Quality in the textile industry. Why high quality should have its price?
This article aims to investigate a sustainable approach to a topic that affects us all on a daily basis. Social media and social interactions place a high value on outward appearance. As superficial as the appreciation is handled, only a small part of society thinks how profoundly the latest fashion trend affects the environment. Second-hand and slow fashion are attracting more and more attention. However, similar to the recycling of plastic into various everyday products, from a personal point of view this is a way of combating symptoms instead of a holistic system change. In terms of 3-pillar sustainability, only the economic pillar is considered in the current system, while little attention is paid to social and ecological aspects. This in-depth report will examine the problems of the textile industry and how higher prices for clothing can promote sustainability in all areas.
Around 150 million tons of clothing are produced worldwide every year (Nikolina, 2023), of which only around 50% is worn (Elven, 2018) and 30% is never sold in the first place (Good on You, 2022). European people are also actively involved in the consumption and use of textiles. In 2020, we consumed an average of 8.7 kilograms of textiles per capita excluding household textiles (EEA, 2023). On the one hand, this is positive for the economy, as we invest 4.1% of our expenditure in renewing the contents of our closet (Statista, 2023).
But every medal has a flip side. The textile industry accounts for 10% of total CO2 emissions (EU Parlament, 2020). Cotton, the fiber that makes up the majority of our textiles, occupies around 2% of the world's arable land and is responsible for around 16% of global pesticide use (Guillebeau, 2017). The choice and quantity of chemicals used ensure that cotton can grow magnificently. But the price is just as high. When you buy cheap textiles, you contribute to the suffering of the farmers who have to spray these chemicals. Many of them suffer serious illnesses and their suffering often ends in premature death (EJF, 2023). Around 1,200 liters of water are needed per kilogram of cotton (textil+mode, 2023).
The problem goes even deeper. The processing of cotton into clothing also causes profound environmental damage. Two thirds of our textiles are produced on the Asian continent and exported from there to the rest of the world (Mordor Intelligence, 2023). In many of these countries, there is little to no regulation on how to deal with chemicals and the treatment of wastewater in the textile industry. This allows corporations to make profits at the expense of nature.
For example, a black cloud was discovered on satellite images in the South China Sea, which spread over 2.5 km. It turned out that this cloud was wastewater from the "Wubao Dyeing" industrial area near the Chinese city of Shishi in Fujian province (Greenpeace, 2021). This wastewater contains nonylphenol, antimony, chlorobenzenes or so-called "for-ever" chemicals, which cannot be broken down and therefore permanently damage nature. These chemicals can accumulate in sediment or aquatic organisms and ultimately harm humans.
People who ultimately produce clothing from the textiles often work in undignified conditions. Wages that are barely enough to survive, working days of 14-20 hours and physical violence are more than not mentioned in reports from this sector (Hinzmann, 2009).
By saving on the defenseless links in the production chain, the big fast-fashion clothing stores are able to bring a huge amount of clothing to first-world countries at the lowest prices and still achieve enormous sales. But the problem does not end here. Because after a short lifespan of these clothes (if they have been sold or worn at all), they end up as waste. Cotton is a natural fiber, so it is degradable per se. However, chemical treatments such as dyeing or impregnation mean that it can no longer be broken down by nature without harmful substances accumulating in the environment or harming organisms.
Here in the West, standards are very high, which is why clothing from the used clothing container is resold in less affluent countries. However, around 7% are incinerated because they can no longer be worn or recycled (Resorti, 2023). However, the clothing handed in does not end up back in a collection point after its second life. They are often thrown away in nature or end up in landfill sites.
Approaches for improvement.
The potential is enormous. The first improvement approaches can be implemented literally at the root of the problem. The choice of textiles has an influence on the quality of the clothing and also on the environmental impact caused. When using the most commonly used fiber plant, cotton, the origin should always be organic or biological. This leads to a reduction of 70% in water consumption, 60% in energy consumption and ultimately to a reduction of 100% in pesticide consumption (CmA, 2023). This will reduce the burden on resources, insects, the environment and people. For us Europeans, there is one aspect that could be made even more sustainable: the origin. Cotton is
mainly grown in Asia and America. In order to sell the jeans at the best possible prices, the cheapest locations on the global market are used. This means that a pair of jeans can have "traveled" more than 50,000 km by the time they reach our shelves (Karpinski & Mönning, 2001). We could therefore look into alternatives that are also capable of growing in our latitudes.
One of these alternatives was used thousands of years ago and served as an early form of paper (Ecological Textiles, 2023). Whymper's rope team climbed the Matterhorn with this material in 1850 (Bergwelten, 2023) and the French sailors needed several tons every year for sails, clothing and beds (Kleindl, 1999). We are talking about hemp. Hemp, the Swiss army knife of plants is undemanding to grow, thrives faster than other crops, requires no pesticides and yields about 30-40% more than cotton (HempAge, 2023).
Processing in Europe is associated with higher costs, but quality can have its price. Assuming a conventional cheap pair of jeans has a lifespan of 2 years, it can cost around 40 Euro. In comparison, a pair of hemp jeans could around costs 160 Euro, with a lifespan of at least 8 years.
In the example in Figure 2, you can see that in both situations the costs amount to 160 Euro for 8 years. The first difference lies in the amount of material used. The quality trousers require a quarter of the material used in the fast-fashion scenario. This also corresponds to a four-fold reduction in resource consumption, energy consumption, labor and transportation. In addition to the reduced impact on the environment, workers suffer much less work pressure. Quantity would therefore no longer be their goal. At best, the time saved could lead to an increase in quality or a stress-reduced working day. There would also be no reduction in economic terms, as the income would be identical. Consequently, all aspects of sustainability of the three-pillar model would be covered.
Figure 1. Visualization of cost and fabric consumption of potentially low and high fabric denim trousers in a time span of 8 years.
Repairs to such items of clothing would be profitable because, in addition to the emotional value that is created over time, it is cheaper than buying a new item of clothing. Additional jobs could also be created and the craftsmanship of sewing would regain importance.
When the clothing finally reaches the end-of-life stage, it could simply be buried in the garden. This is possible because the fibers are of purely natural origin (assuming the dyes are also biodegradable). It would also be possible to recycle the fibers. To date, there is no data available on which scenario causes the lower impact and therefore only an assumption is possible.
The current clothing industry is causing enormous damage to the environment, flora/fauna and people with fast fashion. By maximizing profits and constantly increasing sales volumes, every link in the production and use chain suffers. Practices such as slow fashion and second hand are already counteracting this problem. But only symptomatically, as the extraction of raw materials and the production of goods are not influenced here. By selecting disease-resistant plants such as hemp and focusing on quality, people who form the basis of the production chain can also be protected.
Increased durability of textiles reduces the use of raw materials and also relieves the burden on people who have to produce these goods in unacceptable conditions. Jobs could also be created or renewed. Even when the clothing reaches the end-of-life stage, the textiles could be composted or recycled in other ways. By slowing down the pace in the textile industry, all spheres could benefit positively.
In-Depth Report NMU
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Institute for Environment and Natural Resources
Nicolas Biner
References
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