We consume our clothes: how clothes are like food
We consume our clothes:how clothes are like food
DAILY activities have a cumulative effect
Sleep Eat Dress
Daily choices about consumption are made under constant social pressure.
CONSTANT. PRESSURE.
Gentlemen, you’re hardly exempt.
Considering food, we learned to IGNORE EXTERNAL SOCIAL PRESSURE, and DEMAND DETAILS ABOUT THE VALUE CHAIN: Harvested responsibly?How? Humanely?Grown where? Locally?
Questions about FOOD = Questions about TEXTILES
Where?
How? Harvest conditions?
Raw materials and labor come from the SAME SOURCES
organic cotton growers in India
Processing Practices?
Production conditions?
Business Practices?
Questions about FOOD = Questions about TEXTILES
The EPA estimates just ONE cotton t-shirt requires 700 gallons of water during manufacture.
Repurpose?
Recycle?
Waste?
Questions about FOOD = Questions about TEXTILES
EPA estimates 13.1 million tons of textiles are trashed yearly; only 2 million tons are recovered for reuse or recycling.
Fibers derived fromnaturally occurring and sustainable
earthly cycles with which we can partner.
Petro-chemically derived atomsartificially formed into polymer plastic fibers. No natural cycle with which to partner.
Growth cycle questions DO NOT APPLY TO SYNTHETICSNATURAL FIBERSSYNTHETICS
O – oxygenN – nitrogen
H – hydrogenC – carbon
from:OIL
COALGAS
Polyester
NylonAcrylicHemp
WoolSilk NATURAL FIBERS SYNTHETICSPET plastic
Cotton
Synthetics
inexpensive
stay lightweight in the wet
easy care
Compelling for several reasons:
BUT -- Synthetics
arrive & persist
toxic & bio-accumulative
consumed by
animals + people
shed MICROBEADS in the laundry
UNESCO estimates there are 245 metric tons of plastic particles shed from fleece fabric per year globally
Fibers derived fromnaturally occurring and sustainable
earthly cycles with which we can partner.
Petro-chemically derived atomsartificially formed into polymer plastic fibers. No natural cycle with which to partner.
REMEMBER: Growth cycle questions DO NOT APPLY TO SYNTHETICSNATURAL FIBERSSYNTHETICS
O – oxygenN – nitrogen
H – hydrogenC – carbon
from:OIL
COALGAS
As with food, we can IGNORE EXTERNAL SOCIAL PRESSURE and DEMAND DETAILS ABOUT THE VALUE CHAIN of textile products.
Some comparatively responsible clothing brands:
+But the more fundamental questions/challenges are around buying LESS.
+Purchasing more responsibly produced items made of natural materials are steps towardsmainstreaming sustainable textiles and garments.+Instead of asking ourselves what to do with so much waste, let’s ask how to create less waste.