Fiber Filled Water
by Riley Yager
Introduction
In the world of sustainability and green innovation, there are a lot of environmental issues that need to be solved. A complex issue challenging environmental scientists and activists today is the abundance of waste produced by modern society. The implementation of local recycling, green food alternatives, and eco-friendly materials has made great strides toward a sustainable future. There is one wasteful consumer product, however, that has not received near enough attention for its environmental impacts and that product is clothing.
The total volume of clothes that Americans throw away each year has doubled in the last twenty years, from 7 million to 14 million tons [1]. According to the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the main source of textiles ending up in municipal solid waste
(MSW) is discarded clothing; although, other sources including furniture, carpets, sheets, and
towels are also present [2]. More than 60% of fabric fibers are now synthetics derived from
petrochemicals leaving only 30% of those fibers coming from cotton, wool, or linen [3]
. These synthetic microfibers crowd public landfills and subsequently end up in oceans and freshwater sources.
Up until the mid-twentieth century, the fashion industries ran on four seasons a year: fall, winter, spring, and summer. Currently, fast fashion brands produce about 52 “micro-seasons” a year [4]! This accounts for one new collection per week. Overall, apparel companies produce 53 million tons of clothes annually and this value is expected to increase exponentially to 180 million tons by 2050 [4].
This massive waste production is the reality faced by environmental scientist and activists. The next few sections will detail on the environmental impacts of textile waste as well as the violations against human rights that fast fashion causes. There will also be a discussion on the elegant rise of slow fashion and current scientific efforts to reduce textile waste.
Environmental & Human Rights Injustices
The adverse environmental impacts from textile production starts in the very beginning processes. Approximately, 90% of clothing sold in the United States is made with cotton or polyester, both corresponding to significant health impacts from manufacturing [5]. Polyester is a synthetic textile derived from oil and cotton requires large amounts of water and pesticides to grow [5]. And if that wasn’t
enough, even the dying processes can cause pollutants to be discharged into local water systems. These pollutants pose a threat to the health of animals and nearby residents.
Another significant impact of the textile industry is the health risks that affect the 40 million garment assembly workers all around the world [5]. Around 90% of the world’s clothing is produced in low-to-middle income countries, where occupational and safety standards are
often not enforced due to poor political infrastructure [5]. As a result, the millions of
workers are forced to work in poor conditions and are susceptible to health problems. Reported health outcomes include lung disease, cancer, adverse reproductive and fetal outcomes, accidental injuries, and even death [5].
The last, and potentially, the worst environmental impact of the textile industry is the shear
amount of waste that these products cause. The environmental injustice doesn’t end when the garments are sold; these products quickly end up in landfills mainly due to the influences of fast fashion. The fast fashion model that is sculpted through advertisement and social media encourages the perspective that clothing is disposable. The average American throws away 80 pounds of clothing and textiles each year which makes up for nearly 5% of the total landfill space [5]. Though some clothing gets circulated through second-hand sales, most ends up in rivers, greenways, and parks. This is significantly worse in countries
in the low-to-middle income range. It seems that textile waste hazard effects the very countries which produce the products in the first place.
It is important also to recall the human injustices which occurred in textile mills in the
early 1900s. Men, women, and children were all exploited in these factories. Many children even lost fingers and toes working in the textile factories. Luckily, laws have prohibited the use of child laborers, but textile companies are still getting away with human rights injustices. This is a long going reputation that needs to come to a halt.
The Age of Slow Fashion
The many adverse effects of textile production and disposal may seem
overwhelming, but rest assured, there are efforts worldwide to help stop and potentially reverse the damage that has been caused. The awareness of fast fashion and its impacts is becoming more and more popular and activists and scientists are working hard to solve the problem. The fight against fast fashion has coined a movement often called “slow fashion”. Slow fashion is an awareness and approach to fashion, which considers the processes and resources used in making the clothing, particularly focusing on sustainability [6]. This movement encourages consumers to invest in better-quality garments that are made with sustainable materials and the processes are eco-friendly. The treatment of the factory workers is also an important driving force of the movement. It is the compassion and focus of environmental activists that drives the slow fashion movement which brings high hopes for a greener future.
Advances in Science & Technology
In light of the ever-growing problem of fast fashion, more and more clothing companies are
focusing on the utilization of sustainable clothing fibers. Levi Strauss, for example, has completely redesigned its brand by emphasizing sustainability. The company has spun recycled plastic bottles into its iconic denim jeans and has worked with other countries to launch the Better Cotton Initiative [7]
Efforts are being made toward “sustainably-grown and responsibly-sourced” cotton [7]. The biggest impact of cotton use is the shear amounts of water needed for it to grow successfully. Despite this impact, cotton will be continued to be used because of its strength, comfort, and breathability. One solution manufactures have been implementing is the blending of other fibers with cotton to lessen the footprint. Synergy, a California-based manufacture, offers organic cotton blends that contain hemp and bamboo [7]. Hemp is a popular blend for its durability and rapid, sustainable growth. Bamboo, on the other hand, has proven to not be a good replacement due to its solvent concentration needed in fabrication. Recycled fibers are becoming a popular alternative. Aquafil, for example, is a carpeting and fabric company that has been making synthetic fibers from recycled fishing nets and unwanted textiles [7].
There has also been significant scientific efforts towards the conversion of textile waste into valued products. Advances in catalysis have shown promising results regarding the chemical conversion of textile waste. Researchers are also exploring the conversion of cotton textiles in to clean, solid fuel. These research efforts are ever progressing and new ideas and processes are being explored every year. Scientists stand hand-in-hand with environmental activists in the effort to stop fast fashion and recover from its damage.
Concluding Statement
This article was written to both inform and encourage. We, the consumers, are the middle-people of the textile supply cycle and we have the power to slow the effects of fast fashion. I encourage you to be mindful of the brands you use and reuse as much as possible. Always consider reselling or donating old, unwanted clothing before tossing in the trash. There are plenty of people in the world that would love that old shirt you never wear. The slow fashion movement is underway and every small contribution
matters
Resources:
[1] Brown. R, 2021. “The Environmental Crisis Caused by Textile Waste.” Roadrunner Smarter
[2] EPA, 2020. “Textiles: Material-Specific Data.” US Environmental Protection Agency.
[3] Schlossberg, T., 2019. “How Fast Fashion is Destroying the Planet.” The New York Times.
[4] Stanton, A., 2019. “What is Fast Fashion, Anyways?” The Good Trade.
[5] Bick, R., Halsey, E. & Ekenga, C.C. The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environ Health 17, 92 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7
[6] Hill, M., 2018. “What is Slow Fashion?” Good on You. https://goodonyou.eco/what-is-slow-fashion/
[7] Kaye, L., 2015. “The Rise of Sustainable Fibers in the Fashion Industry.” PLE Pundit.
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