Sustainability in the Textile Industry
Considering the scope of the textile industry, one of the largest industries in the world, sustainability is not only an important concept, but companies have the opportunity to make a huge difference environmentally, economically and socially.
Sustainability is frequently illustrated through the idea of reduce, reuse and recycle, encouraging individuals and businesses to reduce their consumption of resources, such as water, land and oil; reusing products, such as a refillable water bottle; and recycling materials, such as paper, glass and aluminum.
The textile industry has many reasons to place an emphasis on sustainability, including reduced costs, protection of the environment and sustained goodwill from its customers for eco-friendly practices.
Let's take a look at a few of the current issues impacting sustainability in the industry.
Current Issues
There are several sustainability issues facing the textiles industry, including:
1. Environmental sustainability: There is a great demand on water in the textiles industry for processes such as dyeing and finishing fabrics. Having enough water to manufacture textiles also requires a greater use of energy and creates environmental issues such as toxicity in contaminated water. Other environmental concerns are:
Use of unsafe pesticides and chemicals
Animal welfare issues, from sourcing raw materials
Pollution through air and water transmission
Waste products ending up in landfills
Packaging that is not recyclable or biodegradable
