Promoting Change to Improve Textile Sustainability

Posted April 12, 2023 by X-Rite Color

The environmental footprint of fashion is out of control. According to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), “Textile mills generate one-fifth of the world's industrial water pollution and use 20,000 chemicals, many of them carcinogenic, to make clothes.”

NRDC fabric dyed in factory textile sustainability

Fabric being dyed in factory. Image from NRDC.org. 

A Problem That Impacts Everyone

Did you know it takes about 200 tons of water (enough to fill several swimming pools) to produce one ton of cotton fabric? That water is filled with dyes and carcinogenic chemicals to scour, dye, rinse, and finish garments, then dumped into water supplies without treatment. Textile mills also require a considerable amount of energy to power manufacturing, and the resulting pollution is pumped into our air. 

Here are three ways brands, manufacturers, and consumers can promote and support change. 

1. Clean by Design

Experts at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) have been studying textile mills to identify ways they can reduce their environmental impacts. From their research came Clean by Design (CBD), a green supply chain efficiency program designed to help apparel retailers and fashion brands reduce water, chemical, and energy usage in their factories abroad. 

Big brands are stepping up, and the benefits are huge. TargetGap, and H&M have all implemented CBD to improve the environmental practices of their overseas textile mills with excellent results. According to NRDC, “Each mill in the 2014 program reduced water use by up to 36 percent and cut energy use by as much as 22 percent while also cutting 400 tons of chemicals from their processes. An added bonus? Each mill saved an average of nearly $500,000.” 

Gap, for example, has already saved 2.4 billion liters of water through sustainable manufacturing practices, and has set a goal to conserve 10 billion liters by the end of 2020. This is enough daily drinking water for 5 billion people.

NRDC dying batik fabric textile sustainability

Dying batik fabric in Phrae, Thailand. Image from NRDC.org.

2. Sustainable Fabrics 

More and more consumers are choosing sustainable fabrics, and many brands are answering the call for environmental responsibility. 

Lenzing, an Austrian manufacturer, creates a collection of fabrics made from wood pulp and recycled cotton scraps. The wood pulp used in REFIBRATM lyocell (TENCEL®) is a renewable raw material from sustainably managed forests. The solvents used to process the wood and cotton fibers are 99.7% captured and can be used over and over again, reducing water usage 95% compared to cotton fabric manufacturing with zero air, soil, or water pollution. 

Lenzing recently showcased at Heimtextil, and brands like Patagonia are using it to create sustainable clothing lines.

Patagonia TAL group textile sustainability

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Patagonia partners with the TAL group to sweep the floors of their factories in China and Malaysia, saving hundreds of tons of cotton to be spun into functional fabric. 

3. Color Management

Although most textile manufacturers want to comply, introducing natural and sustainable materials can have a counter-intuitive impact. Many of these fabrics have different absorption properties, causing additional color dips and rework to achieve the right color, which leads to more contaminated water and air pollution. 

By implementing a holistic color quality control program, brands and supply chains can work collectively to reduce their environmental footprint.

  • 3D visualization tools like PANTORA can help minimize the need to produce and ship textile samples. 
  • Visual assessment tools like color references and controlled lighting help set realistic expectations and minimize subjectivity.
  • Formulation software enables more accurate initial color matches and minimizes corrections. It can also create recipes that include recycled raw materials and leftover materials from previous dye formulations to minimize waste.
  • Color measurement devices and quality control software identify color drifts so they can be corrected before they ruin the production run.

How Will You Promote and Support Change?

Whether you’re a brand, textile manufacturer, or consumer, we encourage you promote responsible practices to reduce the environmental footprint. Even small improvements have the potential to make a big difference.

  • Download this free whitepaper to learn how textile manufacturers and supply chains can optimize a traditional color workflow.
  • Read this application brief to learn how colorists can cut production time in half.
  • Get in touch to learn more about how X-Rite can help.

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