Sustainability and Consequences of Desire Video
Mass production and consumption of cotton clothing is becoming unsustainable.
Cotton cultivation and textile factories are among the world’s biggest polluters.
The damage is increased by our new global desire for fast fashion: cheaply made garments designed for the latest trends and worn on average only seven times before being thrown out.
Of roughly 100 billion new garments produced every year, 87% end up in landfill. So, how can our clothing choices be more sustainable?
One option is choosing to buy high-quality, handcrafted textiles, such as Indian chintz. But even chintz makers today must innovate to achieve sustainable cotton, color, and design.
India is the world’s largest grower of cotton, but most of the crop is an introduced American species that requires toxic fertilizers and pesticides.
Several non-profit groups now work with some of India’s 30,000,000 cotton farmers to re-introduce native cotton varieties and organic farming practices better suited to India’s natural environments.
In southern India, the non-profit Malkha reconnects small-scale organic cotton farmers to rural spinners, weavers, and dyers.
Together they produce a superior fabric, while also promoting sustainable rural livelihoods.
Natural dyes require large amounts of water, and India’s supply is decreasing.
In Kutch, Gujarat, when rivers dried up, cotton printers innovated with washing tanks, well-water, and filters.
As the water table recedes, printers now turn to collecting rainwater, water-efficient printing techniques, and the creation of a communal water treatment plant.
Some see a future in eco-friendly synthetic dyes.
The Bodhi printing studio has developed a water recapture system for these dyes. It relies on collected rainwater, efficient washing in barrels, and cleaning wastewater with a bio-remedial system that uses canna lily plants.
To lessen the garment industry’s negative impacts, more fashion designers now pursue “slow fashion:” garments made from sustainable quality fabrics, in styles that minimize waste.
In India, growing numbers of designers promote Indian handcrafted textiles.
Prominent labels work with chintz makers to create lines that are both fashionable and sustainable. Even scraps are repurposed.
The fashion label 11.11 emphasizes the time craftspeople invest by identifying individual artisans in the supply chain: from yarn spinner to dyer to stitcher.
So how can your clothing choices contribute to a more sustainable future?
Buy less. Recycle and re-use clothing. Choose quality that endures and support companies that are certified for their sustainable practices.
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