We wear clothes literally every day, but only few of us spend much time reflecting on what goes into manufacturing various textiles and their environmental impacts and most of us don't even realize how environmentally intensive it is to make a single article of clothing. The textile supply chains are some of the most complex of any manufacturing sector. A textile making uses huge amounts of water because all of this yarn has to be constantly washed, it's going through all these chemical processes to turn it into this high quality, very delicate material, and then it becomes a different color to what it is naturally. A single garment goes through so many different suppliers and production processes i.e. first comes the fiber, which, whether it comes from a plant, animal or crude oil, is almost always an energy and pollutant-intensive process. That fibre is processed until it can be spun into a yarn, which, in turn, is woven or knitted into a fabric and also somewhere in there bleaches and dyes are usually involved and finally, the fabric is made into a garment. And, each of these steps happens in different factories, possibly in different countries and all of these stages have environmental impact.
Apparel and footwear industries currently account for 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, nearly as much as that of the whole European Union,
By 2030, the climate impact of the apparel industry alone is forecast to nearly match today's total annual US greenhouse gas emissions, emitting 4.9 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Some data's have revealed that textiles made in Australia were setting a good example for the rest of the world, and the global industry was making strides to be more environmentally friendly.
It is recommended that to make a real environmental difference, recycling be combined with a shift to renewable energy, more efficient processes, smarter design and different consumption models by the consumer.
Also, shopping sparingly and treasuring what one has and the consumers wanting to be informed can use various apps which rates brands based on their environmental impact, as well as their labour and animal welfare practices.