Environmental impacts of the life cycle of garments

Malin Viola Wennberg

Mistra Future Fashion

2011-2019

vision: enabling a systemic change of

fashion industry & society

11.5 million EUR

2011-2019

number of uses: 140

number of uses: 240

number of uses: 30

number of uses: 75 number of uses: 27

number of uses: 26

Fibre production19.1%

Yarn production8.1%

Fabric production13.4%

Wet treatment15.9%

Confectioning12.2%

Transports in production

0.4%

Distribution & retail5.0%

Use-phase transports8.7%

Use-phase laundry15.9%

End-of-life treatment-1.3%

Energy use of Swedish clothing consumption

0,0E+00

2,0E-08

4,0E-08

6,0E-08

8,0E-08

1,0E-07

1,2E-07

T-shirt Jeans Dress Jacket Socks Hospital Uniform

CT

Uh

Human toxicity (non-carc.) impact per garment life cycle

Wet treatment

Fabricproduction

Yarnproduction

Fibreproduction

0

2E-09

4E-09

6E-09

8E-09

1E-08

1,2E-08

1,4E-08

1,6E-08

1,8E-08

T-shirt Jeans Dress Jacket Socks Hospital Uniform

CT

Uh

human toxicity (carc.) impact per garment life cycle

Wet treatment

FabricproductionYarn production

Fibre production

raw material

producer

user

retailer

yarn

producer

fabric

producer

garment

producer

rags,

blankets,

insulation

heat or

electricity

fabric

recycling

swapping,

borrowing,

inheriting burning

fibre

recycling

bottles

fibre producer

monomer,

oligomer,

polymer

recycling

fabric, fibre

recycling

Reuse

Open-loop recycling (downcycling)

Closed-loop recycling (up- or downcycling)

Energy recovery

actions

• Use renewable energy for electricity and heat

• Eliminate toxic chemicals, adopt state-of-the-art chemical management systems and waste water treatment systems

• Natural fibres: adopt best available land and water management practices

• Synthetic fibres: explore dope dyeing

actions

• If buying fibres, yarns or fabrics: purchase best-in-class products. Large difference in environmental impact between fibreproducing sites.

• Contribute to supply chain traceability that allows subsequent actors to act sustainable, by measuring/collecting and communicating transparent data on chemical use, energy use, emissions to air, water, soil etc.

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