Textile production is not just a fashion process, but one of the biggest polluters on the planet. Here’s why:
🔹 High water consumption
To produce just one cotton T-shirt, around 2,700 liters of water are needed, which is enough to meet one person’s drinking water needs for at least 2.5 years! The amount of water required varies of course depending on the region.
🔹 Water and soil pollution
The dyeing and processing processes of textiles involve various chemicals containing heavy metals, creating wastewater, which in many countries is not treated. These chemicals end up in rivers and soil through water, directly threatening the aquatic world, the safety of agricultural products and human health.
🔹 Greenhouse gas emissions
The textile industry contributes 2 – 8% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions! The trend of production and consumption of textiles and clothing continues to grow, causing even greater growth in emissions, which directly affects climate change.
🔹 Synthetic materials and microplastics
Materials such as polyester and nylon are made from petroleum derivatives, which, during the processing process, create greenhouse gases. These materials release microplastics when washed, which end up in the seas and oceans, affecting marine life and entering the food we eat.
🔹Waste and soil degradation
Once we throw away our clothes, they become waste and further pollute and degrade the environment. Left in landfills, through precipitation, synthetic microfibers and toxic chemicals used in production re-pollute groundwater and soil.
Less than half of used clothing is collected for reuse or recycling, of which only 1% is recycled into new clothing, as technologies that would enable clothing recycling are only just beginning to be developed.
The action “Fashion with Higher Awareness” is implemented by the Institute for Good Governance and Policies in the Environment and Climate Change – IPECC Skopje, in cooperation with the NGO Infocenter, within the framework of the project “United for Active Citizenship”, supported by the European Union.
