…united by the fabric on our backs into the glamourous but horrific clothing and textile industry.
Working for a Tier 1 Toyota supplier for over 10 years and being immersed in the Toyota Production System (TPS), waste elimination was something that was deeply engrained in me and I endeavored to translate that knowledge to the fashion industry. Yet working in the fashion industry, my awareness was superficial at best and I wasn’t fully aware of the horrors of not only the environmental but also the social impact of the industry until seeing the Rana Plaza catastrophe and then watching the documentary, True Cost in 2013.
The global fashion industry is worth 3 trillion dollars and 2% of the world GDP and is apparently the second largest polluter in the world, behind the oil industry; regardless of whether this is fact or myth consider the following.
- 20% of the world’s industrial water pollution comes from textiles treatment and dying
- 200, 000 tons of dyes are lost to effluents annually
- 90% of wastewaters in developing countries, is discharged into rivers without treatment
Wastewaters contain toxic substances such as lead, mercury and arsenic, to name a few which are extremely harmful to aquatic life and the health of the people living by those river banks. The contamination eventually reaches the sea and in the long run, spreads around the globe.
The next time you purchase a pair of blue jeans consider the natural resources used to produce just that one pair
- 13 square metres of land to grow the cotton
- 3,625 litres of water
- 3 Kg of chemicals and pesticides
- 400mg of energy which is equal to leaving a light bulb on for 116 days
Each year approximately 80 billion kg of textiles are produced.
1kg of cotton = 10kg of carbon dioxide emission
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. At this pace, the fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions will surge more than 50% by 2030.
Industry isn’t totally to blame, we the consumer have to take some responsibility. We don’t have to fall victim to fashion’s inveterate ways, caught up in the cycle of consumption and waste; do we really need “Seven Pairs of $7 Shoes”, I think not. By being more conscious of where and how our clothing is made we can make decisions that produce more satisfying outcomes for ourselves and the environment.
The Errant Modiste 