The fashion industry: Weaving pollution?

Central Image Source: alahausse.ca

Rags of cloth on the banks of Asia's great rivers? As strange as it sounds, this is the daily life of many residents of the lakeside regions of countries with a large textile industry. Large volumes of waste, coming from the textile industry, fill the water table of many regions of the planet, being one of the most common sources of pollution worldwide. However, in recent years we have seen efforts by many designers that aim to reverse the current situation.

Pollution and modern textile design

Bangladesh, India, China: these are some of the countries we all see on the labels of our clothes when we look for the infamous "Made in...". Ironically, these are also some of the most polluted countries in the world, partly due to the developed textile industry. The pollution of the rivers surrounding these industrial facilities is worrying since their main means of operation is water – after all, it takes 2,700 litres of water to produce a single cotton T-shirt.

Synthetic chemical dyes and the processing of fabrics, particularly those intended for fast fashion companies, are the primary factors that contribute to the ever-increasing contamination of water and consequently the drinking water of the surrounding inhabited areas. An example of the danger is the villages of Satna province in India which are illegally located near one of the largest textile factories in the world. This particular example highlights the direct impact of a polluted water table on the health of the residents of an area due to the polluted water containing dangerous substances, from the processing of viscose, that are channelled into the water supply system. Of course, the air quality is likewise afflicted due to gas emissions containing large quantities of carbon disulfide (CS2), further burdening the health of residents and workers. 

River polluted with waste from a viscose processing factory in Indonesia. | Image source: d32tmyucriz6wg.cloudfront.net

Obviously, some of the most well-known fast fashion companies are hosted in those factories but also some major fashion houses too. However, stressing that we do not overlook the responsibility of the major fashion houses, the ever-increasing consumer behaviour of the public can only lead to the ever-greater production and expansion of the processing and dyeing factories of "fast consumption" clothing. In numbers, only in 2012, the global textile and fashion industry was valued at $480 billion, a figure that has increased significantly over the years, although the pandemic may have slightly dampened this rapid growth.

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However, despite the apparent decline, the spread of social media and the tactic of major fast fashion companies to launch more season collections - and therefore different trends - over time, have managed to lead the public to a consumer frenzy, with the purchase of many and poor quality clothes that stay in fashion only for a few months. This phenomenon, triggered by the desire to be “in”, leads to the overconsumption of clothes that eventually end up in landfills, becoming useless. Moreover, by incinerating those textiles, dangerous substances are once again released into the atmosphere, continuing the endless cycle of pollution. 

The road to breaking the cycle of pollution

Opposed to the negative consumer attitudes observed in recent years, the choice of secondhand clothes, accessories, etc. has become a habit of a large portion of young people and seems to be increasing as a practice. The reuse and utilization of old clothes can lead to the reduction of the production of new ones and the limitation of the waste of the fashion industry, while at the same time, the amount of fabrics that end up in landfills and incineration is also minimized.

Image source: refinery29.com

Many young designers follow this mindset. For example, Christien Meindertsma with her Fibre Market project -which aims to recognize and classify the materials used for textiles- is one of the various initiatives in contemporary design. Equally encouraging are the efforts of United Colors of Waste (an initiative of Brightfiber and Loop.a life), aiming to promote the circular use of fabric in fashion and its better classification and reuse, as well as the correct processing of raw materials, from the early production stage of the thread. In this way, the old and potentially harmful fabrics and dyes do not burden the environment.

Fibre market (Christien Meindertsma) | Image source: freight.cargo.site

Equally interesting is the work of Jorge Penadés, who processes the waste of the fashion industry in order to create new, completely different objects. By transforming fabrics into clay, Penadés manages to create furniture from former leather fabrics, etc., transforming recycling into a manufacturing method, while the produced material is called – justifiably so if we consider its course – Structural Skin.

Image source: oficinapenades.com

Finally, Maxine Bédat's thought-provoking book, Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment, guides the reader through the journey of the raw material for the manufacture of denim fabric until its burning and examines the influence - good or bad - of fast fashion on the daily lives of millions of people, mainly in developing countries.

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The efforts and awareness to reverse the current situation are significant both from consumers and designers. The future may become quite auspicious as long as awareness spreads and individual states, as well as companies, put in place stricter measures against the pollution caused by the notorious textile industry. 

Sources / Further reading

D. M. Price (2017). Worse for Wear: Indonesia’s Textile Boom. undark.org.

Fast fashion - The shady world of cheap clothing | DW Documentary. youtube.com.

Various Pollutants Released into Environment by Textile Industry. fibre2fashion.com.

S. Jahan (2022). Dead rivers: The cost of Bangladesh's garment-driven economic boom. japantimes.co.jp.

United colours of waste – Brightfibers inside. ddw.nl.

*Για το Fibre Market της Christien Meindertsman, christienmeindertsma.com.

*Για Jorge Penadés, oficinapenades.com.

*Για τη Maxine Bédat και τη μη-κερδοσκοπική οργάνωση New Standard Institute, newstandardinstitute.org.