Killer T-shirt: Why even cotton harms the planet
All known textiles have three main sources. - This is an animal, vegetable and synthetic origin. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, fabrics were treated with starch, so that they would be less dirty and creased. But soon artificial fibers and chemical additives, which exist today not only separately, but also in tandem with natural materials, came to replace it. Now even if a thing is made of 100% wool or cotton, one cannot say that it is “natural”.
Natural materials
Cotton
Cotton can be considered the most common and convenient material - 40% of clothing is produced from all over the world. It is soft, breathable, easy to care and also hypoallergenic, therefore it is suitable for people with sensitive skin. Because of plant origin, cotton is considered a degradable material, although it can be processed, which requires 97% less energy than making a new one.
However, the chemical treatment of cotton begins with its beginnings. Imagine how many plantings you need to put the whole world on - the producer will not allow the crop to fail or be spoiled by pests. So, already on the fields cotton is flavored with a large number of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers. All this turns into nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Sources of pollution are plants that produce dressings. Cotton itself must be watered for 200 days, which takes a huge amount of water: for example, it takes about 2700 liters to produce one T-shirt. Because of such volumes, the liquid soils are salted and become less fertile.
Usually, before harvesting, when the cotton bolls are almost open, farmers treat it with a chemical defoliant. And when the plant gets to the plant, it is “fed up” even more - for example, softeners and bleaches, which are toxic to humans.
Some manufacturers try to use organic cotton - without adding pesticides. However, it costs more, because getting a healthy crop without special treatment is more difficult. As an analogue of organic cotton, cannabis is used, because it does not need to be genetically modified and fertilized abundantly, but in some countries it is simply forbidden to grow it, since this equates to the production of drugs.
Wool
It would seem that wool can be considered the most innocuous fabric: it does not require serious chemical treatment of animals (it can be sheep, goats, alpacas and llamas), from which raw materials are taken. The structure of their hair is characterized by high density and softness, as well as the content of lanolin substance (something like wax lubricant). Thanks to these properties, wool clothing is made warm and resistant to water and dirt. But, as is known, the cultivation of any livestock on an industrial scale leads to an increase in greenhouse gases. Due to the natural life processes of animals, such as intestinal fermentation, methane is released into the atmosphere, and some waste containing phosphorus is discharged into water bodies. That, of course, is pollution.
On some animal farms, animals are treated cruelly. In a hurry, skin, tails or ears are shaved off - the reasons and benefits of such an attitude can only be guessed at. In Australia, for example, there is a special, terribly painful “mulesing” procedure, when sheep have skin cut off from the back so that infectious flies do not stick; painkillers or any kind of care after are not provided. PETA is trying to fight with such farms, but, apparently, so far without success.
Silk
Even the production of silk can not do without radical measures. It affects the environment less than others, but the process itself affects silkworms. Of course, there is a way to get the raw materials without cruelty - just unscrew it from the cocoon of the larva after it turns into a moth. But despite this, some manufacturers go to extremes, just to get the highest quality material. For example, silkworm cocoons are boiled to kill the insects themselves inside them - so supposedly the silk will not be damaged.
Synthetic materials
Any synthetics is chemically created, or "plastic" materials, and, despite the attempts of various companies to make them decomposable, a blow to the environment is inevitable here. Before synthetics begin to decompose (and this process takes thousands of years), it needs to lie on the trash for more than thirty years. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only in 2012 in the United States 84% of unwanted clothing was thrown into landfill or sent to incinerators. Experts say that now Americans are throwing clothes more than ever. In less than twenty years, the volume of discarded items has doubled from 7 million to 14 million tons. According to EPA estimates, if the disposal program includes all discarded clothes, it would be equivalent to if 7.3 million cars from the American roads are gone, which emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Thus, the global organization Greenpeace accuses giant companies like Patagonia, Napapijri, The North Face that they literally pollute the environment with their clothes. Previously, Patagonia used toxic solvents (for example, carbon disulfide), which cause harm to both employees of enterprises who breathe chemicals and nature - this is not denied by the company. And although the brand claims that it is gradually abandoning the usual practice, recent studies of Greenpeace show that almost all new clothes of these brands are made of non-natural materials with chemical processing.
But It is worth noting that her title of high-tech synthetics received for exceptional properties that natural materials can not boast. It is durable, does not stretch, does not wrinkle, dries quickly and does not lose shape over time. The most famous and common synthetic material is polyester, which is used for virtually all types of clothing. Material for everyday things derived from esters of a dihydric alcohol and acid. The same artificial fur is not at all as environmentally friendly as it may seem at first glance - on the contrary, the media are wondering what is worse for the planet?
Against synthetics and companies that produce things made of natural fur. Their motives are quite understandable, however, and various studies speak in favor of the fact that producing clothing using animal materials is much more ethical from an environmental point of view - although it is inhumane in relation to animals. Faux fur is made from non-degradable nylon, acrylic and polyester, which are treated with chemicals to improve its appearance. According to the International Federation of Trade in Furs, the production of synthetics requires three times more non-renewable energy than the production of natural. At the same time, consumers emit synthetic fur coats in literally one season. Many of them fall into a landfill, where they will decompose for almost a thousand years, while natural fur decays from six months to a year. Washing faux fur can also harm the environment. With each machine wash, each synthetic item allocates almost 2000 tiny particles of plastic, which are then thrown into rivers, lakes and, ultimately, the sea - where they harm its inhabitants.
Acrylic, which is considered an analogue of wool, is ubiquitous; nylon is also widespread, which we see in the composition of pantyhose - for its production we really need real oil. But for bras, swimsuits and everything else that needs to be elastic and provide freedom of movement, spandex is used - and this is polyurethane. Researchers blame: clothes should not retain moisture, because it prevents the natural processes of the body, but in almost any synthetics, the skin "does not breathe."
How to help the planet
The ideal option is to refuse to buy new clothes in general. The world is filled with things, and the number of collections in the mass market clearly exceeds demand. Fashion returns in cycles, so you can find your favorite glasses in the 2000s style not in the conditional Zara, but near the second-hand. The world is gradually moving towards conscious consumption: vintage shops and ruins are the basis of many’s wardrobe, and the chance to meet someone in exactly the same things comes to naught. Swap parties, about which we have written more than once, are becoming increasingly popular: by giving a second life things, you indirectly help the environment. But if the new thing is literally breathtaking and you know for sure that it will bring you joy, treat her carefully and prolong her life. No one forces to wear a sweater to holes, but everyone can follow simple rules of care.
Photo:Acne Studios, COS, The North Face, mangpor2004 - stock.adobe.com, flas100 - stock.adobe.com, Artemy - stock.adobe.com