Truth to be told, almost all of our activities have negative impacts on the environment. Our daily activities and choices, from the food and drink we consume, the modes of transportation we use to the clothes we wear, leave carbon footprints which cumulative impact makes our Earth's temperature continue to increase.
The bad news is that we are now no longer in the era of global warming. But, we have entered the era of global boiling. At least that's what we heard from the statement of the Secretary General of the United Nations [UN], Antonio Guterres, after several scientists confirmed that last July was the hottest month in the history of Earth's life.
Speaking before the journalists at the UN Headquarters, last July, Antonio Guterres warned that the era of global warming has ended and the era of global boiling has arrived. But, he said, even if climate change is proven, we can still stop the worst.
"But to do so we must turn a year of burning heat into a year of burning ambition," said Guterres, as quoted by un.org.
Surely, we need to adapt and take more concrete steps. As the Earth continues to boil, extreme droughts, catastrophic floods, forest fires, and the spread of zoonotic diseases will threaten us more frequently.
Now, the choice lies entirely in our hands. We can all minimize the environmental impact of our activities thereby contributing to healthier and more sustainable ecosystems. Adopting sustainable fashion practices is one of the efforts to create a more sustainable livelihood on planet Earth.
As we all know, fashion is a multi-billion dollar industry that has a huge impact on our environment. The fashion industry accounts for around 10 percent of global carbon emissions and nearly 20 percent of wastewater. Not only that, the fashion industry is also known to be wasteful of water.
As an illustration, to produce one kilogram of cotton for denim pants, we need around 7,500–10,000 liters of water. This is equivalent to drinking water for one person for 10 years! Meanwhile, to produce polyester fiber as a clothing material, at least 70 million barrels of oil per year are needed.
In terms of waste, the fashion industry is also a fairly large waste producer. It is estimated that around 7 percent of the total amount of waste in global landfills is fashion waste. Not to mention the plastic waste generated from textile production, which reaches 42 million tonnes per year.
How to achieve sustainable fashion
As mentioned earlier, adopting sustainable fashion practices is one of the efforts to create a more sustainable livelihood on planet Earth.
Referring to an article published on aprayon.com, there are several aspects that need to be considered for making sustainable fashion become reality.
First, the material. In general, natural fibers are better for the environment than synthetic fibers. For example, viscose rayon is made from wood cellulose, which is a natural fiber that is biodegradable and contains no plastics. Choosing natural fibers is of course the right step to realizing sustainable fashion.
However, just because a fabric is natural does not automatically make it environmentally friendly. Thus, It is therefore also important to consider where the raw material came from. As an illustration, Asia Pacific Rayon [APR], for example, obtains sustainable raw materials from sustainably managed plantation forests in Indonesia by using tree species that grow fast and excel in carbon absorption and oxygen release. Trees are harvested every five years before being replanted, to ensure a constant supply of renewable raw materials.
Not only that, APR, which is part of the Royal Golden Eagle Group, also launched followourfibre.com which utilizes blockchain technology to provide full transparency to its customers that their raw materials come from sustainable sources.
Second, the production process. The manufacture of raw materials and fabrics requires intensive energy and chemicals, starting from the production of fabrics to the dyes used to give color. Sustainable producers should work towards reducing emissions and recycling chemicals and waste, thus creating a circular production process. And APR seeks to manage its emissions and chemical usage. By operating a closed loop manufacturing process APR is able to recover more than 90 per cent of the chemicals used in production. APR’s mill is mainly powered with energy generated from renewable biomass and its recovery boilers.APR sources the majority of its raw material locally eliminating long distance transportation across oceans and land.
Third, community. Of course, it is important to look at the wider impact on local communities. Therefore, in addition to creating jobs in the areas of operation, raw material supply companies need to have a positive impact on the areas where they operate. In this regard, APR has partnered with traditional batik cloth manufacturers to help them use eco-friendly viscose and natural dyes in their work so as to have a positive impact on the environment.
Certification also matters
In addition to those three aspects, certification from a third party is also of importance to ensuring sustainable fashion practices. For natural fabrics, the first step is to demonstrate that the raw materials were grown on sustainable plantations. In the case of APR, 100 percent of the wood pulp that APR produces itself is certified, primarily through the international body PEFC.
Next is demonstrating that the fabric is produced in a responsible manner, in a facility that minimizes emissions and use of chemicals and energy while taking the health and safety of workers and surrounding communities into account. As a new mill that started operations in January 2019, APR is working to achieve key manufacturing certification standards.
And finally certification at the product level. There are certifications that look at certain attributes, such as whether a product is biodegradable, or free from harmful chemicals. For APR, the product has so far been awarded Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX, which confirms that APR's viscose is free of harmful substances and safe for contact with infants and young children.
By considering those aspects, the fashion industry is expected to be able to contribute more to the realization of sustainable living so as to create a healthier environment, increase biodiversity, save resources, improve the local economy, strengthen community cohesion, and expand social justice.***
References:
[1] APR. 2019. What is Sustainable Fashion?
[2] Christine Ro. 2020. Can Fashion Ever Be Sustainable?
[3] Nick Webster. 2023. Global Boiling: What Is It Should We Be Worried?
[4] UN News. 2023. Hottest July Ever Signals ‘Era of Global Boiling Has Arrived’ Says UN Chief.
[5] Valerie Forgeard. 2023. Why it Matters: The Significant Impact of Sustainable Living
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