Research in the International Journal of Global Warming has looked at the study, the carbon footprint of t-shirts made from different materials. The textile and clothing industry is vast and so has a significant impact on climate change through gathering resources, processing and manufacturing of products, and supply to the market. The team undertaking the work is based at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, and examines the entire lifecycle of these popular garments whether made from the wholly natural fibre, cotton, the semi-synthetic material viscose, or entirely synthetic polyester. They consider the various stages from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal.
Junran Liu, Yiqi Guo, Ying Zhang, and Laili Wang, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University worked with Lirong Sun of the Office for Social Responsibility of China National Textile and Apparel Council in Beijing, and Wei Bao of the College of Textile and Clothing at Qingdao University, in Shandong. The team unravelled the various costs in terms of resources and energy and found that the manufacturing of yarn of any time, used in fabric production, plays a significant role in the carbon footprint of a t-shirt. Yarn manufacture accounts for up to a half of the total emissions associated with these clothing products. Fabric manufacturing phase contributes to about 20 percent of the carbon footprint. The t-shirt’s usage phase, which encompasses washing and drying, accounts for between 31 and 48 percent of the carbon footprint. In other words, production energy is the primary driver of carbon emissions when it comes to t-shirts.
The researchers point out that there is a positive impact of using plant-derived fibres, such as cotton and viscose, in offsetting greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration by the source plants as they grow. Of course, at end-of-life, the materials must somehow find a secondary use in recycling or be landfilled rather than burnt, otherwise that stored carbon is released into the atmosphere once more.
The work has implications for manufacturers and consumers. Companies aiming to decrease the carbon footprint of their t-shirts should focus on making their production technologies more sustainable by increasing their use of renewable energy sources, for instance. Similarly, consumers should aim to use renewable energy to do their laundry as well as using detergents that allow them to wash their clothes effectively at low temperature. Moreover, care and repair might usefully extend the life of a t-shirt despite its superficial nature when compared to more formal or fashion clothing.
This kind of study underscores the urgency with which we need to work together to have the clothes we need but also to address the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
Liu, J., Sun, L., Guo, Y., Bao, W., Zhang, Y. and Wang, L. (2023) ‘Carbon footprint of t-shirts made of cotton, polyester or viscose’, Int. J. Global Warming, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp.271–281.