ABSTRACT
On an annual basis, global demand for apparel and textile products is increasing. According to Marketline (2012), in 2011 the global apparel and textile market had revenue totals just over $3 trillion USD, with an annual growth rate of 3.7% between the years 2007 and 2011. Unfortunately, from the raw materials needed to make textiles to the garment end-of-life impacts, textiles and apparel damage the natural environment and are associated with signicant environmental impacts. Through manufacturing outputs such as the release of toxic chemicals in wastewater, the emission of greenhouse gases into the air, and solid waste accumulation, apparel and textile products contribute toward environmental change (Slater 2003) and pose remarkable threats to the sustainability of the Earth’s ecosystems. A report by the University of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing found some of the most signicant ways in which the apparel and textile industry negatively alters
8.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 167 8.2 Overarching Environmental Impacts ................................................................................... 168 8.3 Environmental Impacts of Fiber and Yarn Production ......................................................... 169
8.3.1 Environmental Impacts of Cotton Fiber and Yarn Production ................................. 169 8.3.1.1 Environmental Impacts of Agrochemicals ................................................ 169 8.3.1.2 Environmental Impacts of Water Demands ............................................... 170 8.3.1.3 Environmental Impacts of Cotton Yarn Production .................................. 171
8.3.2 Environmental Impacts of Polyester Fiber and Yarn Production ............................. 172 8.4 Environmental Impacts of Textile Production ...................................................................... 172
8.4.1 Textile Production and Water Consumption ............................................................. 173 8.4.2 Textile Production and Water Quality ...................................................................... 173
8.5 Environmental Impacts of Apparel Manufacturing and Distribution .................................. 174 8.6 Environmental Impacts of Consumer Care .......................................................................... 175
8.6.1 Clothing Care and Water .......................................................................................... 175 8.6.2 Clothing Care, Energy Consumption, and Air Pollution .......................................... 176 8.6.3 Environmental Impacts of Dry Cleaning ................................................................. 176
8.7 Environmental Impacts of End of Life/Disposal.................................................................. 176 8.7.1 Environmental Impacts of Solid Waste .................................................................... 177
8.8 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 177 References ...................................................................................................................................... 178
systems within the natural environment through decreasing air, water, and soil quality; decreasing biodiversity; creating dangerous greenhouse gases; depleting water and other renewable resources; and reducing nonrenewable resources (Allwood et al. 2006). Furthermore, the apparel and textile industry is one of the most signicant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and accounts for nearly 10% of total global carbon emissions (Zaffalon 2010). Current levels of demand for apparel and textile products and the expected signicant increase in demand worldwide due to growing prosperity in developing countries have the potential to expand the apparel and textile industry impact on ecological systems.
