When most people think about pollution, they picture chemical power plants or raw sewage, never their own clothing. The clothing industry is one of top polluters of the world. The manufacturing of fashion consists of harsh chemicals that are hazardous to the environment and consumes a lot of the world’s water. For example, cotton could take up to 5,000 gallons of water to just make a mere t-shirt and a pair of jeans. A popularized trend for fashion retail is creating clothes quickly that are on demand with cheap materials. This retail trend is calling fast fashion, and it is it is causing extreme harm to the environment. While fast fashion may be satisfying consumer, it is causing textiles to end up in landfills and leaving fast fashion retailers
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For example, the fashion industry on average produces 2 million tons of waste and consumes 70 million tons of water each year. These numbers have only risen since fast fashion has become popularized. The water consumption is due to the production of apparel. On average, it takes about 7,000 litres of water to produce and dye one pair of jeans. The dyeing plants and textile mills are polluting bodies of water with chemicals around the world, mainly Asia. Polluting rivers in Asia are putting communities’ health near the rivers at risk. There are many chemicals being dumped into these rivers, including azo dyes, which is one of the main dyes used in the textile industry. After use of this dye it releases chemicals that cause cancer. The Citarum River, located in Indonesia, is one of the most polluted rivers in the world since it surrounded by multiple textile factories. Due to the multiple factories dumping their waste into the river it has become one big sewer. The toxins being disposed in the river are extremely harmful to the environment and communities. There were high levels of nonylphenol ethoxylates, which is used by the textile factories for dyeing and rinsing out the apparel. This is very toxic for people to come in contact with and will burn human skin and will kill aquatic life. Nonylphenol ethoxylates are not banned in the US, but there have been environmentally-safe alternatives
For example, the fashion industry on average produces 2 million tons of waste and consumes 70 million tons of water each year. These numbers have only risen since fast fashion has become popularized. The water consumption is due to the production of apparel. On average, it takes about 7,000 litres of water to produce and dye one pair of jeans. The dyeing plants and textile mills are polluting bodies of water with chemicals around the world, mainly Asia. Polluting rivers in Asia are putting communities’ health near the rivers at risk. There are many chemicals being dumped into these rivers, including azo dyes, which is one of the main dyes used in the textile industry. After use of this dye it releases chemicals that cause cancer. The Citarum River, located in Indonesia, is one of the most polluted rivers in the world since it surrounded by multiple textile factories. Due to the multiple factories dumping their waste into the river it has become one big sewer. The toxins being disposed in the river are extremely harmful to the environment and communities. There were high levels of nonylphenol ethoxylates, which is used by the textile factories for dyeing and rinsing out the apparel. This is very toxic for people to come in contact with and will burn human skin and will kill aquatic life. Nonylphenol ethoxylates are not banned in the US, but there have been environmentally-safe alternatives