Visiting the store we often end up looking at the tag that mentions ‘winkle-free’, ‘stain resistant’ etc etc. But with the benefits the piece of clothing is tagged with, we don’t ask ourselves if they are pollution free or carbon emission resistant. Fashion comes with a dizzying array of weights, stretch factors, colours but this huge diversity of choices is also one of the biggest waste contributing industry. The industry is overrun by polyester, acrylic, nylon, acetate and various other synthetic fabrics making the ocean somewhat of a stretch-less dumping ground.
The first reason primarily is because synthetic fabrics are cheaper and faster to produce. These advantage traits have led industries to produce double, triple the quantities the populace needs. The manufacturing process hence releases the overwhelming amount of chemicals, waste and carbon emissions. Because synthetic fabrics, for the most part, are derived from oil, coal and natural gas. Oil derivative materials release elements such as sodium hydroxide and carbon disulphate hugely impacting lives both on land and in water.
Synthetic fabrics in their manufacturing process spill tons of thousands of litres of crude oil every year devastating marine lives, the very part of our planet that requisite the carbon emissions, the oceans. And if you think oceans only comprise of salty water and millions of organism living under it and that it has no part to your living, then you couldn’t be more mistaken. Oceans generate half of the oxygen we breathe, absorbs the carbon we emit. In addition, photosynthesis by phytoplankton in the sunlit surface water turns the carbon we emit into organic. An ocean of blessing for an ocean!
Known synthetic fabrics such as nylon use three times more energy than the conventional cotton. Water hence gets more polluted every day because the machinery used requires lubricants and dyes that goes down the drain and ultimately to the ocean. The whole manufacturing process to make synthetic fabrics runs on natural gas, coal, natural gas which is the non-renewable resource.
Not only do synthetic fabrics add to the harm of the environment it also takes away a resource that cannot be replenished. The overall verdict; the spandex is not worth it! Because no fit of a body can fit away from a life without a clean air to breathe or a clean water to drink.
Say yes to organic fibres, save the local business, don’t let more community be displaced than it already has!
Comments
Post a Comment