Environmental Disaster: The Dark Side Of Fashion Industry

Fashion fabric is the most abominable pollutant, which has seriously damaged the environment around the world and has a devastating impact on human health and wildlife. In the famous shops on the commercial street, many clothing fabrics are harmful to species - not to mention the direct impact of fur trade. You may not expect that the following five common fashion fabrics will damage wildlife and ecosystems.

　 Cashmere sweater demand destroys Mongolian prairie

Mongolia's grasslands are under serious threat. At the same time, herdsmen and wild animals on the grasslands are also in danger, including snow leopards, sand foxes and marmots. Climate change has led to soil erosion, drying up of rivers and lakes, and the prairie has begun to degenerate. Since the 1990s, the total number of herds has tripled. Today, overgrazing has seriously degraded the grassland. Research shows that 70% of the grassland is degraded, 80% of which is caused by overgrazing. The main reason behind this is the demand for cashmere wool sweaters in the global market. Cashmere is soft and soft. It is the raw material for cashmere sweater production. The demand for cashmere has caused more damage than sheep and other livestock. Mongolia is the second largest cashmere producer in the world.

　　 Washing polyester fabric will hinder the growth of crabs

As we know, from plastic particles to plastic bottles, a large amount of plastic garbage flows into the sea and waterways, which has caused a disastrous impact on wildlife in the water. What many people do not know is that washing machines are also a way for plastics to enter water bodies. If the fabric of the clothes is synthetic polyester fiber (polyester, nylon, acrylic), the wastewater generated by the washing machine will contain millions of tiny microfibers, which will flow into rivers, lakes and seas after passing through the sewage treatment plant. These fibers contain toxic chemicals, partly from synthetic fibers themselves, and partly from the residues of detergents and other toxic agents, which will adversely affect the ecosystem in the water and transfer pollutants to marine organisms. Research has found that there are microfibers in many organisms, such as crabs, lobsters, fish, turtles, penguins, seals, manatees and otters, and even in the seafood we eat. Fiber particles will block the digestive tract, destroy the gastric mucosa, and lead to reduced food intake and hunger, which is a bad news for wild animals.

　 Artificial fiber, rayon and deforestation

Soluble cellulose, also known as bleached wood fiber, is the basic raw material of artificial fiber and rayon. Many clothes in the fashion industry are made of these two artificial materials. But you may not know that most of the cellulose used is from endangered tree species or virgin forests. In other words, we buy and wear clothes that directly lead to deforestation and habitat destruction. At present, more than 150 million trees have been cut down to make clothes. Although several major brands of man-made fibers are from certified sustainable forest farms, the number of trees cut down for the production of man-made fibers in Indonesia, Canada and the Amazon River Basin is still increasing.

Trees can store carbon, so deforestation will also have an impact on climate change. The use of artificial fibers in the fashion industry is very destructive, because there are thousands of different species in the forest, many of which have been listed as rare and endangered species.

　 High water consumption in cotton production

Cotton is not man-made fiber, but that alone does not mean it is sustainable. In fact, cotton has become one of the most unsustainable crops in the world. First of all, planting cotton consumes too much water, exacerbating the global shortage of freshwater resources. The water consumption for producing a cotton T-shirt can reach 2700 liters. The production of cotton has destroyed the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan and affected the animals and plants in the water. In addition, in the process of planting, pesticides and other harmful chemicals are used in large quantities, which will seep into waterways and soil layers. Insecticides used in cotton planting account for 22.5% of the global total. Recently, it is predicted that the number of insects will decline. In view of this, more sustainable production becomes more urgent.

　 Fast fashion

In recent years, the number of new models of retail brands has increased every quarter, and some fashion brands are launched several times a week. This is a "fast fashion". Things are cheap. Throw them away after wearing them. There are 100 billion pieces of new clothes produced with new cloth every year, many of which are soon thrown into landfill, causing huge carbon emissions. For example, the production of polyester and nylon requires the use of fossil fuels, and the cultivation of cotton also requires a lot of carbon dioxide. "Fast fashion" will also lead to a large number of chemicals seeping into the natural environment, causing serious pollution problems. The price of a garment is only a few pounds, but the environmental cost behind it is far more than that. Whether it is low-income workers in poor working conditions, or ecosystems and other species, it will be affected.

　　 What can we do?

Some fabrics are more environmentally friendly, such as sustainable man-made fibers made from trees, and sustainable wool. But if you want to be effective, you just need to buy less and cherish it.

Unused clothes can be exchanged with relatives and friends

Don't lose the broken clothes and shoes. You can continue to wear them after repairing

Select green and environment-friendly brands and understand the production process of goods

Buy high quality durable products