Jeans and t-shirts are a fashion classic but do you have any idea how a simple outfit has used more than its fair share of water? It takes approximately 10,000 liters of water to produce one pair of jeans and 2000 liters to manufacture one t-shirt. Years and years of over producing clothing in an unsustainable manner has left a huge environmental impact. From polluting the air and water to filling the oceans with micro plastic, the fashion world has been overly catastrophic.
Did you know that 20% of all fresh water pollution comes from textile industries? Countries where most clothes are made, toxic waste from factories are dumped directly in to the rivers and oceans. This waste contains toxic substances such as mercury, lead and a few others that are super harmful for the marine life and the health of billions of people who consume that water and once the filth reaches the sea it eventually spreads around the world. A major source of water contamination is the use of fertilizers to produce cotton, the manufacturing process not only heavily pollutes reserves of water but also evaporation water.
Cloth dyeing process uses enough water to fill two million Olympic sized pools each year, and the leftover is often dumped in to streams and rivers.
It is so difficult to stay calm when I think of all the havoc garment industries cause to the environment and the human rights of the locals, the worst part is all of this is done on purpose. Factories can figure out a way to dispose water waste responsibly, but instead they release dangerous chemicals in to the water which results in global warming and several health issues.
Now let’s talk about synthetic clothing that is made out of plastic like polyester, cotton and nylon. When an item made out of these plastics get washed, it releases tiny particles of plastic in to the water system known as micro fibers. Our water treatment plants can’t filter them out and they end up in the ocean which means they are in the tap water we drink and the seafood we eat. We all know that ingesting plastics will cause health issues to us humans but do you know how badly it affects sea creatures and birds.
As a buyer, we can put a stop to this through our shopping habits. Buying cheap dresses can be exciting but they are not environment friendly. Try to buy high quality and durable garments that are produced by ethical brands that use organic materials to help fight the emission of pollutants by the garment industries.
It is time we all embrace sustainable fashion and do our part to help the environment.
