The so-called "fast fashion" makes clothes affordable enough that young people can buy more clothes than they actually need. And the relatively low cost of these items also allows people to throw away clothes when they no longer look fashionable or may need repairs.
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If you are like many teenagers, you might spend a fortune on clothes. But when the COVID-19 pandemic this year, clothing sales dropped. Now, holiday promotions may attract you with the latest style offers. However, many of these bargains hide environmental costs—and your wallet.
"Fast fashion" refers to how the clothing industry produces large quantities of relatively cheap clothing and delivers them to stores every few weeks. This approach allows shoppers to keep buying new styles. And the price of clothing is relatively low. But many of these clothes quickly wear out or become obsolete. Their price tags also do not include the environmental cost of all clothes.
These effects begin when fabric fibers are grown or produced in factories. As clothes are made from these fibers, are introduced to the market and then washed by users, pollution continues to increase. Even if these garments are thrown away at the end of their useful life, they will cause damage to the environment.
Kirsi Niinimäki says that the problem starts with how we view fashion. She is a fashion, textile and design researcher at Espoo Alto University in Finland. "Everyone now owns too many clothes. We will use them in a short period of time and then dispose of them," she said. Even if something has been stored in your closet for many years, you may only wear it about 40 times.
She is a member of a team that has studied many studies on environmental costs in the fashion industry. They found that the industry’s carbon dioxide emissions accounted for 8% to 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions. The enterprise also causes about one-fifth of industrial water pollution. More than one-third of the tiny plastics (called microplastics) found in the ocean come from clothes. The research team found that people generate more than 92 million tons (101.4 million US tons) of textile and clothing waste every year. His report was published in the April issue of Nature Review.
As Pietra Rivoli knows, fashion is a global industry. She is an economist at Georgetown University in Washington, and Rivoli bought a cotton T-shirt in Florida. The label says it is made in China. However, she learned that most of the cotton in this factory comes from Texas. Used or unneeded T-shirts often end up in Africa. There, people sell them for reuse. She wrote about her findings in "The Journey of a T-shirt in the Global Economy". The book first appeared in 2005. Since then, the African market for second-hand T-shirts has shrunk. More developing countries hope that their own clothing industry will develop. So more old T-shirts will only be thrown away.
The journey of your own clothes from fiber to finished product comes with environmental costs. Scientists and engineers have been studying how to contain some of these effects. They range from limiting pollution to finding ways to eventually recycle the raw materials that enter our clothes.
Niinimäki said that there is no ideal clothing material. All fabrics affect the environment. They just do it in different ways.
It starts with raw materials. For example, think of cotton T-shirts. It takes approximately 2,720 liters (719 gallons) of water to make it. In contrast, people need at least 30 liters (nearly 8 gallons) of water a day for drinking, cooking, and washing. This is according to the World Health Organization. Including cleaning, sanitation, waste disposal, agriculture, etc., an average of 50 to 100 liters (13 to 26 gallons) of water is required per day. At this rate, the water on each tee can support a person for a month or two.
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Wool comes from sheep or other animals. Grazing reduces the biodiversity of an area. This is the number and types of species in an area. Where raising livestock for fiber is unsustainable, soil erosion and habitat loss may occur.
Polyester fabric is made of plastic fibers produced from petroleum. Drilling for fossil fuels and manufacturing plastics release greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
Next, these fibers are made into fabrics. Many chemicals are used in manufacturing. Some of these clean fibers. Others make them less likely to stain or wrinkle. There are more chemicals that give the fabric a certain look or feel. The dye then colors the fabric. All these chemicals will pollute the environment. Some can be very toxic.
Companies usually care more about the role of chemicals than what these chemicals are. Sandra Roos pointed out that, therefore, if researchers can identify less hazardous chemicals that are still effective, the company may switch. She is an environmental scientist at the Swedish Institute RISE in Gothenburg.
Roos and other scientists studied the effects of chemicals used in the textile industry. They then use this information to create a database. It provides Scandinavian industry with guidance and a list of its functions. The organization hopes that the company will learn more about the risks and impacts of chemicals during the life of textiles. Ideally, companies will choose chemicals that are less hazardous.
The team believes that this method is also applicable to other countries. However, the database needs to be updated. Funding can be a challenge. The team described its findings in the February issue of Sustainability.
Another way is to make the processes used in the textile industry more environmentally friendly.
Most cotton is dyed in a dye bath. Anuradhi Liyanapathiranage said the company "dissolves the dye and then dumps all the fabric in it." She is a graduate student at the University of Georgia in Athens. Rinsing can remove dyes that are not bound to the fabric. A bath containing more chemicals helps to fix or fix the dye. "To dye one kilogram of cotton, it takes more than 100 liters of water," she said. (It takes more than 26 gallons for every 2.2 pounds of fabric.)
Her research team came up with a new method. Instead of putting the dye in the bath, it puts the dye in the gel with a small amount of cellulose. She explained that the texture was "a bit like jelly." Cellulose comes from wood fiber. You need a microscope to see every point. But these drill bits have a large surface area, so there are many dyes combined with them.
The gel is applied to the fabric like ink or paint. In short, the new method reduces water consumption by approximately 90%. The team showed that the method is applicable to a range of dye colors. The report was published in ACS Omega magazine on April 17.
The company must also dispose of the remaining dye. Some dyes are poisonous. Even a little dye can dye a lot of water. Anthony Dichiara explained that this type of pollution may prevent sunlight from reaching species that need it. He is a materials scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle. The sponge developed by his team can absorb these dyes. It contains a small amount of cellulose from wood pulp, and a small amount of palladium, a metal. The metal accelerates the chemical reaction that makes the blue dye colorless. The sponge can then be squeezed out and reused.
The changed dye molecules are still in the water. However, Dichiara pointed out that “in some cases, the colorless form is less toxic.” The group reported its success two years ago.
Another group invented a reusable filter to capture and decompose synthetic dyes. Seshadri Ramkumar is a materials scientist at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He and his team made this filter with nanofiber mesh. The waterproof compound prevents the net from absorbing moisture. At the same time, the net traps larger dye molecules in its small holes. After the filter is dried, the titanium dioxide compound in it helps the visible light to decompose the dye.
Ramkumar pointed out that sunlight activates the decomposition of dyes. His team tested the filter with red dye. After six hours, 8 out of every 10 dye molecules are decomposed. The rest collapsed within seven weeks. (Over time, the color of the dye will fade under visible light, but not so fast.)
Using sunlight helps to reduce the cost of dye decomposition. Ramkumar said this is important in a highly competitive industry like fashion. "There is a need to strike a balance between technology and cost."
He and his team just described their new filter in the October issue of the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering.
Manufacturing fabric is the first step. The next step is to make them into clothes. The factory process is designed to minimize unused fabric. But there will be some waste. And these still have to go somewhere.
Manufacturing also uses energy. These processes release greenhouse gases. Then the finished clothes will enter the market. This stage usually uses more fossil fuels.
When we wear clothes, the environmental impact continues. Washing and drying clothes can remove a small amount of fluff and dye from the fabric. The very fine fiber from polyester fabric is a microplastic. They pollute water and air. British researchers have shown that cotton fabrics tend to release more fibers than polyester fibers. They suggested in June Dyes and Pigments that using cooler water and a shorter period of time to wash clothes would help.
Charlotte McCurdy is the designer of NEW INC in New York City. Her work spans multiple fields, including industrial design. One of her most recent designs is a raincoat made of algae. She created a transparent coat to highlight the influence of the fashion industry on the climate. She pointed out that typical plastics in clothing emit greenhouse gases. On the other hand, algae can absorb carbon dioxide during growth.
McCurdy does not plan to mass-produce this jacket. Instead, she has been working with fashion designer Phillip Lim on another project. They are designing a carbon neutral dress. This means that manufacturing it will not increase the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The dress looks fashionable, but "it won't be alien," she added, just like strange. After all, she explained, “You don’t want to feel like you’re wearing a Saran® wrap.”
The bigger question is what society does besides fashion exhibitions. McCurdy said the answer is not just to return to living on indigenous materials such as cotton. This is not enough for everyone, especially in developing countries. Most people can't afford hand-made clothes made of fabrics like algae-at least not yet. "If we want to really make a difference, we need to make these technologies affordable," she said.
"Maybe we can talk about repairability and longevity before buying clothes," Joanne Brasch suggests. In other words: "When you finish it, what do you plan to use it for?" Brasch is a textile scientist at the California Product Regulatory Commission in Sacramento.
"I also call myself a garbage doctor," she joked. In this case, her focus is on treatment. She pointed out that more and more people are learning basic sewing skills. They repaired cracks and sewed buttons to repair worn-out clothes.
Many people are also learning how to redesign clothes that are out of date. "Art repairs are very popular now," Blasch said.
Second-hand stores and changing clothes are other options. Donation programs can also give clothes to people who can use them. (Please note that most charities expect their customers to immediately put on seasonal clothing.)
Not all methods of reusing clothes are created equal. Textiles need to be reused long enough to offset the environmental cost of moving them from one place to another. A team from Australia and Sweden reported this in Cleaner Production Magazine two years ago.
Brasch said that when you buy new clothes, please consider these things. If you want to buy something in person, feel the fabric. If it feels fragile, it may not wear well. Please also read the label. She said that organic fabrics that use low-impact dyes generally use fewer harmful chemicals. Some people may claim to use recycled fabrics. But don't think that all recycled fabrics are good choices. Many of them will never be recycled.
She said: "I think it really goes back to buying suitable clothes and clothes that are worth repairing." This means "building your classic", such as pure jeans or pure black pants. They will not look as flashy as the latest models. But they will not be out of date.
Niinimäki of Aalto University warns: “Companies are very smart to use the charm of fast fashion trends.” “We must try to avoid overly stylish looks.” She added that consumers should learn more about what they are buying—and Why. Do we buy new things because we need it? Or, she asks, do we make purchases based on our emotions?
"We should really try to be more picky about our consumption habits and try to extend the life... products," Niinimäki said. Better quality clothes may cost more at first. But they will last longer and help us look our best.
Isn't this the fashion we really want?
Algae: Single-celled organisms, once thought of as plants (they are not). As aquatic organisms, they grow in water. Like green plants, they rely on sunlight to make food.
Atmosphere: The gas envelope surrounding the earth or other planets.
Average: (in science) a term for the arithmetic mean, which is the sum of a group of numbers, then divided by the size of the group.
Biodiversity: (abbreviation for biodiversity) The number and types of species found in a local geographic area.
Bond: (in chemistry) a semi-permanent connection between atoms or groups of atoms in a molecule. It is formed by the attraction between participating atoms. Once bonded, the atoms will work as a unit. In order to separate the constituent atoms, energy must be provided to the molecules in the form of heat or other types of radiation.
Carbon: A chemical element with atomic number 6. It is the physical foundation of all life on earth. Carbon exists freely in the form of graphite and diamond. It is an important part of coal, limestone and petroleum, and can form a large number of molecules with chemical, biological and commercial significance through chemical self-combination.
Carbon dioxide: (or carbon dioxide) a colorless, odorless gas that all animals produce when the oxygen they breathe in reacts with the carbon-rich food they eat. Organic matter (including fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas) also releases carbon dioxide when burned. As a greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide absorbs heat in the earth's atmosphere. Plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen during photosynthesis, a process they use to make their own food.
Cellulose: A type of fiber found in plant cell walls. It is formed by a chain of glucose molecules.
Chemical substance: A substance formed by combining (bonding) two or more atoms in a fixed ratio and structure. For example, when two hydrogen atoms combine with one oxygen atom, water is a chemical substance. Its chemical formula is H2O. Chemistry can also be used as an adjective to describe the properties of materials, which are the result of various reactions between different compounds.
Chemical engineer: A researcher who uses chemistry to solve problems related to the production of food, fuel, medicine, and many other products.
Chemical reaction: A process that involves the rearrangement of molecules or structures of matter, as opposed to changes in physical form (such as from a solid to a gas).
Climate change: Long-term significant changes in the earth’s climate. It can occur naturally or in response to human activities, including burning fossil fuels and deforestation.
Consumer: (n.) A term for the person who buys or uses something. (adj.) People who use goods and services that must be paid for.
COVID-19: The name of the disease that caused a global outbreak. It first appeared in December 2019 and was caused by a new type of coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Symptoms include pneumonia, fever, headache, blood clots and difficulty breathing.
Database: An organized collection of related data.
Development: (in biology) the growth process of an organism from conception to adulthood, usually undergoing chemical, size, and sometimes shape changes. The other so that it can be used for housing, agriculture or resource development. (In engineering) The growth or change of something from an idea to a prototype.
Dissolve: Turn the solid into a liquid and disperse it into the starting liquid. (For example, sugar or salt crystals that are solid will dissolve in water. Now the crystals are gone, and the solution is a completely dispersed mixture of sugar or salt in liquid form in water.)
Economy: A term for the comprehensive wealth and resources (for example, people, jobs, land, forests, and minerals) of a country or region. It is usually measured in terms of work and income or production and use of goods (such as products) and services (such as care or Internet access).
Engineer: A person who uses science to solve problems. As a verb, engineering means designing a device, material, or process to solve certain problems or unmet needs. (v.) Perform these tasks, or the names of the persons performing these tasks.
Environment: The sum of all things that exist in an organism or process, and the conditions created by these things. The environment may refer to the weather and ecosystem in which some animals live, or it may be temperature and humidity (or even the location of things near objects of interest).
Erosion: (v. Erosion) The process of removing rocks and soil from one place on the earth's surface and depositing them elsewhere. Erosion can be very fast or very slow. The causes of erosion include wind, water (including rainfall and floods), the erosion of glaciers, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles that occur in many parts of the world.
Fabric: Any flexible material that is woven, knitted, or can be fused into thin sheets by heating.
Fiber: Something that resembles a thread or filament in shape. (Nutrition) The ingredients of many fibrous plant foods. These so-called indigestible fibers often come from cellulose, lignin and pectin-all plant components can resist the decomposition of human digestive enzymes.
field: Research field, for example: Her research field is biology. It is also a term that describes the real environment in which certain research is conducted, such as on the sea, in the forest, on the top of a mountain, or on a city street. It is the opposite of artificial environments, such as research laboratories.
Filter: (n.) Something that allows certain materials to pass but not others, based on their size or some other characteristics. (v.) The process of selecting something based on characteristics such as size, density, and charge.
Focus: (in behavior) looking at or focusing on a particular point or thing intently.
Fossil fuel: Any fuel, such as coal, petroleum (crude oil), or natural gas, formed from the rotting remains of bacteria, plants, or animals in the earth over millions of years.
Gel: A viscous substance that can flow like a viscous liquid.
Graduate student: A person who earns an advanced degree by attending classes and conducting research. This work is done after the student has graduated from university (usually a four-year degree).
Greenhouse gas: A gas that produces a greenhouse effect by absorbing heat. Carbon dioxide is an example of a greenhouse gas.
Habitat: The area or natural environment where animals or plants usually live, such as deserts, coral reefs, or freshwater lakes. Habitats can be home to thousands of different species.
Life cycle: A series of stages that occur as an organism grows, develops, reproduces-and then finally ages and dies. A series of stages that occur as an organism grows, develops, reproduces-and then finally ages and dies. Or the sum of all the processes involved in creating a product, from the extraction of raw materials to the end of processing when the product is no longer useful. In fact, engineers describe it as the life cycle of a product from cradle to grave.
Manufacturing: The manufacturing of things, usually on a large scale.
Materials scientist: A researcher who studies how the atomic and molecular structure of a material is related to its overall properties. Materials scientists can design new materials or analyze existing materials. Their analysis of the material's overall properties (such as density, strength, and melting point) can help engineers and other researchers choose the most suitable material for a new application.
Metal: Something that conducts electricity well, tends to be shiny (reflective) and ductile (meaning it can be reshaped by heating without too much force or pressure).
Microplastics: small pieces of plastic, 5 mm (0.2 inches) or smaller. Microplastics may be produced in such a small size, or their size may be the result of breaking water bottles, plastic bags, or other larger things in the beginning.
Microscope: An instrument used to observe objects, such as bacteria or individual cells of plants or animals, which are too small to be seen with the naked eye.
Molecule: A group of electrically neutral atoms, representing as few compounds as possible. Molecules can be composed of a single type of atoms or different types of atoms. For example, oxygen in the air is composed of two oxygen atoms (O2), while water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H2O).
Organic: (in chemistry) an adjective that indicates that something contains carbon; it is also a term related to the basic chemical substances that constitute living organisms. (In agriculture) Agricultural products grown without the use of unnatural and potentially toxic chemicals (such as pesticides).
Palladium: a soft, malleable, steel white, rust-resistant metallic element that naturally exists with platinum, especially in gold, nickel and copper ores.
Pandemic: An epidemic that affects a country or most of the world’s population.
Petroleum: A thick flammable liquid mixture of hydrocarbons. Petroleum is a fossil fuel that mainly exists below the surface of the earth. It is a source of chemicals used to make gasoline, lubricants, plastics, and many other products.
Pigment: A material, such as the natural pigment in the skin, that can change the light reflected or transmitted by an object. The overall color of a pigment usually depends on the wavelength of visible light it absorbs and the wavelength of visible light it reflects. For example, red pigments tend to reflect red wavelengths very well, and usually absorb other colors. Pigment is also the term for chemicals used by manufacturers to color paint.
Plastic: Any of a series of materials that are easily deformed; or synthetic materials made of polymers (long chains of some building block molecules). These materials are often lightweight, inexpensive, and resistant to degradation.
Hole: A small hole on the surface. On the skin, substances such as oil, water, and sweat pass through these openings.
Pulp: The inner part of the fibers of vegetables or fruits (such as oranges).
Range: The full range or distribution of something. For example, the range of a plant or animal is the area where it naturally exists.
Risk: The chance or mathematical possibility that something bad may happen. For example, exposure to radiation brings the risk of cancer. Or danger-or danger-itself. (For example: People's cancer risks include radiation and drinking water contaminated with arsenic.)
Hygiene: To protect human health by preventing humans from contacting our own body wastes, including washing hands, using toilets or toilets, separating waste from drinking water sources and water, and cleaning water to remove the risk of being ingested or otherwise entering the body The food and materials are disinfected as pathogenic factors.
Society: A whole group of people or animals that usually cooperate and support each other for the greater good of all.
Species: A group of similar organisms that can produce offspring that can survive and reproduce.
Sponge: Something that absorbs liquids or other materials and keeps them until they are squeezed out or otherwise removed. (In biology) Primitive aquatic animals with soft and porous bodies.
Surface area: The area of the surface of certain materials. Generally speaking, smaller materials and materials with rougher or more complex surfaces have a larger external surface area (per unit mass) than larger items or items with smoother exteriors. This becomes important when chemical, biological or physical processes occur on the surface.
Sustainability: (adjective: sustainable) Use resources in a way that will continue to be available in the future.
Synthetic: adjectives, descriptions are not produced naturally, but created by people. Many synthetic materials have been developed to replace natural materials, such as synthetic rubber, synthetic diamond, or synthetic hormones. Some may even have the same chemical composition and structure as the original.
Textile: Cloth or fabric that can be woven from non-woven fabrics (for example when the fibers are pressed and bonded together).
Toxic: Toxic or capable of harming or killing cells, tissues or whole organisms. The measure of risk brought by this poison is its toxicity.
Variety: (in agriculture) a term used by plant scientists to assign unique plant varieties (subspecies) with desirable characteristics. If plants are grown intentionally, they are called cultivars or cultivars.
Waste: Any valueless materials left over from biological or other systems, so they can be treated as garbage or recycled for some new purposes.
World Health Organization: An agency of the United Nations established in 1948 to promote health and control infectious diseases. It is located in Geneva, Switzerland. The United Nations relies on WHO to provide international leadership in global health affairs. The organization also helps to develop a research agenda for health issues and sets standards for pollutants and other things that may pose a health risk. WHO also regularly reviews data to formulate policies to maintain a healthy and healthy environment.
Journals: L. Lou, RJ Kendall and S. Ramkumar. Comparison of the photocatalytic effects of hydrophilic PVA/TiO2 and hydrophobic PVDF/TiO2 ultrafine fiber nets on dye contaminants. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. roll. October 8, 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.jece.2020.103914.
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Periodicals: S. Haslinger et al. Upgrade cotton-polyester blended textile waste into new man-made cellulose fibers. Waste management. roll. September 2019, page 97. 88. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2019.07.040.
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Book: P. Rivoli. T-shirts travel in the global economy. second edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley, November 2014.
Fact sheet: B. Reed and B. Reed. How much water is needed in an emergency. Loughborough University Water, Engineering and Development Center. World Health Organization technical note. year 2013.
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Kathiann Kowalski reports on various cutting-edge sciences. Prior to this, she was engaged in legal work in a large company. Kathi enjoys hiking, sewing and reading. She also likes to travel, especially family adventures and beach trips.
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