Impact on Water

DID YOU KNOW?

The fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of water globally, after agriculture.

Fast Fashion's impact on water

Fast fashion is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined (Earth.org). Fast fashion is currently a huge environmental hazard, accounting for about 20% of industrial wastewater. One big aspect of fast fashion’s environmental impact is water deprivation. For instance, it takes about 1500 gallons of water to make a single pair of jeans. That adds up to a total of 675,000,000,000, over 100 times as many gallons of milk Americans drink each year!

Photo Credits: [Discarded clothes]. (n.d.). Daniels College of Business. https://daniels.du.edu/blog/fast-fashions-dirty-laundry/121

Raw Material Cultivation

Natural fibers like cotton require substantial water for irrigation and growth. For example, it takes approximately 2,700 liters of water to produce one cotton t-shirt, according to Sustainable Campus. Another crazy example is that it takes 3,700 liters of water to make just a pair of jeans. That's enough to feed 8 families of four!

Decomposing Clothes

According to Earth Day, discarded clothes, especially synthetic ones, can end up in landfills. As they decompose, they can release chemicals and microfibers into the soil and groundwater, further contaminating water sources. Additionally, unwanted clothing can clog drainage systems, leading to flooding and the spread of waterborne diseases.

Textile Dying

This process is highly water-intensive, using large quantities of water for rinsing and treating textiles during the coloring stage. Textile dyeing is responsible for over 20% of global industrial water pollution due to the toxic chemicals used.

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