The Fashion Industry’s Carbon Footprint
With every clothing item added to cart or purchased at a mall, the fashion industry continues to produce tens of thousands of items a day to meet consumer demands. Each year, 100 billion items of clothing are produced. That is at least 14 clothing products created for every single person on the planet. Society’s demand for clothing has reached an all-time high.
This extremity comes at a cost. The fashion industry currently produces 10% of annual global carbon emissions. At this rate, the fashion industry’s carbon footprint will reach +50% by 2030.
Who Is At Fault?
The fashion industry is undeniably a major contributor to climate change. According to a report from the Ellen McArthur Foundation, the textile industry emits more greenhouse gases each year than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Most of this is due to the production of fabric and then the transportation of garments. Cotton, one of the most popular fabrics, uses petrochemical-based pesticides, coming from petroleum, a major fossil fuel. Around 60% of synthetic fibers that make up our clothes use fossil fuels.
Aside from emitting CO2 during production, many fashion firms incinerate their clothing products that do not sell for high prices. This allows the brand to maintain its exclusivity. However, burning clothes produces large emissions and pollutants that not only harm the environment, but human health. Air pollutants are often responsible for worsening asthma symptoms. Moreover, synthetic fibers are commonly used to create these clothing pieces, and they are unable to naturally break down in the environment. Upon being burnt, the synthetic fibers release microfibers into the atmosphere, which further harm the environment.
In other cases, clothes are disposed in order to make space for the newer, more trendy items. In North America alone, 10.5 million tons of clothing are sent to landfills each year. This waste of clothing not only amounts to more greenhouse emissions, but a hefty loss in value. According to The World Bank, every year, $500 billion USD is lost due to clothing that is barely worn, not donated, not recycled, or found in landfills.
Greener Solutions
In recent years, the industry has slowly begun to invest in more sustainable solutions that could aid in reducing greenhouse emissions.
One major shift is large fashion houses using fabrics that use less CO2. For instance, Charlotte McCurdy, a New York designer uses algae in her designs. This algae coating is actually CO2 negative as it is able to suck carbon out of the atmosphere. Other brands like Adidas and Stella McCartney have used mushroom leather, which eliminates the need for livestock that produce high volumes of greenhouse emissions.
In turn, the general consumer has become more aware of fashion’s impact on the environment. From Tik Tok trends promoting sustainable shopping habits to celebrities endorsing eco-friendly brands, our society has become more aware of our individual carbon footprints and how our fashion consumption impacts them. This has influenced how and where people spend their money, further prompting fashion brands to switch to more eco-friendly solutions in order to keep consumers interested.
From using synthetic fabrics to incinerating clothes, the fashion industry contributes a hefty amount to the global carbon footprint. However, sustainable solutions are on the rise. From consumers becoming more environmentally conscious to big fashion houses using CO2-neutral fabrics, the fashion industry is on the brink of a new era. In order to continue working towards lower CO2 emissions, the industry must look for innovative and sustainable ways to create their pieces, keep up with trends, and engage their consumers.
References & Resources to Learn More
