[Free report]: Fast fashion fabricsby Oksana Zavaliy | 06-08-2020 20:48 |
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Fashion industry is considered one of the most polluting industries in the world. Manufacturing certain fabrics causes water and soil pollution, desertification, greenhouse gas emissions. Most clothes are now made with synthetic fabrics which are not biodegradable; they are almost never recycled and release microplastic in water with every wash. In this report I would like to see how sustainable some of the most popular fabrics are. In 2015 the most commonly used fabrics were: polyester (55%), cotton (27%), cellulosic fibres (7%). Based on my recent trip to a shopping centre, I can say that the numbers have not changed much in these 5 years. I found entire shops in my city with tons of synthetic clothing, cotton is also pretty frequent and sometimes it is mixed with viscose (one of cellulosic fibres). 1. Polyester  Many things are made of polyester (PET) nowadays: clothes, bottles, containers, etc. It has become an essential part of today's fast fashion. PET makes clothes cheap, elastic, wrinkle-free. However, PET fabrics are obviously unsustainable. Every wash releases microplastics into water and soil which can end up in drinking water and food chain. Moreover, it is not biodegradable. PET clothes can be recycled but fashion companies are not interested in doing it. The good thing about PET fabrics is that some companies use plastic waste to create PET clothes, thus cleaning the ocean. 2. Cotton  Despite being a natural fabric, cotton cannot be called sustainable. It requires a great amount of water and relies heavily on pesticides and insecticides. As a result, the soil becomes infertile after repeated use which can lead to desertification. What is more, making one cotton T-shirt requires almost 3,000 litres of water. However, now we can find clothes made from organic and even recycled cotton. Organic cotton is grown without additional chemicals and uses less energy and water. Such clothes must have one of these certifications: USDA-Certified Organic, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Organic Content Standard (OCS), Better Cotton Standard, Bluesign, and Oeko-Tex 100. 3. Viscose/rayon  Viscose is a semi-synthetic fabric; it is made from wood pulp which is soaked in chemicals to make fabric softer. It is a popular alternative for silk, and is sometimes used instead of cotton and PET. The chemicals used in production of this fabric make it unsustainable. It is reported that they increase the risk of heart diseases, skin conditions and cancer for people who work with it as well as people who live nearby. Needless to say, these chemicals can easily end up in soil and water. In conclusion, I higly advise to read the labels when you are shopping for clothes. Organic linen is one of the best options we have in stores but there are many vegan and sustainable alternatives in certain brands that can be found online. Sources:
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