Fibres to Fashion
There are three basic needs that a man possesses food, clothing, and shelter. The global textiles and clothing industry is bound to be huge, as it fulfils the second basic requirement of man. It is worth $480 billion at present and is expected to reach $700 billion, shortly. This is because people are getting increasingly conscious of the way they dress. It has become a means to create an impression and represent their personality. Everybody wants to strike an impression with different and fashionable clothes.
But the sad fact is that the human greed to look appealing and wear glamorous clothes has ended up causing harm to the environment. The textile industry is one of the most pollutants releasing industries of the world. Surveys show that nearly five percent of all landfill space is consumed by textile waste. Besides, 20 percent of all fresh water pollution is made by textile treatment and dyeing.
Pollutants released by the global textile industry are continuously doing unimaginable harm to the environment. It pollutes land and makes them useless and barren in the long run. Surveys show that cotton consumes the highest amount of harmful pesticides and fertilisers. Majority of them fall on land while they are sprinkled on the crop. Similarly, textile manufacturing units release hazardous waste into the nearby land.
A study was conducted to test the amount of metals present in soil and groundwater located near to the textile and tannery industries in Haridwar, India. Results indicated all the metals like Chromium, Iron, Manganese, Copper, Lead, and Cadmium were present in amounts larger than that prescribed as safe by World Health Organisation (WHO). They can cause many problems in living beings.
The hazardous effects of the use of toxic fertilizers in the farms are the highest in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. A case of 1991 caught attention when four US companies based in South Carolina mixed large amounts of hazardous wastes into a shipment containing fertilizers. The wastes contained huge quantities of lead and cadmium. This shipment was purchased by Bangladesh. Before the reality came into limelight, it was used in farms across the country. Children sprinkled these fertilizers in farms without any protection and were negatively affected by its exposure.
he textile industry uses millions of gallons of water everyday. The problem does not rest in the high usage, though! The waste is not treated to remove pollutants from it before it is disposed to water bodies. The waste water usually contains PBDEs, phthalates, organochlorines, lead, and many other chemicals that cause severe health problems and diseases in human beings.
The liquid effluents released by the textile industry are the most disturbing area of concern. This is because the toxic material released through liquid waste is vast in quantity. It consists of chemicals such as formaldehyde (HCHO), chlorine, and heavy metals. Besides, it is disposed into water bodies that reach far away areas and is consumed by a large number of people for drinking or for daily activities. They need to be treated to reduce their toxic content before being released into water bodies.
Air pollution caused by the textile industry is also a major cause of concern. Boilers, thermo pack, and diesel generators produce pollutants that are released into the air. The pollutants generated include Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), sulphur di oxide gas, oxide of nitrogen gas, etc. The nearby areas with human population get affected adversely owing to the release of toxic gas into the atmosphere.
It has become utterly necessary to reduce the pollutants emitted by the textile industry. Contamination of the air, water, and land by textile industries and its raw material manufacturing units has become a serious threat to the environment. It has endangered the life of human beings and various other species on Earth. Global warming is a direct result of the pollutants released by such industries. It also causes harmful diseases and health issues in people getting exposed to the pollutants in the long run.
The use of organic raw material can help in fighting the emission of pollutants by the textile units. Organic cotton is especially beneficial as the production of cotton asks for the maximum amount of pesticides and fertilizers. Besides, the waste generated from textile manufacturing plants should be processed in a manner that it is free from toxic chemicals before it is disposed. Environment friendly methods of cultivation and manufacture should be resorted to.
There is no doubt to the fact that the textile industry releases harmful pollutants into the atmosphere in large quantities. It is agreed all over the world that textile industry is one of the most pollutants emitting industries of the world. Almost 2000 different types of chemicals are used in this industry. It consumes as well as contaminates fresh water. There is a need to take actions in this direction, urgently.
All this information came from: http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/6262/various-pollutants-released-into-environment-by-textile-industry
Fibres 2 Fashion
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. Any product, which is made, used or disposed of in a way that significantly reduces the harm it would otherwise cause to the environment, could be considered as eco-friendly product. Slowly, consumers in India are taking lead in prompting manufacturers to adopt clean technologies to produce eco-friendly products.
The textile industry is shared between natural fibres such as wool, silk, linen, cotton and hemp, and man-made ones, the most common of which are synthetic fibres (polyamide, acrylic) made from petrochemicals. Most of the clothes in our wardrobes contain polyester, elastane or Lycra. These cheap and easy-care fibres 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).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 six stages typically required to make a garment, the negative impacts on the environment are as numerous as they are varied. 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 sashay 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: who knows, ecology may be the next new trend!
The world of fashion may be stylish, glamorous and exciting, but its impact on environment is worsening day by day.
According to the International Labour Organization, there are 246 million child-workers (age 5 to 14) in the world today. The Asian-Pacific region exploits the most child labour, followed by sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. In the textile sector, children are a cheap workforce for picking cotton, hand-sewing, etc. Thanks to the scandals revealed by NGOs and to consumer pressure, global brands are slowly integrating social clauses into their subcontractor agreements.
From an environmental point of view, the clothes we wear and the textiles they are made from can cause a great deal of damage.
Information from: http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/1709/impact-of-textiles-and-clothing-industry-on-environment
Olivia Cope Textiles Blog 