Issues Within The Textile Industry
The textile industry that we know and love is plagued with issues, and whilst hard to accept (and voluntarily educate ourselves on) it is important that we understand our impact, and how we may be contributing to these issues. Below we have given a very brief summary/statement for each issue we chose to cover, and gathered some of our favorite (short read) articles and studies on the topic and linked them. They are written by people much smarter than us, put in much more eloquent ways than we ever could, so we encourage you to read any and all that stand out to you.
Waste:
Twenty four BILLION pairs of shoes are manufactured every year. That’s sixty six million every single day! 66,000,000!!! Even worse, we throw away twenty two billion pairs of shoes every year. So some might say “well the supply is simply meeting the demand”, and we can’t really argue that, as unbelievable as the concept may seem that we as a collective throw away twenty two billion pairs of shoes each year. So the only solution? We stop throwing away shoes that can be sold or given away, and start more aggressively encouraging a circular economy for buying and selling used apparel (insert shameless plug), lowering demand for new clothing and thus discouraging the excess manufacturing. Now if this number is JUST for shoes, imagine the waste if we tally up the numbers for hats, shirts, jackets, pants, socks, underwear, etc, etc, etc….
Water Consumption/Pollution:
Likely the most existential of issues within the textile industry when pertaining to human life is that of water consumption. “If the wars of this century were fought over oil, the wars of the next century will be fought over water” – Former World Bank vice president Dr Ismail Serageldin.
Microplastics:
Microplastics are an issue we believe is not highlighted enough in the conversation about the detrimental impacts of the textile industry. Studies show the threat to all forms of life that microplastics present is undeniable and extremely worrying.
Forever Chemicals
Another issue that is way too under reported on is forever chemicals (PFAS) in our clothing. PFAS have been found in a wide variety of garments such as rain jackets, hiking pants, shirts, yoga pants, sports bras, and underwear, made by popular brands like Lululemon and Athleta. A 2022 report found that nearly three-quarters of products labeled as water- or stain-resistant tested positive for them. Studies show PFAS are linked to cancers, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, liver damage, asthma, allergies, and reduced vaccine response in children. PFAS have also been linked with decreased fertility, newborn deaths, low birthweight, birth defects, and delayed development. PFAS can leech from our clothing when wet (from rain for example), contaminating our water and anything they come into contact with. However most of these chemicals are shed the first few times they come into contact with water, and thus a used garment with PFAS is much less harmful than a brand new one.
Sweatshops:
Although quite heavily publicized in the media today, sweatshops continue to be common place in the textile industry, and are still being utilized by internationally recognized brands.
Carbon Footprint:
The carbon footprint of the textile industry is so immense it is estimated to account for between 6-10% of global carbon emissions, more than international flights and maritime shipping combined.
Essentially all of these issues come from the manufacturing and purchase of new items.
Purchasing secondhand items delays the time in which garments end up as waste (lowering demand for new items which equals less production). Secondhand items have already been manufactured, thus no additional water is wasted on purchase. As well, seeing as carbon emmissions are most significant in the yarn and fabric production phase of apparel, purchasing secondhand has a much smaller carbon footprint than purchasing new, even if the item is shipped to you. When buying secondhand you aren’t directly purchasing from (and thus supporting) brands that may be using sweatshops. Finally, secondhand items will shed less microplastics and forever chemicals, as the more times an item is washed the less likely it is to continue to shed these materials.
All of this is why Scuphed exists. This is our shameless plug. Buy and sell secondhand items. Help the enviroment. Change the industry.