Searching for Sustainability

Do you know someone who only purchases cotton apparel? Whenever I go shopping with one of my friends, she refuses to purchase anything that is not at least 95% cotton. We all have preferences to what we like in our apparel, but do we really think about where that product comes from? Though there are many in the textile production business trying to make textiles more sustainable, it does not make up for the fact that the actual growing of the textile is unsustainable. To make one kilogram of cotton lint, 10,000 to 17,000 liters of water are used.

After reading “The Sustainability of Cotton,” I have come to the conclusion that there is a lot of room for improvement in the cotton industry. There are many reasons why the cultivation of cotton is not sustainable including water use, pesticide use, human health and soil erosion. The factor that stood out to me the most is water use because we are constantly hearing about the state of fresh water. When producing a cotton crop, a process called irrigation is used to make sure the crop has enough water to grow and fully develop.  This process does not always involve getting water directly to the plant. According to the article, 60% of all water used in the irrigation process never reaches the plant. This is an extreme waste of water. The article also states that cotton cultivation counts for 1 to 6 percent of the world’s total freshwater withdrawal. Another issue is the use of pesticides because they not only harm the environment; they also harm the workers and surrounding community. The Sustainability article states that 40,000 lives are lost each year due to pesticide application. The workers that apply the pesticides should always wear masks, but they do not always do so. Pesticides can also lead to water pollution and deaths of birds and other species.

Cotton Incorporated is currently working on ways to make cotton cultivation more sustainable. Many people associate organic farming with sustainability, but organic farming does not address the water use issue. While it does not address water, it does address the use of pesticides by not using them. According to the “Cotton and Water: White, Blue and Green” video, there are new irrigation techniques that reduce the amount of water used in the cultivation process. One technique is the application of water directly to the soil. Farmers are also beginning to monitor the moisture of their crops through the use of technologies such as Smart Crop. This allows the farmer to turn off their irrigation system so that water can be saved. The “Protecting and Preserving Soil with Today’s Cotton Growing Technique” video mentions that farmers are using a method called conservation tillage. This method reduces soil erosion and allows the soil to soak rainfall better. Conservation tillage involves not plowing the field after cultivation; the new crop is planted directly in the residue of the old crop. While cotton cultivation is currently unsustainable, it can become sustainable if farmers begin to use the processes mentioned in the Cotton Inc. videos.

Sustainably Alternative

Have you noticed the recent increase in the amount of organic cotton garments sold in retail stores?

New innovative techniques and processes are being created and implemented in the textile industry to help with the rapidly declining state of the planet. While it is important that sustainable fibers and textiles are produced, that is not the only option. In order to make a real difference, the production process and life cycle of the garment must be sustainable.

Some of the alternatives to designing textile products with sustainability in mind include new dyeing techniques, organic cotton and wool, Poly(lactic acid), and fiber traceability through the supply chain. According to Charlene Ducas from Textile Exchange, there is a new dyeing method that involves using fluid state CO₂. This method was developed by DyeCoo Textile Systems as a way to reduce the amount of water used and polluted during textile production. A more developed and popular alternative is the use of Organic fibers such as organic cotton and wool. According to the Materials Diversity chapter of Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys, organic cotton is produced using methods that reduce the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and growth regulators. Organic textiles are also great because they usually involve Fair Trade practices such as giving premiums to farmers for their products. My favorite alternative is the use of Poly(lactic acid) in textile production.  According to the Materials Diversity article, PLA is a thermoplastic polyester made from 100% renewable resources, such as corn. It is my favorite alternative because the product is biodegradable unlike many synthetic materials. Finally, Charlene Ducas mentions the importance of fiber traceability in the supply chain because it allows retailers and consumers to understand how their garments or textiles were produced.

When designing textile products, it is important that a retailer or manufacturer understands the impact their product has on the environment. In order to be more sustainable, they should consider focusing on factors such as water use, chemical use and durability. If a manufacturer were to focus on just these three things, they could greatly reduce the impact they have. Durability is especially important because it means the customer will get more use out of the product and there will be less waste. Reduced chemical use means that the amount of pollution will decrease and workers will not be working with such hazardous materials. Also, according to the Materials Diversity article, 50% of the total cost of cotton production comes from pesticides. Informing manufacturers about this will encourage them to not use pesticides, or reduce the amount used, because they will be able to save money.

As a consumer, I know that I would take great pride in purchasing a garment that was made using sustainable practices. The increase in retailers offering organic cotton merchandise shows that consumers are interested in buying sustainable fashions. Though, because some of these alternatives are new, some consumers might be discouraged. For example, the use of CO₂ to create PLA might freak some consumers out while more adventurous consumers will enjoy the innovative production process and be willing to try it out.

Deep Impact and Resolutions

                For many years, I have been trying to get my family to use more sustainable practices in the house. My proudest moment was when I finally got my parents to use the recycling bin that the neighborhood provided for us. My next goal is to have my parents reduce the amount of laundry they do. It always seems like someone in my family is always doing laundry anytime I go home for a visit.

                In order to improve the current environmental situation, it is important that the fashion industry works hard to become more sustainable. Many people do not realize the impact the industry has on the planet. According to the Fashioning Sustainability article released by the Forum for the Future, about 318 gallons of water are used to grow enough cotton for one pair of jeans. The Eco Millennium Assessment notes that 5 to 25% of freshwater use exceeds long term accessible supplies.  This means that if the apparel industry continues to use excessive amounts of freshwater, the global supply of water is going to be severely depleted. This is especially an issue due to the large scale drought that many countries have experienced the past couple years.

                The Fashioning Sustainability article provides many different ways the industry can reduce its impact on the environment. Those solutions include decreasing the amount of water used in production, recycling materials and products, improving garment care, and transparency in corporations. Transparency in corporations is significant because it allows retailers to understand how their merchandise is produced and what exactly they are purchasing. By understanding how the merchandise is produced, retailers can avoid companies that do not use sustainable practices. If the non-sustainable companies lose enough business, it is possible they will convert to sustainable ways or completely remove themselves from the industry. Garment care is important because a lot of energy, water and chemicals go into the cycle of washing and drying your clothes. The Fashioning Sustainability article mentions that washing your clothes at a cooler temperature and air drying your clothes will reduce the climate change impact of apparel by 50%.

                While those solutions will help reduce the impact, the FFF article does not mention one important factor that really makes a difference. In order to implement any real change, policies need to be enacted that will establish what exactly producers need to do. No matter how much education people receive on the issue, they are not always going to act on it. The Eco Millennium Assessment mentions the importance of policies and regulations.  The regulations will encourage farmers, producers, retailers and consumers to use more sustainable practices. For example, a regulation might call for reduced use of pesticides in cotton production.  

                Another way to look at the impact of the industry is the method introduced in the article “Pricing Environmental Impacts: A Tale of Two Shirts.” The research of Walsh and Brown enabled them to create a costing method that allows individuals to understand the environmental impacts of a single garment. The method involves assigning dollar amounts to each stage of a garment’s life depending on the process that occurs during that stage. For example, the cost of growing the cotton for the garment might be .47 cents due to the chemicals and amount of water used. I believe this will be a great way to help reduce impacts because it will cause the producer or retailer to take a closer look at every single little impact the garment has on the environment. They cannot just ignore what they are doing.

History Will Only Keep Repeating Itself

According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, more land was converted to cropland in the 30 years after 1950 than in the 150 years between 1700 and 1850. As the world’s population continues to increase, the number of land converted to crops is going to rapidly increase to meet the needs of the growing population. In order to support these extensive crops, humans will have to increase their use of various natural resources including water and soil. If this is not monitored closely, the world is at a risk of exhausting many of its important natural resources. 

Easter Island is a great example of what can happen when a population overuses and exhausts what the land has provided. The island once had a population of 7,000 and was home to one of the most advanced Polynesian societies of its time. The demise of the society lies on the lack of abundant natural resources and misuse of what they had. To accommodate their growing population, the people converted the abundant forests on the Island to create land for agriculture and to obtain materials for other needs. The deforestation led to a world of problems including lack of shelter, soil erosion, and reduced sources of food. If the people of Easter Island had taken time to recognize what they were doing to their land and had tried to fix it, it is possible that the society would be still around. 

Today, we should use the demise of their society as an example of what can happen if we do not put effort into correcting our ways. In Maeve Reston’s article “Rick Perry Calls Global Warming an Unproven, Costly Theory,” it is mentioned that Rick Perry, current Texas Governor and Republican Presidential Candidate, believes governmental programs used to limit climate change are costly and the money spent on them should be used elsewhere. This frame of mind is only going to further the problem of climate change and can put us into the same situation as Easter Island. 

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment mentions different scenarios that could help reverse the degradation of the Planet. Most of the scenarios mention that it is important to implement governmental policies that will help regulate the use of resources and restrict the harmful activities that put a strain on the planet.  We should take the advice of the assessment and implement those policies. Also, we should work together to create alternatives to those resources that are becoming depleted so that we are not so dependent on them. Easter Island failed because they became dependent on the limited resources they had and did not think of ways they could extend the life of those resources. If we do not work fast, we might just end up in the same situation as Easter Island.