Are T-shirts draining our world? | Stories | Global | Ricoh (2024)

FAQs

Are T-shirts draining our world? | Stories | Global | Ricoh? ›

"It takes about 766 gallons of water to make one single cotton T-shirt. That's just for white tees," explains Hashimoto. Colored T-shirts mean more water wasted and more water contaminated. "Harmful heavy metals like lead, considered a probable human carcinogen, are directly discharged into the rivers of India.

One T-shirt is estimated to use up to 120 liters of water every time a person wears it and emits 0.01 kilogram of CO2 annually. Aside from T-shirt production and use, dyeing is another environmentally taxing process in the mass production of tee shirts. The procedure consumes large amounts of energy, water, and dyes.

The growth, manufacturing, transporting, and washing of cotton uses huge amounts of water. For example, it takes about 2,700 liters of water to make just one t-shirt , which is enough water for one person to drink for 900 days. And, let's not forget the wear and tear on the t-shirt once purchased.

The problems of cotton production: why is cotton bad for the environment? Conventionally-grown cotton is bad for the environment because of its high water consumption and pollution, soil degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, and use of harmful pesticides and fertilisers.

In 2015, the U.S. (X million units) was the leading t-shirt consuming market, distantly followed by China (X million units), the U.K. (X million units), and Canada (X million units). Together, these countries accounted for approximately X% of global consumption.

Generally, natural fabrics like organic cotton and linen (made from plants) and Tencel (made from sustainable wood pulp) are more sustainable than man-made fabrics like Polyester and Nylon (which are petroleum-based and take hundreds of years to biodegrade).

Bottom line

Organic cotton is an ethical and environmentally-friendly fabric, as long as you choose organic cotton and not regular cotton.

Agriculture. 70% of the world's freshwater is used for agriculture. In Europe, this sector requires 44% of freshwater resources.

The Water Footprint of Everyday Paper, Plastic and Cotton

The water footprint of one pound of cotton is 1,320 gallons. That equals over 650 gallons of water for one new cotton t-shirt.

The simple everyday cotton T-shirt has a much larger water impact than one might expect. It takes 713 gallons of water to grow the cotton needed to produce one cotton T-shirt.

Why is a T shirt can be considered as eco-friendly? ›

T-shirts, along with most other clothes in the fashion industry, are made from cotton. In fact, 40% of our clothing has cotton in it. Technically cotton is a renewable resource, which is what gives cotton the potential to be sustainable.

Screen printing is a durable printing method that supports the use of sustainable inks, and it results in very little waste. The longevity of each garment makes screen printed products more eco-friendly. (Think about all of the water and energy that is saved when you don't have to replace your clothing as often!)

Linen is a natural fiber which stems from the flax plant. It uses considerably fewer resources than cotton or polyester (such as water, energy, pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers).

The T-shirt started as an item of underwear - in the 19th Century the t-shirt was born when labourers in America cut their jumpsuits in half to cope with the summer heat. Although they were starting to be manufactured in1898, the T-shirt really made it in 1913 when it became standard issue in the US Navy's uniform.

Just take the world's most expensive t-shirt, a super luxurious tee that comes with an astonishing price of $400,000. Yes, that's four hundred thousand US dollars. So what makes this one so expensive, you might ask? Well, it's made from 100% organic cotton.

Among other colors, black and white are the most popular and wanted in the industry. You can always play safe in these two shades while still being the chicest version of yourself.

Buying organic cotton not only reduces the number of toxins you breathe and expose your skin to, but can lessen the amount of pesticide chemicals released into the water supply when washing your clothes. Other good fabric alternatives to look for are silk, flax, wool, and tencel (made from sustainable wood pulp).

ECO MATERIALS

Linen is one of the greenest fabrics around! It's made from the resilient flax plant, which can grow happily in poor-quality soil and requires far less water and fertilizers than plants such as cotton. The flax plant is used entirely to produce various types of products.

Denim is known as one of the more resource-heavy, environmentally damaging items we buy, and the reason is simple: Denim is made from cotton—lots of it—and most cotton is grown with harmful fertilizers and pesticides and requires huge amounts of water to produce.

What are the fabrics with the worst environmental impact? ›

SYNTHETIC FIBERS (POLYESTER, NYLON, RAYON, ACRYLIC)

Even though synthetic, or plastic-based materials do not require a large body of land to produce and they require less water in production, the consequences on the environment is appalling. Synthetic fibers are by-products of petroleum.

Traditional manufacturing processes often deplete the planet of natural resources, consume immense energy and water, and use chemicals that are harmful to the environment. But the damage doesn't stop there. After consumers use and discard products, they end up in landfills.

California is the largest consumer of water in the US.

The bulk of the world's water use is for agriculture, industry, and electricity.

Globally, 70 percent of freshwater withdrawals are used for agriculture.

Chocolate tops the list with 17,196 litres of water need to produce 1kg of the product. Beef, sheep and pork meat all require high volumes of water for production also. Tea, beer and wine use the least according to the list.

It takes about 9 bottles to make one T-shirt. All of our recycled polyester fibers are made from 100% post-consumer plastic bottles and they're GRS Certified (Global Recycling Standard).

About 1,800 gallons of water are needed to produce the cotton in a pair jeans, and 400 gallons to produce the cotton in a shirt. It takes 39,000 gallons of water to produce the average domestic auto, including tires.

1) Organic Cotton or Recycled Cotton Fabric

This fabric is made with post-industrial and post-consumer waste and uses far less water and energy to produce in comparison with conventional and organic cotton.

Plastic fibres are polluting the oceans, the wastewater, toxic dyes, and the exploitation of underpaid workers. Fast fashion is big business, and while the environmental costs are rising, experts say there is another way: a circular economy for textiles.

Why is H&M not eco-friendly? ›

The brand's low-cost, high-volume, trend-driven business model is not conducive to green business practices. H&M's business model involves creating clothes cheaply and in high volumes, as is typical for fast fashion companies. Frequent and large-scale production of clothing is not sustainable or eco-friendly.

For example, we know that textile production uses a lot of energy and resources. If you're using material that is not easily accessible (like rare animal hides) or has been shipped across the world from China or India (where much of our clothing is made), then no, making your own clothes may not be so sustainable.

The research reveals that consumers tend to base their buying decision on superior functional performance of the product, indicating that the choice is often influenced by the assumptions that the green products have inferior performance.

100% Polyester

This material always keeps its shape, so there's almost zero shrinking or stretching, regardless of what kind of extreme wash and dry cycle you put it through.

Cotton. Cotton is one of the coolest fabrics for summer and hot weather. Not only is it cheap and hugely available, but it is also great for the heat. Cotton is soft, lightweight, breathable, and soaks up sweat, allowing heat to escape the body and for you to stay cool.

Sublimated Prints and Screen Prints are considered to be the ones that would last longest. Screen printing has been around for a long time, so there are many different variations of it. Screen printing is the most popular form of t-shirt decoration, especially with slogans and cartoons.

Cotton is less absorbent and breathable than bamboo. Bamboo plants are environmentally friendly, and its manufacturing process produces a far smaller carbon footprint. Cotton plant, on the other hand, is not as environmentally friendly as bamboo as it needs lots of water and pesticides in growing the plant.

Bamboo is much stronger and more durable than cotton. It withholds its shape better and outlasts cotton when it comes to wear and tear. Bamboo has very basic care instructions, and even requires less washing than cotton. Its antimicrobial properties make it resistant to odor causing bacteria.

Whether you are talking about a shirt or pants, or bed sheets or towels, bamboo will outlast cotton in keeping shape, strength, and durability three times over when cared for properly. The care methods are simple and efficient and don't require any special methodology.

A T-Shirt made from 100% cotton will decompose within a few months, and pure linen can biodegrade in as little as two weeks, while some natural fibers may take a bit longer. Depending on the blend, for example, wool may take between 1 and 5 years to decompose.

Is T shirt biodegradable? ›

Clothing can take decades or centuries to biodegrade — polyester alone does not biodegrade - it takes between 20 to 200 years just to decompose.

Cotton. Although it is a natural fiber, conventional cotton is far from environmentally friendly. Cotton is mainly produced in dry and warm regions, but it needs a lot of water to grow. In some places, like India, inefficient water use means that up to 20,000 liters of water are needed to produce 1kg of cotton.

Once textiles are discarded, 66% of them are sent to landfills in the U.S. where they decompose — some quickly and others over hundreds of years.

Each wash and dry cycle, especially the latter, sheds microfilaments that move through our sewage systems and end up in waterways. It is estimated that half a million tons of these contaminants reach the ocean each year. That's the equivalent to the plastic pollution of more than 50 billion bottles.

“T-shirts typically have a shelf life of six months to a year,” says Men's Health magazine executive fashion director Brian Boyé. “You'll want to replace them as soon as you start to notice discoloration.”

Cotton is a highly recyclable material. Thus, if you have got a considerably large amount of old cotton t-shirts in your wardrobe, you can get rid of them by getting them to your local or state recycling station. This is where the recycling process begins.

According to the World Resources Institute, it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt. Textiles can take up to 200+ years to decompose in landfills (see other decomposition times here)

COTTON. Cotton is one of the easiest fabrics to decompose, especially if it's 100% cotton. In the right compost, the material should be gone in a week to five months.

To put it simply, organic cotton is a more sustainable solution. It is grown without pesticides from seeds that have not been genetically modified. Organic farming practices avoid using harmful chemicals while aiming for environmental sustainability and the use of fewer resources.

So, our answer to the polyester vs cotton debate is that neither of them is that sustainable. So, whenever possible, consider opting for their recycled and organic counterparts instead.

Is organic cotton greenwashing? ›

Organic doesn't mean sustainable, ethical, and fair

Many fashion brands and retailers are greenwashing. They make misleading claims about the environmental benefits of their products, especially when it comes to organic cotton.