Rational Consumption- Fashion, Not Victim
Rational consumption: Fashionistas - Reduce your carbon footprint part 1
How they produce: As we all know, the carbon footprint of a piece of garment indicates the total greenhouse gas emission of the overall manufacturing and logistic process, from the manufacturer to the hands of consumers. In the industrialized world, Globalization has provided consumers with a larger range of cheaper goods. Some may argue that it has also prolonged the logistic process which constantly contributes to the carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere, as most companies ( even some of the most prestigious ones) in the fashion industry, have conducted the notoriously "outsourcing" process, which aroused public anger in the Western world in the recent years. For instance, the zip of a quality leather jacket might be made in Japan while the other stages of the manufacturing might be completed in China where the jacket will be shipped to Europe.
But is transportation or the place of production(as some of you might have bitterly resented the products "Made in China" ) truly the most influential contributor to the carbon footprint of a garment ? The answer is Nay.
According to Patagonia, California-based, specializing in outdoor garments: International transport only accounts for 1 % total carbon footprint of a product, they believe the real problem comes from the manufacturing process.
Let us see some of the raw materials:
Nylon production emits nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas with a carbon footprint 310 times that of carbon dioxide. Rayon, derived from wood pulp, often relies on clearing old growth forests to make way for water-hungry eucalyptus trees, from which the fiber is derived. Cotton,the most pesticide-dependent crop in the world. It takes one-third of a pound of pesticides to make one t-shirt." In modern society, cotton farming, like any other agricultural products, is
How they produce: As we all know, the carbon footprint of a piece of garment indicates the total greenhouse gas emission of the overall manufacturing and logistic process, from the manufacturer to the hands of consumers. In the industrialized world, Globalization has provided consumers with a larger range of cheaper goods. Some may argue that it has also prolonged the logistic process which constantly contributes to the carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere, as most companies ( even some of the most prestigious ones) in the fashion industry, have conducted the notoriously "outsourcing" process, which aroused public anger in the Western world in the recent years. For instance, the zip of a quality leather jacket might be made in Japan while the other stages of the manufacturing might be completed in China where the jacket will be shipped to Europe.
But is transportation or the place of production(as some of you might have bitterly resented the products "Made in China" ) truly the most influential contributor to the carbon footprint of a garment ? The answer is Nay.
According to Patagonia, California-based, specializing in outdoor garments: International transport only accounts for 1 % total carbon footprint of a product, they believe the real problem comes from the manufacturing process.
Let us see some of the raw materials:
Nylon production emits nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas with a carbon footprint 310 times that of carbon dioxide. Rayon, derived from wood pulp, often relies on clearing old growth forests to make way for water-hungry eucalyptus trees, from which the fiber is derived. Cotton,the most pesticide-dependent crop in the world. It takes one-third of a pound of pesticides to make one t-shirt." In modern society, cotton farming, like any other agricultural products, is