"Low-Carbon Dressing" A New National Concept for Environmental Protection
Release Time:
2011-05-19 18:30
Source:
China Laundry Journal
In recent times, new terms such as "low-carbon society," "low-carbon economy," and "low-carbon industry" have flooded the media. Among them, the term "low-carbon dressing," which is closely related to our laundry and dyeing industry, has gradually become popular. The editors of this publication believe that laundry and dyeing practitioners should have at least a basic understanding and awareness of this concept.
A piece of clothing emits carbon dioxide and impacts the environment throughout its lifecycle—from raw material production to manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal. Taking an ordinary pair of polyester pants as an example, it emits 47 kilograms of carbon dioxide over its "lifetime," which is 117 times its own weight. Recently, organizations such as the Jane Goodall (Beijing) Environmental and Cultural Exchange Center conducted a survey on the dressing habits of 2,294 people in four cities nationwide and released the "'Clothing Annual Rings' Low-Carbon Dressing Research Report," calling on people to pay attention to the carbon emissions of clothing.
Frequent purchase of new clothes is not environmentally friendly
Ms. Hong, a white-collar worker, strongly agrees with the "LOHAS" lifestyle. She always carries an eco-friendly bag in her handbag for unexpected needs; she tries to take the subway or bus when traveling; and when buying household appliances, she always chooses those with energy efficiency ratings of level one or two. However, like many fashion-loving girls, she loves buying clothes. "Whenever there is a sale at the mall, I always go shopping with my friends. Now, clothes in online stores are quite affordable, and I buy one or two pieces almost every week or two. My wardrobe at home is now somewhat full," she told reporters.
What she does not realize is that frequently buying new clothes is actually an environmentally unfriendly behavior. An ordinary piece of clothing emits carbon dioxide and impacts the environment throughout its lifecycle—from raw material to fabric, from garment production to logistics, from use to final disposal. Therefore, in the "'Clothing Annual Rings' Low-Carbon Dressing Research Report," organizations such as the Jane Goodall (Beijing) Environmental and Cultural Exchange Center proposed the concept of "Clothing Annual Rings." The so-called "Clothing Annual Rings" refers to the carbon emission index of clothing, used to measure the total carbon emissions during the lifespan of each garment, as well as the average annual carbon emissions.
Natural fabrics consume less energy
According to calculations by the Environmental Resources Management company, a pair of polyester pants weighing about 400 grams, assuming its raw materials are produced in Taiwan, China, made into garments in Indonesia, and finally shipped to the UK for sale, with a lifespan of two years, washed 92 times in a washing machine using 50°C warm water; dried in a dryer after washing, and ironed for an average of two minutes. By this calculation, the energy consumed over its "lifetime" is about 200 kilowatt-hours, equivalent to emitting 47 kilograms of carbon dioxide, which is 117 times its own weight.
In contrast, natural fabrics such as cotton and linen are not artificially synthesized from petroleum and other raw materials like synthetic fibers, so they consume relatively less energy and produce fewer pollutants. According to research from the Manufacturing Institute of the University of Cambridge, UK, a 250-gram pure cotton T-shirt emits about 7 kilograms of carbon dioxide over its "lifetime," which is 28 times its own weight, not including the environmental pollution caused by the T-shirt.
"Low-Carbon Dressing" Small Suggestions
Research shows that buying one less piece of clothing on average saves energy use equivalent to reducing about 7 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.
In fabric selection, hemp fiber fabric is more environmentally friendly than cotton fabric. Research from the University of Melbourne shows that hemp fabric has 50% less ecological impact than cotton fabric. Fabrics made from bamboo fiber and flax also save more water and pesticides during production compared to cotton fabric.
When purchasing clothing, especially children's clothing, it is best to choose white, light-colored, unprinted, or small-patterned clothes. These types of clothes use fewer chemical additives in processing, making them not only more environmentally friendly but also healthier for the human body.
At the same time, when buying clothes, avoid additional features such as wrinkle resistance, non-iron, waterproof, and stain resistance, as these are usually achieved using chemical agents.
In clothing use, try to reduce the number of washes and replace machine washing with hand washing. Research shows that replacing one machine wash with hand washing can reduce carbon emissions by 0.26 kilograms; if all washing machines nationwide are used one less time per month, it can reduce carbon emissions by 550,000 tons per year. Additionally, more environmentally friendly washing methods include lowering washing temperatures, replacing drying machines with natural air drying, and reducing ironing.
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