Textiles and the Environment
A Textiles Intelligence research report on environmental damage, legislation, recycling and the textile industry's response
Worldwide concern for the environment is growing. Environmental damage is being caused by gaseous and liquid emissions from industrial processes, including those employed in the manufacture of textiles. Another growing problem is the disposal of solid waste, from households as well as from industrial processes. Authorities are under growing pressure to protect the environment by introducing tougher limits on atmospheric and river pollution, and increasing the duty of care is being passed back to companies. This Textiles Intelligence report analyses the implications of the key environmental issues on the textile industry and the impact of textile production on the environment. Legislation is explained and recycling is examined, and case studies show textile and clothing companies which actively incorporate environmental policies in their day to day running.
Green Textiles: Fashion, Fibres and Dyes
After an introduction setting out why the issue had arrived when it did, the key issues and their implications for the textile industry, the report examines the realities of green textiles. One chapter follows green fashion — the clothing industry's response — and works through the comparisons consumers and campaigners were making: natural versus man-made fibres, and natural versus synthetic dyes, with conclusions on what the comparisons do and do not prove. The question is treated as an analytical one rather than a slogan, which is what makes the chapter useful to companies deciding where they stood.
The Impact of Textile Production
A full chapter measures the industry's footprint: a brief classification of natural and man-made fibres; the use of resources — oil, land, energy and water; and the pollution resulting from the textile process, from the gaseous and liquid emissions of manufacture to the solid waste problem. The framing is two-directional throughout: the report analyses both the impact of textile production on the environment and the implications of environmental issues for the industry, because tougher limits on atmospheric and river pollution translate directly into costs, processes and duties of care for mills and manufacturers.
Legislation: the Catalyst for Change
The legislation chapter explains the polluter pays principle, the role of the European Community, the effect of the Dangerous Substances Directive on the EC textile industry, UK legislation, and the question of international parity — whether the playing field is level when producers in different countries face different rules. Legislation is presented as the catalyst for change: the mechanism by which public pressure for tougher pollution limits becomes specific obligations on specific companies.
The Industry's Response, Recycling and Case Studies
The response chapter works through the options open to the industry: in-house treatment of water, treating gaseous emissions, technology transfer, developments in technology, and how textiles can improve the environment. Recycling receives its own chapter — the problem of waste disposal, textiles in landfill sites, alternatives to disposal in landfill sites, and textile recycling. The evidence base is seven company case studies: John Heathcoat Ltd in the UK, Grignasco in Italy, Lenzing AG in Austria, Brintons Ltd in the UK, Italdenim in Italy, Klaus Steilmann GmbH and Co in Germany, and Evergreen Recycled Fashions in the UK. Appendices add environmental issues and actions at CV Home Furnishings Limited of Chinley in the UK, a German case, addresses of selected organisations, a glossary and a selected bibliography.
Common Questions
What environmental problems does the report cover?
Gaseous and liquid emissions from textile manufacturing processes, the use of oil, land, energy and water, pollution of air and rivers, and the growing problem of disposing of solid waste — including textiles in landfill sites.
Which legislation does the report explain?
The polluter pays principle, the role of the European Community, the effect of the Dangerous Substances Directive on the EC textile industry, and UK legislation, together with the question of whether rules are level internationally.
Which companies appear as environmental case studies?
John Heathcoat Ltd and Brintons Ltd in the UK, Grignasco and Italdenim in Italy, Lenzing AG in Austria, Klaus Steilmann GmbH and Co in Germany, and Evergreen Recycled Fashions in the UK — companies incorporating environmental policies into their day to day running.