From polluted rivers to greenhouse gas emissions, producing a colorful item of clothing has a much higher environmental cost than we imagine. Let's find out together what chemical substances are used, their consequences on the environment and human health, and what sustainable alternatives are emerging

Behind every color that brightens up our wardrobe is a complex, heavily polluting industrial process: dyeing. It caters to one of our favorite needs, which is fashion and making a statement, but it comes at a tremendous cost to the environment.

A water-intensive industry

According to the World Resources Institute, it takes some five trillion liters of water each year for dyeing fabrics alone in the apparel industry. In conventional methods of fabric dyeing, textiles are submerged into vats that are pre-filled with immense volumes of water and chemicals. The practice depletes the invaluable natural resources and also results in extreme pollution of rivers and lakes.

The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that fashion is responsible for 20% of the world’s industrial water pollution. The wastewater from dyeing contains dyes, heavy metals like mercury and cadmium, salts, and acids all able to contaminate groundwater and destroy aquatic life. An astonishing estimated 52.8 gallons of water is used to produce 2.2 pounds of dyed fabric—a huge amount considering areas where clean water is already in short supply.Also, greenhouse gas emissions are given off by heating the water, running machinery, and manufacturing chemicals-all contributing to global warming. Synthetic fabrics release microplastics into the ocean when washed, which is toxic to marine life and eventually works its way up the food chain. In all, fashion generates 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Fast fashion problem

This factor is terrible for the environment, as the fast fashion business model is based on the speedy, low-cost production of garments. Continuous new collections create an insatiable cycle of exploitation of resources and generation of waste. According to a 2019 World Bank study, the textile industry-so closely associated with fast fashion-creates over $100 billion of unsold inventory each year, much of which ends up in landfills.

The industrial dyes released are azoic, reactive, and disperse dyes, which equally pose health and environmental hazards. Azoic dyes might emit carcinogenic elements in their manufacture, while reactive dyes can give off harmful chlorinated organic compounds. Additionally, disperse dyes resist removal and tend to persist in the environment, hence leading to problems of bioaccumulation.

Innovative solution

The challenges notwithstanding, textile dyeing nowadays is an industry that is growing into greener dimensions. New, emerging technologies within the field of digital dyeing give very promising prospects. This system applies color directly onto fabrics, utilizing much lower water and chemical use, hence providing much lower levels of pollution.

Other methodologies, too, use natural dyes sourced from plants, roots, and organic materials. Most of these dyes are less harmful to the environment and reduce dependence on injurious chemicals. Circular economy models for reuse and recycling of textiles, coupled with bioreactor technology with color-fixing abilities, would go a long way in making the textile sector more sustainable.

The role of the consumer in bringing about change

Our decisions as consumers can help build a more sustainable fashion industry. Choices such as products made with sustainable processes and investing in durable, high-quality garments are crucial to minimizing environmental impact. This will make all the difference by extending the life of our clothes through repairs, swaps, or donations, and reducing the use of detergents and frequent washing. Our choices change corporate policy and push the textile industry to be more responsible.