The University of York has launched a £5.4m project with the Royal College of Art (RCA), focusing on sustainable fashion. Led by York biologist Professor Simon McQueen-Mason, the team of scientists have discovered a method which turns waste into fashion.
Growing impact of the textile industry
The textile industry is increasingly having disastrous effects on the environment. In the current “throwaway society” culture, clothing is only kept for a few years before being disposed of and replaced. One million tonnes of fabric are sent to the incinerator or landfill per year in the UK. On a global scale, a recent study demonstrated that the apparel retail market net worth is equal to the world’s 126 poorest countries’ GDP combined. Simon McQueen-Mason explains that ‘the clothing and fashion sector is currently one of the most polluting, responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of global waste water.’ The impact the textile industry has on pollution is undoubtedly worsening. Emission rates, particularly with synthetic fibres, are high for textile production. When combined with growing outsourcing of factories to developing countries, these emission rates rise further. Water usage is also high in textile production. Particularly for cotton and wool, the use of these fabrics to create clothing use excess amounts of water. A singular cotton coat can use up to 10,000 litres of water. The textile contribution to water and air pollution has also reached a worrying stage. Crude oil is often used in the production of synthetic clothing, and this is frequently disposed of improperly. The result is constant leakage into waterways, or burning into the atmosphere.