Sustainable Fashion Blog Series - 1/6

Introduction to the Textile Industry 

The textile industry is a global, highly lucrative industry which is essential to the economies, livelihoods, and culture of countries across the globe. However, the historical boom in textile manufacturing has resulted in unsustainable growth, production, and consumption, introducing sustainability issues such as pollution and unfavorable employment conditions. These conditions are further complicated by the lengthy value chain throughout the textile industry which includes, 1) agricultural and chemical sourcing of fibres, 2) yarn and 3) textile manufacturing, 4) sewing, 5) distribution, 6) consumption, and 7) waste. Due to the varied nature of this process, each stage produces a range of waste products and pollutants:

1. The raw materials phase of the life cycle has significant impacts on the environment through the processes of eutrophication, land occupation, and land transformation. In addition, this phase of the life cycle involves the use of Persistent Organic Chemicals which harm ecosystems for long periods of time. 
2. For the manufacturing phase, the use of toxic and polluting processes such as wet processing, and the excessive use of water, makes it arguably the most environmentally damaging portion of the textile lifecycle, and the most harmful to human health.
3. The role consumers play in this process is highlighted in the use phase of the lifecycle where the trends of overconsumption and decreasing garment lifespans, along with resource intensive laundering practices, lead to the creation of a significant amount of resource consumption during use, and waste after disposal. 
4. The end of life phase of the lifecycle is marked by the excessive amount of post consumer waste generated after use. For example, roughly three-quarters of the textiles produced globally end up in landfill, while only approximately twenty five percent are reused or recycled. This issue becomes even more striking when it is noted that of all the garments discarded, only five percent truly need to be, with roughly sixty percent in a condition able to be reused, and thirty-five percent in a state that could be recycled in various ways.
5. Underwriting the whole lifecycle is the fashion supply chain, which leads to a number of negative externalities stemming from rapid production cycles and a requirement to meet the trend of overconsumption present in society. This is made more problematic due to the lack of transparency observed in fashion supply chains, particularly when looking at the fast fashion brands that currently dominate the landscape. 

Due to these issues throughout each stage, a variety of solutions are needed to make the textile lifecycle more sustainable. These solutions will be explored in this blog series. 

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