5 things you didn’t know about your t-shirt
The cotton t-shirt is a wardrobe staple. We all own at least one, if not a pile of them, which we throw on without much thought.
But the classic tee has a complicated life cycle for something so simple in style. A huge amount of resources and energy go into creating each one – at least that’s the truth for those sold by fast fashion brands. Here are five things that might surprise you about the impact of an average t-shirt.
It takes 2700 litres of water to make a cotton t-shirt
Your t-shirt starts life in a cotton field. As a thirsty crop, growing enough of the plant to make just one t-shirt takes a staggering 2700 litres of water – enough for one person to drink for around 900 days. For some more context, over 2 billion shirts are sold each year, all while droughts are on the rise and worries over water supply exist.
2. And even more, water to keep it clean
Once a regular fixture in your outfits, your t-shirt continues to rack up water and energy usage with every wash. One load of washing can take 40 gallons of water. If a t-shirt lasts you a year or two with regular washes, you can see how its lifetime water usage soon reaches mega volumes.
3. There are lots of pollutants in the production process
Cotton is treated with all kinds of polluting substances along the way to becoming a t-shirt. Back in the cotton fields in places like the US and China, toxic pesticides are used on a mass scale, which damages the ecosystem and is also harmful to farmers if they don’t have the right equipment to handle them.
Dyes full of chemicals follow further down the production line. Many of these cause nasty side effects and illnesses in people working with them, including cancer and heart diseases. And the environment suffers too, as toxic wastewater can escape and pollute local waterways.
4. Garment workers often make t-shirts in poor conditions
The fashion industry is an important source of work for people in low-income countries but more often than not, garment workers aren’t getting a fair deal. Their wages are below the minimum wage (or well below the living wage) and they have to work excessive hours in unsafe conditions.
Women make up much of this workforce. That’s why there’s been some criticism of people who preach about female empowerment but still shop fast fashion, summed up in the debate about feminist slogan tees.
5. Your t-shirt has gone on a global journey
Most of the world’s cotton fields and garment factories are a long way from your local high street or favourite brand’s warehouse. To get from raw material to the finished product hanging in your wardrobe takes some serious long haul travel for your t-shirt, which clocks up a hefty carbon footprint. It’s another reason why clothing production accounts for up to 10% of global carbon emissions.
What’s the alternative?
The facts above are shocking and probably make you think twice about adding another t-shirt to your shopping basket. The good news is sustainable alternatives are here for you. Like all of my designs, I make t-shirts from leftover fabrics that would have otherwise gone to waste – take a look at what’s in stock.
