Introduction
The production, manufacturing, transportation and use of textile for fashion and interior furnishing applications use dyes, solvents, paper patterns and machinery. The main impacts arise from material selection and use, manufacturing processes, the dyes used to print fabrics and the ethical issues around human labor used to create garments. Some parts of fashion industry have focused on the use of organic material fibers incorporating recycled fabrics or deconstructed garments into products. These can be used strategies to reduce environmental impacts although a life cycle perspective can reveal other issues that also need to be addressed. However, the best strategy could be recycling and re-using in order to reduce environmental damage.
It is well known that every consumer product has an impact on the environment. However, an average customer does not know which product has less or more impact than the other. Any product which is made, used or disposed of is a way that significantly reduces the harm it could otherwise cause to the environment, it could be considered as eco-friendly product. The world of fashion may be stylish, glamorous and exciting, but its impact on environment is worsening day by day. From the environmental point of view, the clothes we wear and the textiles they are made from can cause a great harm. Different fabrics have different impacts. Nylon and polyester are non-biodegradable, so they are inherently unsustainable on two counts. Both processes of making polyester and nylon are also energy-hungry. Natural fibers have their problems to. Cotton is the most pesticide intensive crop in the world. These chemicals typically remain in the fabric after finishing and are released during the lifetime of the gametes. The development of genetically modified cotton adds environmental risks at another level (Impact of Textiles and Clothing Industry on Environment, 2014).
When selecting materials, always consider how the produce will be used and match durability with the gamete type. While there are serious environmental impacts associated with many fabrics, there are some whose impact is much less. For instance organic cotton, this is likely to be free from chlorine bleaches and synthetic dyes. Bamboos are the latest plant material to hit the eco-friendly fabrics market. Linens on the other hand need few chemical fertilizers and fewer pesticides than cotton. Recycled polyester is a look out or full-on, hi-tech fleece jackets from drinking bottles. Organic wool is also environmental friendly. While trying to reduce environmental damage, textile producers, manufacturers, distributors and clothing designers can shift their focus from the environmental damage fabrics to those that have less impact on the environment (Impact of Textiles and Clothing Industry on Environment, 2014).
The manufacturing of garments or soft furnishings from prepared fabrics can result in off cuts. Through good pattern design and cutting techniques, the waste can e diminished. This of course is a win-win efficiency measure since it also reduces fabric costs. The reuse or recycling of off cuts, resale or donation to other useful production systems or applications, may be less immediately profitable but can significantly reduce the overall environmental impact.
Today the waste culture being the norm, clothing gets recycled in three ways. According to Claudio, clothing may be resold by the primary consumer to other consumers at a lower price. It may be exported in bulk for sale on developing countries or it may be chemically or mechanically recycled into raw materials for the manufacturer of other apparel and non-apparel products. The internet has created a market for the resale of both new and used clothing though auction websites such as E-bay (The Price of Fashion, 2014).
There is always a way of finding solution to reduce, reuse and recycle used clothing with another item of clothing. This will reduce amount of clothing that will end up in landfills. There is absolutely nothing better than taking something you like and giving it to someone else, instead of throwing it away. This idea could work in reducing the amount of discarded clothing if enough people participate.
Used clothing in U.S is sold in more than one hundred countries around the world, putting a strain on selling high-end clothing. Therefore as prices and quality of new clothing continue to decline, so too will the demand for used clothing diminish. This is because the world of fast fashion, new clothing could be brought almost as inexpensively as used clothing. Because fast-fashion is energy intensive, new markets are being created such as eco-fashions. The whole idea behind developing environmentally friendly clothing is to increase sustainability and extend life-cycle of the garment. An example of sustainable fibers could be crops that are grown with fewer pesticides and require less irrigation. The other factor is that organic t-shirt would require less washing and drying at higher temperatures, passing the savings on to the consumers. Manufacturers are also finding other ways to clean up the environment by melting plastic bottles made from polythene. This reconfigures the structure of the plastic into a fiber that can be woven into material to make clothing (The Price of Fashion, 2014).