Greenhouse gas emissions pose a serious risk to the stability of life on the planet. New research has shown that the fashion industry accounts for around 10% of these kinds of emissions. Nearly one-fifth of this is from wastewater (i.e. cleaning clothes). So it may be surprising to learn that the fashion world uses up more energy than both the shipping and aviation industries.
There is much debate over the possibility of the fashion industry becoming sustainable. This is because there are so many issues surrounding it. Complex supply chains make it difficult to control the emissions that are produced by particular clothing items.
A good example is jeans. These are a popular form of trousers that are worn by people all over the world. One pair typically requires a kilogram of cotton to produce. Since cotton usually grows in dry areas, it can need around 10,000 litres of water. This is just the start of the jeans journey. Transporting them across the world to shops inevitably produces carbon. The problem is unlikely to go away anytime soon. However, some fashion companies are beginning to recognise the problem and are coming up with innovative solutions.