Team:Chalmers-Gothenburg/Sustainable

iGEM Chalmers Gothenburg 2020

Sustainable

Introduction
Here we have gathered the information that we gained from our contacts in society. We believe it is a good summary of the main components of the environmental and ethical problems caused by the modern textile industry and its many ramifications. We also compile everything we have learned, and we were aiming at formulating a concrete set of solutions to the problems caused by the textile industry. To learn more about how we as a society can work towards fixing these problems, and the work that we have done to achieve that goal, press here.

Contents
  1. Problem Description
    • intro
    • Global Scale
    • Ethical Implications
    • Environmental Implications
  2. Our best sustainability tips
    • For Individuals
    • For Clothing stores
    • For Governments
Problem description

Intro - what problem does the textile industry pose?

The multitude of problems resulting from the textile industry today can be sorted into two categories. In one we have the ethical concerns that derive from many aspects of the textile industry (underpaid workers, use of dangerous chemicals, etc) in the other we have the environmental impact. To truly comprehend both contributions and the complexity of the textile industry, we first need to understand the global nature of the textile market.

Global Scale

In today's global society products often travel thousands of miles to get from many different places to the consumer. This means that people in developed and industrialized countries can buy products cheaper from places in the developing world. In the case of textiles, this mainly means Asia. To exemplify this, one need only look as far as the EU, who now rely on importing up to 90% of textiles from Asia. Shifting the production to Asia is a recent phenomenon, something which becomes visible when viewing the increase in workers employed in the TCF (textile, clothing and footwear) industries. From 1970 to 1990 the numbers of workers in this industry more than tripled in the countries Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Philippines. China by itself, stands for more than 40 % of the textile production in the world, which is considerable when you envision that the second largest producer, India, only accounts for about 5%. This increase in textile production seen in Asia coincided with a similar decline in the United States, Europe and especially in Scandinavia where almost three quarters of all TCF jobs have disappeared [1].

But what does this mean? What are the implications? In practise, this means that a process which before was local and traceable to almost everyone in the world, has today been outsourced and mostly vanished from and most people don't even stop to consider what is necessary to produce their clothes. Many of the developing nations that the production has been moved to exploits the workers for their cheap labour which has huge implications for both the environment and the health of the workers. We need to start addressing this now, together as humans, as citizens of the world. Because as it is today, we are outsourcing pain and suffering just as much as we are production[2]–[4].

Ethical Implications

Since textile production is a global concern, the analysis of the working and living situations of the workers is a difficult question and the situation differs substantially depending on where we look at. However, when investigating the situations in some of the major textile exporting countries of the world like China (39%), India (5%) and Bangladesh (3%), there are several disturbing patterns that emerges [3], [4].

Firstly, the salaries. It is a common trend in these countries that the workers are paid wages that are far below the living wage. In Bangladesh, which is the second largest clothing export to Sweden, the minimum wage for a textile worker is 8000 taka (approximately 96 US dollars) a month, while the living wage is estimated to be around 16000-24000 taka (192-288 US dollars). Similar patterns for textile workers appear in several parts of Asia integral to the textile industry. In China for example, the minimum wage is at 44% of the assessed living wage and India the numbers are lower at only 33%. This is far from the only example, as workers in Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan also receive just a fraction of the pay required in more industrially developed nations [4], [5]. Why is it this? Mostly it has to do with minimizing the production costs to increase the margin for profit, both by paying less for production, but also since it allows companies to set prices lower in the stores which in turn promotes more consumption. Nowadays no clothing store or brand owns their own production which makes the use of short-term contracts and deadlines very common among the companies to which production is outsourced. The factories are often set out to compete over contracts with brands and designer stores by offering the lowest price. As a result, factories, in order to secure deals, often need to sacrifice their workers to wages and increase the number of working hours by agreeing to short time deadlines and lower commission [4].

Secondly, lack of trade unions. In order to prevent the exploitation and improve the conditions for the textile workers of the world, trade unions are necessary. Where one worker is weak and can easily be disregarded, effectively formed trade unions are stronger and have more leverage to push for the changes the workers need. One of the main difficulties for workers in the textile sector is that the forming of trade unions is, even though technically legal, unofficially locally forbidden in many factories. This severely limits the workers ability to change their working environment as well as their ability to respond to discrimination or exploitation. An important addition to this is that as much as 80% of the world’s textile workers are estimated to be women. Furthermore, with limited rights and difficulties to make their voices heard, the unreported sexual harassments are estimated to be immense [4], [5].

Environmental issues

The other important impact of the fashion industry in the world is the damage it poses to the environment. In order to truly understand this contribution, we need to once again look at the production chain to see just how much raw material is really being used. In the EU the average consumption of textiles per person and year is 26 kilograms. A staggering number for sure, but it becomes worse when considering that the raw material that is needed to produce 26 kilograms of finished textiles is closer to 1300 kilograms. Every year, 79 000 tonnes of finished textiles are produced. To imagine the huge mass of raw material that is needed in this process is both astounding and terrifying [1].

Growing the natural raw material requires a substantial amount of water which, depending on the region, may affect the local environment in many detrimental ways. For example, the estimated water use to produce one kilo of cotton is around 20 000 litres. This is not counting the rest of the production process, which adds several thousands of litres when considering that many garments are coloured [4]. A global UN report made in 2015 concludes that the world might be heading into a global freshwater shortage as soon as 2030 [6], [7].

When considering the life length of the textile, it is not only the production step that sticks out as especially hazardous from an environmental perspective. Washing clothing containing synthetic fibres like elastane and polyester is, with an estimated 35% of the total microplastic makeup, one of the main contributors to microplastic in our oceans. In the continued life cycle only about 10% of textiles today can be recycled and if we are looking for clothing to clothing recycling, that number drops to well below 1%. Because of this, plus the lack of effective large-scale recycling methods and the fact that the second-hand market network is nowhere near as developed as it needs to be, the fate of textiles is often to end up in a landfill. In landfills the recourses of our planet, the toil and work of textile producers is fated to remain until we, as a society develop a way to handle them[6], [8].

Fast Fashion

Facts like the presented above are not the cause, but rather symptoms of the real problem. The real problem has its roots in our collective view on consumption. The key to understanding how this came to be lies in the concept of fast fashion. This term, fast fashion, is a description of a method utilized by clothing stores to make consumers buy new clothing regularly by making them feel out of fashion. It is built around speed and very fast production cycles. Sometimes a piece of clothing can go from being an idea in the head of a designer to a finished garment in as little time as two weeks. To say that this puts an enormous strain on both the production chain of raw materials, and on the workers in developing countries is an understatement to say the least. [4]

The only goal of this sales model is maximizing profit. Clothes are made plentiful; they are made with bad quality and they are made cheap. No second thought is put on re-use, and most certainly not towards repair. Because why would you repair an older piece of clothing, when a new, trendier version is coming out soon. Clothes are not bought out of necessity; they are bought for pleasure.[9] The structure of the fast fashion industry is dependent on the suffering of humans and the detriment of nature. For our society to ever achieve a circular economy regarding textiles, fast fashion needs to stop. Period.

Through our contact with stakeholders we have collected information regarding some of the proposed solutions to the problem we have just described. Since the problem is of a global pan societal nature, the solution needs to be equally global. Everyone in society needs to contribute if the goals of the future are to be met. Therefore, we have divided our information into three categories. The first is directed towards the everyday citizens of the world. The second towards the clothing stores and brands that sell textile and clothing products, and lastly towards the government who hold most of the legislative power.

Our best sustainability tips

For individuals

Don't buy new clothes!
Instead, repair if possible. Doubling the life length of clothes literally half's the environmental impact!

Buy out of necessity, not for trends.
Buying new clothes is today a strong social marker. But is fashion about changing your garments every other week? There are plenty of ways to look good while also implementing sustainability.

Don't throw you clothes into the trash.
Instead, give them to second hand, trade them with your friends and family or make something different and new out of them. Your clothes might begin a new life instead of becoming trash!

Wash clothes only when it is needed.
It might seem an unsanitary practice but actually, we wash clothes a lot more than necessary. Try spraying the armpits of your shirts with a mix of water and vinegar and ventilate for a day. Many stains can be removed by adding water and gently rubbing with soap. You can also put your clothes and shoes in the freezer for a few hours to remove smell and other contaminants like gum!

To read more about the work we did to spread this knowledge, read our Science Communication. page!

For clothing stores.

Stick with and spend energy on developing the ethical and environmental aspects of the production chain.
Even though production prices may rise from establishing long time contracts where the ability of producers to compete for a reduce price of production is lost, it will still be worth it in a longer time perspective. Working with your production chain to improve the wage and environment for textile workers in developing countries generates a net gain to the planet and humanity which cannot be measured in money.

Don't sell clothes made from fibre-mixes and other unrecyclable material.
Even though there is a high demand for clothes with properties that are only gained from fibre-mixing, not every demand is worth to be satiated. Clothing stores and designers carry a big part of the responsibility in establishing the fashion trends of the future. These needs to be implemented sustainable, for the sake of both the consumers, who deserve to know that certain design is harmful to the planet, but foremostly for the sake of preserving our environment and biodiversity.

Slow down production cycles!
The immense speed of production today puts an enormous strain on the worlds recourses as well as the working environment for the people making up the working force in the worlds textile industry. Not only is it hugely detrimental, the sole reason for why it is done revolves around increasing monetary profit. If a sustainable and circular economy is to be possible in the future, this needs to slow down considerably.

Establish a second-hand collection.
Selling second-hand clothing needs to be promoted and the negative, un-fresh, label around second-hand needs to publicly change going forward. If larger and established clothing stores dedicated more time and resources to the second-hand business this could be improved immensely.

Take active responsibility for how the clothes you sell should be collected and recycled.
When importing a piece of clothing with the intention of selling, a plan should already exist for the continued life cycle of that specific piece of clothing in a sustainability context. If such a plan is put in motion and design and collection where adjusted accordingly, large scale recycling would become a possibility and a viable alternative.

Get creative!
Offering free repair or lectures and courses in sustainability are just some options that could be implemented. Innovative design is part of the future and we need to be fully ready to embrace this if there is to be any future worth looking forward to. To read spread this knowledge we compiled it into an email explaining our project and our sources and then we sent it to three big influential clothing companies using the fast fashion sales model.

To read more about the work we did to spread this knowledge, read our Science Communication. page!

For Governments

Put sanctions and economical drawbacks to fast fashion.
The fast fashion model and uncircular design of the textile industry is a hazard to both the environment and the workers that hold it together. Clothes today are sold to prices that are unproportionally cheap when compared to the resources and labour needed to produce them. To combat this rising problem, we need to act not only as individuals but together, as a society. In order to do this the governments of the world need to take action. Unsustainable behaviour needs to be economically penalized.

Put economic incentive to run second-hand business.
Second hand is one of the most promising ways of keeping a consumption-based society without further increasing the strain on production at the same time as prolonging the life length of the textiles already in circulation. This needs to have economical traction on a whole different level in the future in order to succeed in making the textile industry circular. State responsibility and action are needed for this to become a reality.

Establish a clear responsibility to collect and manage textiles.
Today, there exists no clear responsibility regarding the collection and management of textiles. To say that it is necessary to develop a circular system is an understatement. The responsibility can never lie on the consumer alone, that much is clear. Therefore, substantial recourses must be put towards the development of an efficient textile collection system in order to achieve a functioning circular economy in the future

Establish an informational system for educating society in the needs of the future regards to textiles.
We believe that the lack of knowledge is one of the main reasons society is not more concerned about the negative aspects of the textile industry. We need an efficient system to spread the information about the damage brought upon the environment and humanity from an industry that isn’t designed to last. There is a gap that needs to be bridged by knowledge. For no society can ever willingly accept change without knowing why it should. Education should be more than listing facts about destroying the environment, it should revolve around how we can change to stop doing it.

To read more about the work we did to spread this knowledge, read our Science Communication. page!

  1. ​[1] “Textiles in Europe’s circular economy — European Environment Agency.” https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/waste/resource-efficiency/textiles-in-europe-s-circular-economy (accessed Oct. 22, 2020).
  2. [2] “Globalization Changes the Face of Textile, Clothing and Footwear Industries.” https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_008075/lang--en/index.htm (accessed Oct. 22, 2020).
  3. [3]  V. Agarwal, R. Kaur, and D. De, “Scenario Analysis of Textile Industry in Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA),” in Procedia Computer Science, Jan. 2017, vol. 122, pp. 685–690, doi: 10.1016/j.procs.2017.11.424.
  4. [4]  “Slow fashion : din guide till smart och hållbart mode - Jennie Johansson, Johanna Nilsson - Bok (9789170379161) | Bokus.” https://www.bokus.com/bok/9789170379161/slow-fashion-din-guide-till-smart-och-hallbart-mode/?fbclid=IwAR0l7kxXbiFXdQjJQsCFgB7qqtw54bpi_DLxXxauTojmCbAcl0Z5L5vD2Yo (accessed Oct. 22, 2020).
  5. [5] "7 frågor och svar om textilindustrin, fackföreningar och Bangladesh — Johanna Nilsson.” https://www.johannanilsson.se/artiklar/7-fragor-och-svar-om-textilindustrin-fackforeningar-och-bangladesh (accessed Oct. 22, 2020).
  6. [6]  “World Water Development Report | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.” http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/wwdr/ (accessed Oct. 22, 2020).
  7. [7]        “Quenching Cotton’s Thirst: Reducing the Use of Water in the Cotton Lifecycle.” https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2016/quenching-cottons-thirst-reducing-use-water-cotton-lifecycle/57196 (accessed Oct. 22, 2020).
  8. [8]        “Microfiber Pollution: Our Clothes Pollute the Oceans - Ocean Clean Wash.” https://www.oceancleanwash.org/ (accessed Oct. 22, 2020).
  9. [9]        “What Is Fast Fashion? - Good On You.” https://goodonyou.eco/what-is-fast-fashion/ (accessed Oct. 22, 2020).