Overconsumption Issues

Overconsumption of Clothes - Social and Environmental Impacts

Though Farming:
· decreases in earth’s water balance
· cotton farming can reduce soil fertility, lead to soil salinisation, cause pest resistance, pollute water and presents a risk to biodiversity
Use of hazardous pesticides can contaminate ground water and can cause chronic health problems like sexual dysfunction, headaches and convulsions. Small scale cotton farmers in developing countries most of the time do not have any protective gear or the storage facilities to avoid poisoning. Cotton farmers are part of the rural poor and experience 99 per cent of pesticide deaths.
Through spinning, weaving and knitting:
· uses a lot of energy, produce solid waste and generate dust and noise
· involves the use of lubricants and oils (to strengthen and protect the fibres during production), which are then removed before the next production phase which uses a huge amount of water and even more chemicals
Fabric finishing:
· uses significant quantities of water, energy and chemicals (most of which are known as hormone disrupters) and produces substantial amounts of effluent
· bleaching is also used for most colouring. Chlorine based bleach is toxic and has negative effects on the immune system and reproductive system. (While it is not permitted in Germany and has largely been substituted by other methods throughout the rest of Europe, practice is still common worldwide)
· other bleach methods such as hydrogen peroxide is six times more expensive and is only active at temperatures above 60°C, which makes this bleaching process energy intensive
· dyes are based on petrochemicals, which are non renewable resources and pose many risks to human health and the environment 40,000 to 50,000 tons of dye into rivers etc annually
· after dye washing requires large amounts of water, which then turns into a highly coloured and polluted effluent
Transport between different processors adds to the carbon emissions.
The way we wash, dry and care for our clothes and creates a bulk of environmental impact. Moreover, most products created in the process are not biodegradable, and many consumers do not properly dispose of clothes at the end of its life increasing pollution levels everyday

The Impacts on workers through traditional trade mechanisms:
· the 'mobility' of the industry uses the cheapest labour possible. Competition to find the cheapest labour puts downward pressure on labour rights and working conditions
· the downward pressure on prices has increased, with the removal of the trade protection barriers in the textile and garment sector in January 2005.
· use of child labour, temporary contracts, absence of employment contracts, delayed payments and sexual harassment, insufficient provision of knowledge about employee rights and the denial to form associations are all part of social implications

Moreover, the traditional trade model usually involves processes that are dangerous to the health of workers and the environment. This is due to pesticide and chemical use during production, toxic waste, and waste from the final products and excessive packaging.

Take Action: Reduce your consumption patterns, reduce your waste, reuse and recycle products, turn to organic and non-synthetic fabrics and ethically made fair trade products. The rest of the blog is there to educate and guide you in this process through explanations of each action, highlights of the existing movement, innovative ideas, and fun activities! Have fun!

Great resources and links below:
Claudio L., 2007, Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry, Environ Health Perspective http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/115-9/focus.html
Kate Fletcher, 2008, Sustainable Fashion & Textiles, Earthscan, London
Lee M., Eco Chic: How To Be Ethical And Easy On The Eye, Gaia Books Ltd, UK, 2007
Tilford D., 2008, Sustainable Consumption: Why Consumption Matters, Sierra Club,
http://www.sierraclub.org/sustainable_consumption/
Hartog M., 2008, Overconsumption and Health,
http://student.bmj.com/back_issues/1101/education/408.html
Vlais R., 2007, Overconsumption: Everyone's Problem, Living Ethically and Sustainably, http://www.leas.green.net.au/overconsumption.html
Nathalie, 2009, Make, Do and Mend, Overconsumption of Clothes,
http://www.make-do-and-mend.org/overconsumption_of_clothes__2.html