The Fashion Industry's Environmental Damage Is Growing

According to data from the United Nations Environment Programme, the fashion sector—which cuts 159 million trees annually and uses 93 billion cubic meters of water—causes damage to natural resources due to shortened garment lifespans and overconsumption. In the third and final section of the "sustainable living" file focusing on issues that will reduce carbon footprint, an important factor in preventing climate crisis, the resource usage and carbon emissions of the fashion and textile sector were examined. In a report titled "Sustainable Fashion Communication 2021-2024 Strategies" published by the United Nations Environment Programme UNEP in 2022, it was noted that the fashion sector is one of the areas most affecting climate change and ecological crisis, uses natural resources intensively, is dependent on fossil fuels, causes pollution due to supply chains, and produces high amounts of waste. The report, which conveyed that carbon emissions from the fashion industry have increased as a result of the sector promoting overproduction and consumption, and that they constitute 2 to 6 percent of global emissions, emphasized that the sector's production methods lead to serious biodiversity loss. The report highlighted that 159 million trees are cut annually to produce resources for the fashion sector, while the 93 billion cubic meters of water spent annually on production corresponds to 4 percent of global water usage. The report, which stated that waters are heavily polluted especially in countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, China and Cambodia as a result of dyeing and processing clothes, noted that 35 percent of microplastics in global water resources are created as a result of washing synthetic fibers. The report included information that pollution stemming from the fashion and textile sector has increased over the last 15 years, while the report identified increased waste resulting from more production as the most important cause of increased pollution. The report included the statement: "On average, one truck of clothing is thrown away or burned every second on Earth."  

"We buy a garment to wear it at most 7-8 times"

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şölen Kipöz, Faculty Member of the Textile and Fashion Design Department at Izmir University of Economics Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, provided explanations on fashion's resource usage processes and the concept of sustainable fashion. Kipöz noted that as of 2019, the industry produces over 100 billion garments annually, and if this continues, this figure will reach 160 billion by 2030, stating that these production figures are closely related to overconsumption. Kipöz explained: "Over the last 15 years, the usage period of garments appears to have decreased by 36 percent. According to reports, we buy a garment to wear it at most 7-8 times, whereas we should be wearing it 40-50 times until it wears out." Underlining that fabric waste in the sector is as significant as garment waste, Kipöz stated that fashion renews very rapidly and a color that is fashionable one year may not be used in fabrics the following year, and that not just garments but all textile waste causes serious environmental problems, particularly increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Explaining that the multinational structure of the fashion and textile industry means that logistics processes also lead to serious carbon emissions, Kipöz continued as follows:

"All brands, almost all of them, conduct their designs in regions we call the global north, while they carry out production in the global south. The global north uses the south both as workshops and sends its waste there. There are massive textile landfills in various parts of the world. Approximately 60 containers of clothes are sent to Accra in Africa every week. Residents of Accra encounter the influx of 15 million used garments annually. 40 percent of these are of very poor, non-recyclable quality. The people there call these clothes 'the homeless clothes of dead white men.' Emphasizing that the sector conducts serious resource usage and that a very large portion of these resources are non-renewable energy sources, Kipöz also mentioned that another effect of textile production on producers and the environment is industrial water pollution resulting from textile waste. Kipöz provided the information: "Oil-based materials also play a significant role in the pollution of seas and natural water sources. It is known that nearly half a million tons of plastic microfibers are released into these waters in some textile washing processes. According to estimates, 22 million tons of microfibers that will mix into the seas are projected by 2050."

"Products should undergo drier processes"

Saying that production methods and material usage need to be reorganized, Kipöz concluded his remarks as follows: "Sustainable textile products should be produced by passing them through dry processes, which means reducing washing processes. While the world experiences drought in many places, spending this much water creates climate injustice. We are depriving these people of their rights. We need to identify certain solutions through production methods where environmental impacts can be measured, water consumption, water purity, soil and fertilizer usage are monitored, biodiversity is protected, and dry processes are adopted." Source