Better to buy fewer garments, wash clothes less often: Global research

“Buying fewer clothes and washing less frequently are undoubtedly beneficial. And it even saves you money," she says.

Filling the washing machine to its full capacity and avoiding ironing help reduce the environmental impacts of textiles, she says.

Scherer collaborated with scientists from China, Norway, Australia, Sweden and the United States to study the environmental impacts of cotton. Their paper was published in the peer-reviewed journal ‘Nature Reviews Earth & Environment’.

"In the US, for example, the energy grids are carbon-intensive and people have the habit of frequently washing and machine-drying. In that case, the use phase can exceed the production phase in its contribution to the carbon footprint of jeans. In contrast, in a country like Sweden where the energy is cleaner, clothes are worn longer before washing, and air-drying is more common, the use phase contributes relatively little to the overall carbon footprint of jeans," says Scherer.

How big the environmental impacts of our jeans and t-shirts are depends on the country, the cotton cultivation, the manufacturing and use of the product.

At the cultivation stage, the impacts vary depending on the levels of irrigation, pesticide and fertilizer applications. At the textile manufacturing stage, impacts depend on energy infrastructure and manufacturing technologies. And the impacts of the use phase vary based on consumers behaviour.

Analysing and comparing these stages, the research team suggested opportunities for farmers, manufacturers and consumers to improve the environmental sustainability of cotton textiles.

Often it is the production of cotton garments that dominates the environmental impacts, Scherer says.

"We compared cotton to several alternative fibers, both natural and synthetic ones. But it's difficult to judge if these are better as studies usually do not take consumer behaviour into account. Materials might differ in how often they need to be washed or how long they can be used. This influences their overall impact. So, more research is needed," she says.

Instead of buying less clothes made from certain fibers, it's better to buy less in general, she suggests.

"A transition from fast to slow fashion demands changes in product design, marketing and consumer behaviour," she adds.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)