TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENT……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1

1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2

2. PRODUCT LIFECYCLE……………………………………………………………………………………………………2

2.1 MATERIAL PHASE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...3

2.1.1 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF TEXTILE FIBRES………………………………………….3

2.2 PRODUCTION PHASE................………………………………………………………………………………………..…..5

2.3 TRANSPORTATION PHASE………….…………………………………………………………………………………..…5

2.4 USE PHASE……………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………….6

2.5 DISPOSAL PHASE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

3. FAST FASHION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8

4. ECO-FASHION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8

5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION………………………………………………………………………………………….9

APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………...14

REFERENCE……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….17
1. INTRODUCTION

It is well known that every customer product has an impact on the environment. However an
average consumer does not know which product has less or more impact than the other one.
The textile industry is not an exception. In fact, it is one of the biggest polluters in the world.

The textile and clothing industry is a diverse one, as much in the raw materials it uses as the
techniques it employs. At each of the product lifecycle stages typically required to make a garment, the
negative impacts on the environment are as numerous as they are varied. The environmental impacts of
the clothing industry are larger than most people imagine, if we consider all the processes from raw
material procurement to product disposal. Raw material cultivation contributes to air pollution and
carbon footprint. Spinning, weaving and industrial manufacture undermine air quality. Dyeing and
printing consume vast amounts of water and chemicals, and release numerous volatile agents into the
atmosphere that are particularly harmful to our health.

Several times a year in the world’s fashion capitals, willowy models in dazzling outfits glide down
the catwalk to present the coming season’s trends. Each year a handful of designers set the tone, says
what’s in and what’s not. Chain-stores and mass retailers then adapt their ideas for the man and woman
in the street. Fashion feeds a growing industry and ranks textile and clothing as the world’s second-
biggest economic activity for intensity of trade. However, stiff competition forces down costs while
working conditions, more often than not in developing countries, are far from ideal. The environment
pays a heavy price too. To improve conditions for workers and stem pollution, textile producers,
manufacturers and distributors are launching the first initiatives built around sustainable development.

The world of fashion may be stylish, glamorous and exciting, but its impact on environment is
worsening day by day. Most of the time, we consumers are happy to be pampered by fashion retailers
with the latest and rapidly changing fashion trends. But perhaps it's time to consider the story behind
the garments we buy - the resources used in their production, where they were made, by whom and
under what conditions.

In this report, we will assess the environmental impact of the fashion industry. We will look at
every stage in the product lifecycle, we will analyze the problem and recent situation of the issue and we
will try to come up with conclusion and recommendation.

2. PRODUCT LIFECYCLE

When people talk about global warming, climate change and other environmental issues, they
will usually focus on automotive industries, mining, etc, but they forgot the very industry that are very
close to our daily life: The Fashion Industry. In each of the product lifecycle, this industry contribute
significantly to the environmental problems.
To assess the environmental impact of Fashion industry, in this report the product lifecycle will be
divided into 5 phases:

1. Material Phase
2. Production Phase
3. Transportation Phase
4. Use Phase
5. Disposal Phase

2.1 MATERIAL PHASE

Each step of the clothing material production process carries the potential for an environmental
impact. For example, the cotton cultivation, one of the most popular clothing fibers, is also one of the
most water- and pesticide-dependent crops.

The hot and humid climate of Southeast Asia make cotton fabrics such as khaki twill and denim
almost a necessity for surviving the heat. Once worn only by military personnel, fabrics such as brushed
cotton twills, ripstop, bedford cord, lustre cotton, polyester and wrinkle-resistant synthetic fibres have
taken khaki into the mainstream. Unfortunately perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), which include the non-
stick additive Teflon, are increasingly being added to garments because it makes them last longer and
also can make them wrinkle-free. Meanwhile, fabrication of petroleum-based fabrics like nylon and
polyester is energy-intensive and greenhouse-gas producing.

2.1.1 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF TEXTILE FIBRES

The textile industry is shared between natural fibers such as wool, silk, linen, cotton and hemp,
and man-made ones, the most common of which are synthetic fibers (polyamide, acrylic) made from
petrochemicals. Most of the clothes in our wardrobes contain polyester, elastin or Lycra. These cheap
and easy-care fibers are becoming the textile industry’s miracle solution. However, their manufacture
creates pollution and they are hard to recycle (with nylon taking 30 to 40 years to decompose).

There are two main types of fibers used to make materials – natural and synthetic.

Natural fibers

Natural fibers include cotton, wool, hemp, bamboo, flax, cashmere, angora, leather and a
variety of other plant or animal based fibers Natural fibers can also be considered ‘organic’, which
typically describes natural fibers produced without the use of chemicals or synthetic fertilizers. Often,
organic fibers are more expensive because they are from crops that produce lower yields. Nevertheless,
their environmental impacts are generally considerably lower, so if you are selecting a natural fiber it is
best to preference organic options, especially if you are working with cotton and wool. Beyond this, it is
important to consider the location and organization of production of the fibers. For example, some
crops require more water than others, so when they are grown in areas of low rainfall they have a larger
environmental impact.

Some of the natural fibers and their environmental impacts are:

 Cotton: one of the most popular and versatile fibers used in clothing manufacture, also has a
significant environmental footprint. There are various environmental considerations to be taken into
account, such as the heavy use of pesticides (Cotton is the most pesticide intensive crop in the
world: these), dyes and other chemicals in the finishing process, which cause pollution. In the United
States, this crop accounts for a quarter of all the pesticides used in the country, the largest exporter
of cotton in the world. The U.S. cotton crop benefits from subsidies that keep prices low and
production high. The high production of cotton at subsidized low prices is one of the first spokes in
the wheel that drives the globalization of fashion. Pesticides injure and kill many people every year.
When you consider that 25 percent of the world's pesticides are used on cotton crops, that there is a
strong link between Parkinson's disease and pesticides in farmer's health. It also takes up a large
proportion of agricultural land, much of which is needed by local people to grow their own food.
Herbicides, and also the chemical defoliants which are sometimes used to aid mechanical cotton
harvesting, add to the toll on both the environment and human health. These chemicals typically
remain in the fabric after finishing, and are released during the lifetime of the garments. The
development of genetically modified cotton adds environmental problems at another level. Growing
cotton uses 22.5 percent of all the insecticides used globally. Growing enough cotton for one t-shirt
requires 257 gallons of water.

 Wool: both agricultural and craft workers in the UK suffer from exposure to organophosphate sheep
dip problem. Getting from fiber to cloth - bleaching, dyeing, and finishing - uses yet more energy and
water, and causes yet more pollution. 

Synthetic fibers

Synthetic fibers are materials created from petrochemicals such as polyester, nylon, spandex,
vinyl, acrylics and a variety of other chemically produced fabrics. With the rise in production in the
fashion industry, demand for man-made fibers, especially polyester, has nearly doubled in the last 15
years,

 Nylon and polyester: made from petrochemicals, these synthetics are also non-biodegradable, and
so they are inherently unsustainable on two counts. Nylon manufacture creates nitrous oxide, a
greenhouse gas 310 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Making polyester uses large amounts
of water for cooling, along with lubricants which can become a source of contamination. Both
processes are also very energy-hungry. 
 Rayon (viscose): is made from wood pulp, which on the face of it seems more sustainable.
However, old growth forest is often cleared and/or subsistence farmers are displaced to make way
 for pulpwood plantations. Often the tree planted is eucalyptus, which draws up phenomenal
amounts of water, causing problems in sensitive regions. To make rayon, the wood pulp is treated
with hazardous chemicals such as caustic soda and sulphuric acid. The use of rayon for clothing is
contributing to the rapid depletion of the world's forests. Petroleum-based products are detrimental
to the environment on many levels.
 Leather: polluting tanning and dyeing processes, as well as intensive farming impacts and animal
rights issues.

2.2 PRODUCTION PHASE

The production and manufacturing for fashion uses dyes, solvents, yarns (both natural and
synthetic fibers), paper patterns and machinery. We must be aware of the potential health hazard of
fabrics, treated with chemicals during and after processing. These chemicals not only leach into the
environment, leaving an impact on groundwater, wildlife, air and soil, but they can also be absorbed or
inhaled directly.

The main impacts arise from material selection and use, manufacturing processes, the dyes used
to print fabrics and the ethical issues around the human labor used to create garments.

There are a variety of production techniques used in the manufacture of fabrics including
weaving, spinning, knitting, wet treatment and sewing. Aside from the energy and water used during
manufacturing, there are also inevitable waste products produced, such as wastewater that may be
contaminated with chemical products. Manufacturers who employ cleaner production or have
environmental management certification should be given preference because this will reduce the
impacts associated with manufacturing.

Wet treatment is the process of de-sizing, pre-washing, mercerizing, bleaching, printing and
dying that most fabrics go through. Many of these processes require chemicals and dyes and thus create
potentially environmentally hazardous waste products, contribute to climate change and may release
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere. Avoid inks and dyes that contain toxic heavy
metals (for example, cadmium and beryllium) and, where possible, preference natural dyes made from
plant materials. Also look for dye manufacturers who recycle their waste.

Dyeing alone can account for most of the water used in producing a garment; unfixed dye then
often washes out of garments, and can end up coloring the rivers, as treatment plants fail to remove
them from the water. Dye fixatives - often heavy metals - also end up in sewers and then rivers. 
2.3 TRANSPORTATION PHASE

As most garments are lightweight and ambient, large quantities can be shipped at a time. This
makes transport of less importance with regard to environmental impacts. However, for international
transportation always preference shipping over airfreight, and for ground transport preference rail –
because heavy vehicles such as trucks also contribute considerably to climate change through their
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

2.4 USE PHASE

Once bought, an estimated 21% of annual clothing purchases stay in the home, increasing the
stocks of clothing and other textiles held by consumers (Recycling of Low Grade Clothing Waste, a
September 2006 report by consultant Oakdene Hollins). This stockpiling increases the “national
wardrobe,” in U.S which is considered to represent a potentially large quantity of latent waste that will
eventually enter the solid waste stream. According to the EPA Office of Solid Waste, Americans throw
away more than 68 pounds of clothing and textiles per person per year, and clothing and other textiles.

The care instruction label is one of the most polluted procedures in the use phase. Washing
contributes a considerable amount of environmental impacts to a garment, especially those that require
detergents and hot water, or dry cleaning, to clean them. We will assess these two types of washing
process:

 Wet washing: Washing in hot water requires energy to be used and so contributes to climate
change. Garments that require harsh detergents for washing pollute wastewater.
 Dry cleaning: Dry cleaning is the use of solvents instead of water to clean fabrics. The main chemical
use in this process is perchloroethylene (PERC). PERC is a colorless, clear, heavy liquid used by 90
percent of dry cleaners. In addition to PERC, other compounds are used in dry cleaning, particularly
during removal of stains. These include other chlorinated solvents, petroleum naptha, acetic acid,
hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, and mineral spirits. PERC enters the human body through both
inhalation and skin exposure. Symptoms associated with overexposure include central nervous
system depression, damage to liver and kidneys, and irritation of the respiratory system and skin.
Those exposed may experience confusion, impaired memory, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, and
eye, nose, and throat irritation. Repeated skin exposure often results in dermatitis. PERC is a known
animal carcinogen and a suspected human carcinogen. The other solvents used in dry cleaning may
also cause central nervous system depression and irritation of the mucous membranes, nasal
passages, and skin.
2.5 DISPOSAL PHASE

According to UK government statistics, the British clothing and textiles sector currently produces
around 3.1 million tons of CO₂, 2 million tons of waste and 70 million tons of waste water per year - with
1.5 million tons of unwanted clothing ultimately ending up in landfill.

In America, data from the International Trade Commission also indicates that between 1989 and
2003, American exports of used clothing more than tripled, to nearly 7 billion pounds per year. Used
clothing is sold in more than 100 countries. In Tanzania, for example, where used clothing is sold at the
mitumba markets that dot the country, these items is the number one import from the United States.

Statistics indicate that the average Japanese buys ten kilograms and throws away nine kilograms
of clothes a year and over 2.1 million tons of textile products are reportedly incinerated and disposed of
in landfills each year. It is also said that 80 percent of the time, most Japanese women wear only 20
percent of the clothes they own, which means most of their clothes are left sitting in their closets.

Industrialization brought consumerism with it as an integral part of the economy. Economic

growth came to depend on continued marketing of new products and disposal of old ones that are
thrown away simply because stylistic norms promote their obsolescence. When it comes to clothing, the
rate of purchase and disposal has dramatically increased, so the path that a T-shirt travels from the sales
floor to the landfill has become shorter.

The journey of a piece of clothing is mainly ended up being:

 Resold by the primary consumer to other consumers at a lower price,

 Exported in bulk for sale in developing countries,
 Recycled (chemically or mechanically) into raw material for the manufacture of other
apparel and non-apparel products.
 Dumped in the land fill

About 45% textiles continue their life as clothing. Certain brands and rare collectible items are
imported by Japan, the largest buyer in terms of dollars of vintage or American high-end fashion.
Clothing that is not considered vintage or high-end is baled for export to developing nations. Data from
the International Trade Commission indicate that between 1989 and 2003, American exports of used
clothing more than tripled, to nearly 7 billion pounds per year. Used clothing is sold in more than 100
countries. For Tanzania, where used clothing is sold at the mitumba markets that dot the country, these
items are the number one import from the United States.

Because women in the West tend to buy much more clothing and discard it more often than
men, the world supply of used women’s clothing is at least seven times that of men’s. Thus, in the
mitumba markets around Tanzania, men’s clothing generally costs four to five times more than similar
women’s clothing. Winter clothes, although generally more expensive to produce, command the least
value in the secondhand African markets. Companies such as Trans-America are therefore seeking to
expand into colder climes such as Eastern Europe.
 Reselling has boomed in the era of the Internet. Many people sell used clothes directly to other
individuals through auction websites such as eBay. Another increasingly popular outlet is consignment
and thrift shops. The trend of increased purchasing of clothing and other household goods has served
the salvage charities well.

Dumping used clothes in the landfill is the most non eco-friendly among the four methods. Old
clothes that we throw away take up precious space in landfill sites. An astounding 5% of all landfill
production is textile waste. About two million tons of clothing ends up in landfill every year and this
figure is rapidly growing. Most of the materials could take up to 40 years to decompose. Some of them
even are not even biodegradable.

3. FAST FASHION

Globalization has made it possible to produce clothing at increasingly lower prices, prices so low
that many consumers consider this clothing to be disposable. Some call it “fast fashion,” the clothing
equivalent of fast food.

Fast Fashion encourages consumers to purchase un-needed clothes on an increasingly rapid

cycle. Local and International media, fuel the demand, helping to create the desire for new “must haves”
for each season, targeting young women across the globe. The concept of Fast Fashion caused a media
phenomenon five years ago, when it first gained a high profile following fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld’s
collaboration with the international Swedish fashion brand H&M.

“Girls especially are insatiable when it comes to fashion. They have to have the latest thing,
always. And since it is cheap, you buy more of it. Our closets are full,” says Mayra Diaz, mother of a 10-
year-old girl and a buyer in the fashion district of New York City. Disposable couture appears in shopping
mall after shopping mall in America and Europe at prices that make the purchase tempting and the
disposal painless.

Industrialization brought consumerism with it as an integral part of the economy. Economic

growth came to depend on continued marketing of new products and disposal of old ones that are
thrown away simply because stylistic norms promote their obsolescence. If you can buy a pair of T-shirt
for $5 only, the possibility of excess purchasing is higher. The cheap price also made the disposal
decision painless. You ending up buying more than you need and thus you will also dispose more

When it comes to clothing, the rate of purchase and disposal has dramatically increased, so the
path that a T-shirt travels from the sales floor to the landfill has become shorter.
4. ECO-FASHION

To address the environmental impacts of fast fashion at its source, and to find a niche in this
increasingly competitive market, some manufacturers are aiming to develop “eco-fashions.” The
International Standards Organization (ISO) has defined eco-fashions as “identifying the general
environmental performance of a product within a product group based on its whole life-cycle in order to
contribute to improvements in key environmental measures and to support sustainable consumption
patterns.” The ISO is developing standards for a labeling system to identify garments that meet criteria
as environmentally friendly. However, even without such specific standards for what constitutes an
environmentally friendly garment, industry is taking a broadening diversity of approaches.

Eco-fashion clothes: 

• are made using organic raw materials, such as cotton grown without pesticides and
silk made by worms fed on organic trees 
• don’t involve the use of harmful chemicals and bleaches to colour fabrics 
• are often made from recycled and reused textiles. High-quality garments can be made
from second-hand clothes and even recycled plastic bottles 
• are made to last, so that people keep them for longer 
• come from fair trade - the people who make them are paid a fair price and have
decent working conditions.

With the eco-fashion industry still in its infancy, the main responsibility at the moment lies with
clothes manufacturers and fashion designers, who need to start using sustainable materials and
processes. One approach has been to use sustainably grown cotton, hemp, bamboo, and other fiber
crops that require less pesticide, irrigation, and other inputs. Organic cotton is grown in at least 12
countries. Figures provided by the Organic Trade Association 2004 Manufacturer Survey show that the
sale of organic cotton fiber grew by an estimated 22.7% over the previous year. Sales of organic cotton
women’s clothing grew by a healthy 33%. However, organic cotton represents only 0.03% of worldwide
cotton production. This figure may grow as retailers begin to expand their selections of organic cotton
apparel. In 2004, Wal-Mart, America’s largest retailer began selling organic cotton women’s shirts at its
Sam’s Club stores. Today the company is the world’s largest buyer of organic cotton, offering several
lines of organic cotton apparel and bedding goods in its Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores.
5. CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATION

The fashion industry is one of the world biggest polluters. From an environmental point of view,
the clothes we wear and the textiles they are made from can cause a great deal of damage. Textiles
could be one of the most un-sustainable products in the world. In their entire lifecycle from growing the
raw material or creating it from oil to manufacturing and selling and final disposal they can create a
serious problem.

Some of the negative environmental impacts that the fashion industry caused are:

 The pesticides that farmers use to protect textiles as they grow can harm wildlife, contaminate
other products and get into the food we eat.
 The chemicals that are used to bleach and color textiles can damage the environment and
people’s health.
 Old clothes that we throw away take up precious space in landfill sites, which is filling up rapidly.
 Most of the textile machineries cause noise, sound, water and air pollution.
 Over-usage of natural resources like plants, water, etc depletes or disturbs ecological balance.

So what can we do to minimize these impacts? Whether you decide to embrace the new trend
of eco-fashion and fork out the extra dollars or not, every little bit helps. Every elements of the society
have to work together hand in hand to help minimized the environmental impact of the fashion
industry.

Governments

Countries around the globe are also taking action to ensure a sustainability fashion industry.
Regulations and standards, coupled with increasing consumer awareness about less toxic and
sustainable products, may provide some impetus to revolutionize the garment industry. These
regulations may even require manufacturers to inform consumers about potentially hazardous
chemicals that may be present in their products and can leach out, such as often happens with dyes
(details of how the regulations will be implemented are still being worked out). The standard will give
the textile and clothing industry uniform guidance for the potential harm of substances in raw materials
as well as finished products, and every stage in between—these include regulated substances as well as
substances that are believed to be harmful to health but are not yet regulated (such as pesticides).

Some countries has started to put these regulation in to practice

 EU: In the European Union, the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of
Chemicals (REACH) regulations enacted 1 June 2007 require clothing manufacturers and
importers to identify and quantify the chemicals used in their products. Actual end
products are governed by stipulations of the European Equipment and Product Safety
Act, which regulates the use of heavy metals, carcinogenic dyes, and other toxics used in
textile manufacture. The standard also governs elements such as colorfastness and pH
value.
  Bangladesh and India: To enhance awareness about the environmental impacts of
products, the Bangladeshi Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the Government of
India initiated a scheme as long ago as 1991, to label eco-friendly products. Known as
the “Ecomark” scheme, it provides identification of eco-friendly products. The scheme is
based on a “cradle to grave” approach and takes into account the impact of a product
from raw material extraction, to manufacturing, and to final disposal.
 USA:
 China: China is the biggest producer of some important green fibres such as soy, hemp
and organic cotton. According to the Organic Exchange China is now the third biggest
organic cotton producer after Turkey and India. Dutch NGO Solidaridad has been
investing in finding reliable partners in the cotton province of Xinjiang. As a result of this
initiative, one big farmer turned 220 hectares of soil into an organic cotton field. While
hemp, soy and organic cotton production are quickly expanding, the Chinese
government is also funding research on fabrics made from byproducts of major crops
like peanut and rapeseed. This will surely keep China at the forefront of fibre
production. Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium (SFBC) was launched April last
year, which aimed to promote environmental issues and the concept of sustainability in
the textile and apparel industry in Hong Kong. About twelve Hong Kong clothing
manufacturers have even teamed up with the Clothing Industry Training Authority
(CITA) to share information and devise new ways to make the trade more
environmentally friendly
 United Kingdom: The Sustainable Clothing Roadmap launched at the London Fashion
Week in February this year, seeks to tackle some of the thorny issues associated with
'throw away fashion'. Lord Philip Hunt, Minister for Sustainability said: "This action plan
represents a concerted effort from the fashion industry, including top names in the high
street and manufacturers, to change the face of fashion. Retailers have a big role to play
in ensuring fashion is sustainable. We should all be able to walk into a shop and feel that
the clothes we buy have been produced without damaging the environment or using
poor labour practices, and that we will be able to reuse and recycle them when we no
longer want them. ”More than 300 fashion companies have signed up to code that aims
to reduce the environmental impact of the rag trade.

Manufacturers and Retail Companies:

Manufactures and Retail Company play a very important role in changing the situation. Their
power in developing eco-friendly methods and apply them in their company activities is the one that will
turn around the negative environmental impacts. Nowadays, there are many companies around the
globe scrambling to the treetops in order to proclaim their new-found devotion to sustainability, some
with more substance than others and there are some companies and organizations around the world
that are and always have been Green to the core.
 Hana Ben-Shabat, vice president of goods and retail practice at AT Kearney, a management
consulting firm that works with fashion industry suppliers, has stated that "being green and ethical is no
longer an option, it is [an economic] necessity."

Manufactures can develop ways and method to develop new materials and system to be used in
the whole product lifecycle. Some of them are:

 Environmentally-friendly Fabrics

There are a variety of materials considered "environmentally-friendly" for a variety of reasons.

 The re-new ability of the product. Renewable resources are items that can be
replenished in a relatively short amount of time (as opposed to millennia).
 The ecological footprint of the resource - how much land (usually measured in acres) it
takes to bring one of the individuals (plants or animals) to full growth and support it.
 How many chemicals it requires to grow/process it to make it ready for market.

Fabrics considered in this list include organic cotton, Organic silk, Organic wool, soy silk, Milk-
silk, Pine apple fabrics, Hemp, Peat, Fortrel eco-spun, Ingeo, corn fibre, bamboo, recycled fabrics
from recycled fiber. Fabrics not currently in this list include: linen, silk, kenaf, and switchgrass,
but they are forthcoming.

 Dry cleaning and laundry method. Instead of using hazardous chemicals, the laundry companies
can use a more eco-friendly chemicals.
 Recycled material. Textiles that have been discarded by consumers can undergo a discriminating
process of sorting, grading and separation into waste-free products suitable for reuse and
recycle into new clothes. Also, the advance technology has made it possible to come up with a
way to recycle goods such as plastic bottles and turn them into fabrics. The amount of CO2
saved from recycling and reusing our old clothes is more than any other recycle materials except
for aluminum (appendix..)

Retailers large and small are also taking different steps to appeal to the environmentally conscious
consumer.

 Patagonia: a major retailer in casual wear, which has been selling fleece clothing made from post-
consumer plastic soda bottles since 1993. This recycling process takes clear plastic bottles made of
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), melts them, and reconfigures them into fibers that can be woven
into fabrics and other applications. Patagonia is one of the first and largest clothing retailers to use
this material. The company estimates that between 1993 and 2006 it saved 86 million soda bottles
from ending up in the landfill. Patagonia also recycles its cotton T-shirts through Italian company
Calamai Functional Fabrics. According to Trailspace.com, an outdoor gear information site, recycling
cotton saves 20,000 litres of water per kilogram of cotton, a water-intensive crop.
 Tesco: the largest British retailer has commissioned a study by Oxford University toward developing
a Sustainable Consumption Institute to establish a system to label every product sold by Tesco on
 the basis of its carbon emission footprint. This plan was highlighted at the 2007 Association of
Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry Conference. Many in the industry think such efforts are not
only good for the environment, but also makes good business sense. Hana Ben-Shabat, vice
president of goods and retail practice at AT Kearney, a management consulting firm that works with
fashion industry suppliers, stated in a presentation at the conference that “being green and ethical
is no longer an option, it is [an economic] necessity.”
 Versace: is one of the haute couture designer clothing firms that have used Ingeo in their
collections. Ingeo, is made of corn by-products that are fermented and transformed into polylactide.
This polymer is spun into fibers and woven into fabrics that, under strictly managed circumstances,
could be composted (polylactide, marketed under the name NatureWorks PLA, is also fashioned into
wraps, rigid food and beverage containers, coated papers and boards, and other packaging
applications).

Consumers

The biggest impacts for increasing sustainability in the clothing industry rests with the
consumer. Maybe next time when you are out shopping and spot a fashion bargain, think twice about
why it is so cheap - and what this might mean for the person making this piece of clothing. Ask the
salesperson to tell you where it was made, and whether the person making it was paid fairly. You may
not get a very helpful response initially but if shops are getting hundreds of people asking these
questions, they will start to take them seriously.

We, as consumers, can also lend our support to fashion companies or labels which are taking
steps to ensure that workers are paid and treated fairly, are embracing CSR that integrates social and
environmental concerns in their business operations and are responsible for the totality of their impact
on people and the planet.

The increased prevalence of social media - internet discussion groups, blogs, wikis, twitter etc -
has empowered consumers to share their concerns and to expose environmental wrongdoers to a
diverse global audience. Companies ignore this phenomenon at their peril. The fact that the message is
out there is what really matters. Because at the end of the day without a healthy planet there is no
fashion industry. Consumer awareness about the fate of clothing through its life cycle may be the best
hope for sustainability in the fashion industry.

APPENDIX
Appendix 1. The lifecycle of fashion products

MATERIAL DISPOSAL

PRODUCTION USE

TRANSPORT

Appendix 2. Comparison of product lifecycle on two types of material

Material Production Transport Use Disposal

Cotton Farming: Spinning Transport Washing Incineration
 Sowing to the
 Fertilizing Knitting market Drying Landfill
 Irrigating
 Harvesting Wet process: Distribution Water
 Bleaching chain treatment
Ginning  Dying
Retail
Confection:
 Cutting
 Sewing

Polyester Resin production Spinning Transport Washing Incineration

from petroleum and to the
natural gas Knitting market Drying Landfill

Confection: Distribution Water

 Cutting chain treatment
 Sewing
Retail

Appendix 3a. Cotton T-Shirt Environmental Impacts (weighing 0.25 kg)

 Material production and Transport phase

Metric
Water 5000 liters
Fertilizer 134 grams
Pesticides 5 grams
Fossil fuels 0.55 grams

Appendix 3b. Cotton T-Shirt Environmental Impacts (weighing 0.25 kg)

Use phase

Category Washing CO2 emission CO2 emission

Temp (⁰C) washing and washing only
drying
A (rate c) 60 9.9 3.5
B (rate C) 40 8.8 2.4
C (rate A) 60 7.7 2.8
D (rate A) 40 6.9 2.0

Appendix 4a. Polyester jacket Environmental Impacts (weighing 0.5 kg)

Material production and Transport phase

Metric
CO2 emission 7.6 kg
Other gasses 86 grams

Appendix 3b. Polyester jacket Environmental Impacts (weighing 0.5 kg)

Use phase

Category Washing Temp (⁰C) CO2 emission CO2 emission

washing and drying washing only

A (rate c) 40 2.3 0.8

Appendix 5. CO2 Saving from Reuse

Per pound Cotton Polyester
CO2 saved 16.3 lbs 15.3 lbs
CO2 photosynthesis 1.7 lbs 0 lbs
CO2 emited 0.4 lbs 0.3 lbs
Net CO2 saved 14.2 lbs 15.0 lbs

Appendix 6. Greenhouse gas saved from tons of reuse

Greenhouse Gas Saved Per tons of Reuse

16

14

12

10 Greenhouse Gas Saved Per tons

of Reuse
8

0
Glass Plastics Paper Textiles Alluminium

REFERENCE
http://www.intracen.org/textilesandclothing/eco_labelling.htm

http://textil.stfi.de/seetexlable/default.asp?Category=4

http://naturalhealthcare.ca/fashion.phtml

http://www.uneptie.org/pc/sustain/reports/SCP_Resource_Kit/PDF_FINAL_uk/textiles.pdf

http://www.stepin.org/casestudy.php?id=ecofashion&page=4

http://www.colourtex.co.in/ecofriendly.pdf

http://www.greengeek.ca/2006/07/17/eco-friendly-textile-made-from-cellulose/

http://www.jute-industry.com/jute-eco-friendly-fiber.html

http://www.pollutionissues.com/Co-Ea/Dry-Cleaning.html#ixzz1GLjlrCL1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_fashion

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3086669.stm

http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.115-a449

http://www.eco-asia.info/content/f-fashions-dark-side2