fabrics and remove various types of stains.

Rent clothes

Rent clothes for unique and special moments such as weddings or pregnancy

Buy and sell second-hand clothes

You can sell clothes that no longer fit or that you no longer wear on your social networks or sell them on websites that have greater visibility to more people. You can also take the opportunity to buy for yourself and give new life to several pieces of clothing.

Did you know that MyCloma can help you with this challenge?

MyCloma is an online platform for selling second-hand clothing, created by young Portuguese entrepreneurs, which reduces the impact of textile production on our planet.

This project promotes the circular economy by increasing the life cycle of clothes that we no longer use and that can be useful to other people. The goal is to “show that it is possible to buy good, quality clothes at affordable prices and at the same time help the environment and avoid waste!”

You can sell and buy clothes for women, men and even children, with or without brand, in all sizes.

Author: Daniela Matos