What is the environmental impact of our clothing?
The carbon footprint of the global textile industry? 4 billion tons of CO2 equivalent each year. This figure makes it one of the most polluting industries on the planet, as it accounts for, according to ADEME, 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions (clothing and footwear combined). For comparison, this is more than the emissions from international flights and maritime traffic combined. Let's take stock of the situation, and how we can reduce our impact.
100 billion. This is the number of garments sold worldwide each year. It is worth noting that textile sales have literally exploded since the early 2000s. According to the European Environment Agency, the quantity of clothing purchased in the European Union increased by 40% between 1996 and 2012. Globally, production doubled between 2000 and 2014. Such overconsumption is not without consequences for the environment.
A carbon footprint that varies depending on the type of material
The production of raw materials needed for clothing manufacturing is one of the most polluting phases. While the impact depends on the raw material produced, an ADEME study reveals that this step is responsible for an average of 35% of the carbon footprint of a clothing item.
Recycled and bio-sourced material used in our R01 NECK GAITERS.
It should be noted that the carbon footprint varies greatly depending on the type of material: animal materials are, by far, the most emissive (due to emissions allocated to animal farming). Thus, 1 kilogram of sheep's wool emits approximately 80 kilograms of CO2e, which is 5 times more than cotton. For their part, the emissions from other plant materials are equivalent to those of cotton, i.e., between 15 and 20 kg of CO2e per kilogram of linen or hemp, for example.
Another problematic point: synthetic and artificial chemical materials, which represent approximately 68% of the raw materials produced for clothing. And the star among them is polyester (approximately 60 million tons produced in 2021). However, this material comes from a fossil resource (as it is obtained from petroleum, just like acrylic, elastane, or polyamide). And petroleum processing means greenhouse gas emissions. Once the raw material is collected, the spinning stage comes: its impact is not neutral. (approximately 8% of total CO2e emissions).
36% of emissions for manufacturing
Another phase that is also very emissive is manufacturing (weaving/knitting; finishing - dyeing and fabric preparation - and assembly). It represents, still according to ADEME, approximately 36% of total CO2e emissions in the life cycle of a garment.
This high carbon footprint is easily explained by the fact that the weaving/knitting and finishing phases are very energy-intensive. The problem is that these stages are very often carried out in Bangladesh, China, or India, countries with a very carbon-intensive energy mix due to the significant use of coal. Thus, 1 kWh emits 0.79 kg of CO2e in Bangladesh, 1.58 kg CO2e in India, 1.05 kg CO2e in China... compared to 0.08 kg CO2e in France.
What about transportation?
Contrary to popular belief, this phase accounts for very little of the sector's total carbon footprint: approximately 2%. This is because clothing is mainly transported by sea, a mode that is 50 to 100 times less emissive than air transport.
Other environmental impacts
Beyond its very high carbon footprint, textile production is very water-intensive: it is estimated that it takes between 5,000 and 17,000 liters of water to produce 1 kilo of cotton. This crop is the world's largest consumer of water, ahead of rice or soy. And since rain is not enough, irrigation is often necessary, drawing water from rivers, lakes, or groundwater. This contributes to resource depletion in a context where water scarcity is already a major concern due to increasing heatwaves and droughts. It should be noted that significant volumes of water are also consumed during the textile manufacturing phase (bleaching, dyeing).
In addition to the massive use of water, clothing production also causes significant water and soil pollution. The different stages of garment manufacturing require the massive use of chemicals (chlorinated solvents, acid, heavy metals). And when industrial or municipal wastewater treatment plants are not adequate, these chemicals are discharged into wastewater. This leads to significant pollution.
How can we act?
As consumers, several actions are possible to reduce the environmental impact of our clothing:
- Buy less but better, by favoring durable clothing (like what we offer at Pavenrod) and second-hand items.
- Opt for ecological materials such as organic cotton, linen, or hemp.
- Care for your clothes responsibly (wash at low temperatures, natural drying).
- Recycle and donate used clothes instead of throwing them away.