Environmental IssuesIn Apparel

Manufacturing

Toxic Pollutants Waste Materials in Our Landfills Apparel Production Using Up Nonrenewable

Resources Textile Waste Pesticides and Insecticides in Our Soil from

Fiber Crops

Menu: Issues and Solutions

Synthetic fibers production release toxic pollutants into the air and water supply

Issue:Toxic Pollutants in the Environment

Federal laws in the 1970’s eliminated the release of these pollutants

Clean Air Act Clean Water Act Resource Conservation & Recovery Act Toxic Substances Control Act

Solution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXANySLTgnQ

Pollution in China

IssueThose Processes Now in Other Countries

How do you think we can help eliminate pollution in other countries?

Solution

IssueWaste Materials in Our Landfill

Apparel manufacturers are converting waste material and unwanted existing products into new products

What can be made from water bottles?

Solution: Recycling

Products Number of 20 ounce bottles

T-shirt 19 bottles

Fiberfill Ski Jacket 14 bottles

Fiberfill Sleeping Bag 114 bottles

Carpeting 19 bottles per square foot

From Water Bottles to……

Apparel Production depleting nonrenewable resources which cannot be replaced

Example: Petroleum used to make synthetic fibers

IssueNonrenewable Resources

Using natural products that nature can replenish

Examples: Trees and plants

SolutionRenewable Resources

Lyocell: wood pulp of eucalyptus trees Sorona: corn Rayon: bamboo fibers

Fibers From a Renewable Resource

The EPA estimates 13.1 million tons of textile waste was generated in 2012.

5.2% of municipal waste What can be done to reduce the amount of

textile waste?

IssueTextile Waste

Donate for reuse or resale Turn in to companies to recycle like

Patagonia Repurpose textile products

SolutionEliminating Textile Waste

Insecticides and Pesticides used in fiber crops

IssueSoil Pollutants

Environment friendly Genetically modified seeds and planted

resistant to pests Grown without harmful pesticides and

fertilizers

SolutionOrganically Grown Fibers