We consume our clothes: how clothes are like food
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This document discusses how clothing consumption is similar to food consumption in that daily choices are made under social pressure. It argues that just as people have learned to ask questions about the origins and production practices of food, the same questions should be asked about textiles. Synthetic fabrics like polyester are inexpensive but release microbeads during washing and are not biodegradable, whereas natural fibers like organic cotton come from renewable resources but require large amounts of water for production. The document advocates ignoring social pressures to overconsume clothing and instead focusing on purchasing fewer, higher-quality items made from natural and responsibly produced materials to reduce textile waste.
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We consume our clothes: how clothes are like food
- 1. We consume our clothes: how clothes are like food
- 2. DAILY activities have a cumulative effect Sleep Eat Dress
- 3. Daily choices about consumption are made under constant social pressure.
- 4. CONSTANT. PRESSURE. Gentlemen, you’re hardly exempt.
- 5. Considering food, we learned to IGNORE EXTERNAL SOCIAL PRESSURE, and DEMAND DETAILS ABOUT THE VALUE CHAIN: Harvested responsibly?How? Humanely?Grown where? Locally?
- 6. Questions about FOOD = Questions about TEXTILES Where? How? Harvest conditions? Raw materials and labor come from the SAME SOURCES organic cotton growers in India
- 7. Processing Practices? Production conditions? Business Practices? Questions about FOOD = Questions about TEXTILES The EPA estimates just ONE cotton t-shirt requires 700 gallons of water during manufacture.
- 8. Repurpose? Recycle? Waste? Questions about FOOD = Questions about TEXTILES EPA estimates 13.1 million tons of textiles are trashed yearly; only 2 million tons are recovered for reuse or recycling.
- 9. Fibers derived from naturally occurring and sustainable earthly cycles with which we can partner. Petro-chemically derived atoms artificially formed into polymer plastic fibers. No natural cycle with which to partner. Growth cycle questions DO NOT APPLY TO SYNTHETICS NATURAL FIBERS SYNTHETICS O – oxygen N – nitrogen H – hydrogen C – carbon from: OIL COAL GAS
- 10. Polyester Nylon AcrylicHemp Wool Silk NATURAL FIBERS SYNTHETICS PET plastic Cotton
- 11. Synthetics inexpensive stay lightweight in the wet easy care Compelling for several reasons:
- 12. BUT -- Synthetics arrive & persist toxic & bio-accumulative consumed by animals + people shed MICROBEADS in the laundry UNESCO estimates there are 245 metric tons of plastic particles shed from fleece fabric per year globally
- 13. Fibers derived from naturally occurring and sustainable earthly cycles with which we can partner. Petro-chemically derived atoms artificially formed into polymer plastic fibers. No natural cycle with which to partner. REMEMBER: Growth cycle questions DO NOT APPLY TO SYNTHETICS NATURAL FIBERS SYNTHETICS O – oxygen N – nitrogen H – hydrogen C – carbon from: OIL COAL GAS
- 14. As with food, we can IGNORE EXTERNAL SOCIAL PRESSURE and DEMAND DETAILS ABOUT THE VALUE CHAIN of textile products.
- 15. Some comparatively responsible clothing brands:
- 16. +But the more fundamental questions/challenges are around buying LESS. +Purchasing more responsibly produced items made of natural materials are steps towards mainstreaming sustainable textiles and garments. +Instead of asking ourselves what to do with so much waste, let’s ask how to create less waste.