Meet Textiles - Tex for short - and his pal Woolly.
Tex is made of loads of types of fabric; like cotton, polyester and, yes, wool.
We use these materials to keep ourselves warm, to protect us in emergencies and to express ourselves.
Very stylish, Woolly!
Before the 1900s, the only clothes we produced were natural, made out of plants and animals.
And now we also make synthetic textiles out of fossil fuels like oil.
Not like that, Woolly!
Oil is used to make fabrics like polyester, acrylic and spandex which are all types of plastic.
And like all plastics, they take hundreds of years to decompose.
But it’s not just synthetic textiles that damage the environment.
Natural ones can too.
Making a simple pair of jeans can use up to 10,000 litres of water!
This starts in the fields of warm countries, where lots of water is needed to help cotton plants grow.
After the cotton is picked and processed, it’s dyed.
Dyeing cotton also uses a lot of water, and the waste run-off can pollute local rivers.
And even after they’ve been made, jeans are still thirsty because you’ve got to wash them when they’re dirty!
It doesn’t stop there either. Ever heard of “fast fashion”?
Impressive, Woolly! But no, not that kind of fast fashion.
Lots of clothes made with synthetic fibres are produced quickly, and sold at ultra-low prices, only to be worn a few times, and thrown away.
The fashion industry actually produces 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions, which speeds up global heating.
So, what can we do about it?
Well, we can reduce waste by not buying as many clothes.
By repairing our favourite clothes.
By swapping unwanted stuff with friends or donating to a second-hand shop.
Or by turning our old clothes into something completely new. Like a bag.
The thing is, there will always be some amount of waste and pollution when Tex is around.
But as long as he keeps us warm, dry and cool, we’ll keep searching for ways to lessen his impact on the environment.
