ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN TEXTILES: WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
The textile and apparel supply chain is long and complex, and its negative impact on the environment is inevitable … or is it? The textile industry is, reputedly, one of the most polluting industries. But does it have to be that way?
The value chain
We’re talking about every stage, from the harvesting or production of raw materials to the retail distribution and use by the consumer, right through to the product’s end of life – and beyond.
Production and consumption
We’re talking about the creation, manufacturing, and marketing of goods and services – such as fashion. And how it’s transported, used, laundered, and disposed of after use.
Business as usual
It is difficult to quantify the damage we are doing to the environment, but we know that we are currently producing, using, and disposing of goods at a rate which cannot be sustained, and which is rapidly depleting our planet of its natural resources. There is growing demand for all our finite resources – exacerbated by climate change, urbanisation, increased wealth and other factors – which leads to a prediction from the United Nations that if the global population reaches 9.6 bn by 2050, the equivalent of almost three planets could be required to provide the natural resources needed to sustain current lifestyles.
Or time for a change?
So, there’s the problem. Over the coming weeks, we’ll look at a number of solutions, including: new socio-economic systems, which consider the interlinkages between population, consumption, and the environment, a “rewiring” of the economy and changes to “business as usual”, and we will explore the benefits of applying the principles of a circular economy.
Until next time!
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