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The Lifecycle of Jeans
By Jolie Tran
Cotton is amongst the highest grown crop, making up 3-5% of the world’s farm land (Agbenegah, 2011). The main areas of cotton production for jeans are in India and China. In order for any pair of jeans to be created, cotton is required and is the main component. This step of its lifecycle is very resource intensive and many consider it to be environmentally unjust. In order for farmers to grow quality cotton, insecticides and pesticides are often used. Insecticides being sprayed on cotton account for approximately one quarter of the world’s pesticide use, costing approximately $2.6 billion US dollars annually (Snyder, 2008). Although these chemicals are used religiously in the farming industry, the environmental damage it causes is often overlooked. Pesticides can contaminate different vegetation, as well as soil and water (Interdisciplinary Toxicology, 2009). Additionally, these chemicals can be toxic to other living organisms such as fish, birds, beneficial insects and other plants (World Health Organization, 2016).
One of the main social impacts is farmers being unable to read the English precautionary warning labels on these chemicals. In countries where people do not read English, farmers often ignore these labels. In ten percent of agricultural fatalities, pesticide poisoning is the cause of illness and even death (Snyder, 2008). Pesticides used in cotton production can also have adverse effects on the crops due to pests becoming more resistance to these chemicals (Rosival, 1985).
Once the cotton is harvested, it is then transported to factories where it is to be transformed into cotton thread. Half a meter of thread can contain fibers from various farms worldwide (e.g. Turkey, Pakistan, Textas, India, etc.) (Snyder, 2008). The initial environmental issue with this is the greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide from transporting these fibers. This ultimately contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer and rising of ocean water levels.
Another environmental concern with the production of jeans are the dyes used to colour the fabric. The most commonly used dye is ‘indigo’ and despite being a natural dye, the colour has recently been synthetically produced (Levi Strauss and Co., 2012). Indigo dye always needs to be applied on the fabric to achieve a blue hue in any pair of jeans. In order to do so, textile mills utilise close-by water sources to break down excess dye, treat, and wash the cotton fabric (Levi Strauss and Co., 2012). The pollution of water from the discharge of dye is common and although governments require factories to remove the colour from the water, residue from the sulfur is still present. This residue effects the natural state of the water (e.g. toxicity, oxygen levels, salt levels) (Snyder, 2008). These changes in levels can impact the existence of marine organisms.
For synthetic dyes, a sulfur based blend is the least expensive and most common amongst factories worldwide. Sulfur can have a serious impact on the natural environment where its waste is discharged and it also can effect on the health of those who regularly work the chemical (Snyder, 2008). Some of the recorded human health issues include various forms of cancer (e.g. nasal and bladder) (Snyder, 2008). To help combat this issue, the European program (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals) was implemented to identify harmful chemicals in the textile industry (European Chemicals Agency, n.d.). This helps to ensure the sustainability of human health.
A notable example in recent history was the contamination of the Pearl River Delta, located in Guangzhou, China. In 2010, American news channel, CNN, reported that a large number of textile mills and factories have been dumpling their waste into this river. The result of this caused major issues regarding the ecosystem, where multiple witnesses recall seeing an unnatural blue hue as a result of a denim factory located nearby.
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The manufacturing of jeans hold the most manual labor out of all processes in a jean’s lifecycle. Many different jean brands typically manufacture their garments in third world countries (e.g. China, Bangladesh, India, etc.) where human right and factory-working standards are not met (Miller, 2015). Companies choose to manufacture in third-world countries so lower costs as there is always an abundance of cheap labor and human rights ethics are not often considered. These factories are referred to as sweatshops where a high percentage of women and children are required to exert labor for long hours (up to 18 hours per day) (Powell, 2012). In these cases, workers receive wages that are well below the minimum standard, which is clearly an example of exploitation to meet consumer demands. For example, a Bangladesh sweatshop that produces jeans, pays children as little as $10.70 per month, where the minimum wage is supposed to be $69.00 (McAteer, 2015). These partial wages are not economically sustainable for both adults and children and does not account for the welfare and physical/mental health of those employed.
Similarly to any brand marketed world-wide, environmental impacts are always present as the use is transportation to distribute products is required. In order for consumers to purchase jeans, the stock must first be transported and distributed to stores through various means of transport such as planes and trucks. As the demand for jeans continues to increase, the role of transportation has expanded its emission of pollutants in the environment. Vehicles such as planes and trucks pollute by emitting emissions that affect the quality of air, thus damaging human health. These health related issues from vehicle air pollutants include respiratory, cancer, neurological and cardiovascular diseases (Rodrigue, 2017). The chemical nitrogen oxide is a byproduct that is released by motor vehicles. When released into the atmosphere, it becomes mixed with cloud water, thus creating acid rain. This form of precipitation has a damaging impact on the build environment, causing forest decline and reducing the yield of agricultural crops (Rodrigue, 2017). Furthermore, there is an ongoing argument regarding these emissions and the extent to which they are linked to climate change. According to Smith (2010), nitrous oxide also contributes to the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, a layer protecting the earth from ultraviolet radiation.
Another environmental impact from this lifecycle stage is the creation of smog. Smog is the mixture of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and other chemical pollutants from vehicles can create smog (. Smog can reduce visibility and has other opposing effects on the quality of life such as respiratory ailments (National Geographic, n.d.). Overall, the social and environmental impacts of this stage in the lifecycle of jeans are considerable and should be always considered whilst purchasing a pair of jeans, especially if it is imported internationally.
The consumer use step in the lifecycles of jeans has one of the greatest impact on the environment. The frequency and method of how individuals wash their jeans and other clothes adds to the environmental impact and water wastage. According to Ross (2015), washing machines leave carbon footprints, pollute water systems and contribute to water and energy wastage. When consumers wash their jeans, electricity is used to begin the washing process and generate heat. If the consumer prefers doing their laundry in hot water, 90% of the energy consumed is required to heat it up (Ross, 2015). In terms of chemical polluting the environment, chemicals such as bleach and detergent can contaminate clean sources of water and produce toxic fumes. Inhaling or consuming these fumes has also been linked to health issues such as allergies, cancer, and even birth defects (Ross, 2015). In terms of the environmental impact, phosphates found in detergents are often released into water systems after a load of washing is completed. This promotes the growth of algal blooms and causes imbalances to natural marine ecosystems (Cohen & Keiser, 2012). Research has also shown that washing and drying a 5 kilogram load of clothes every second day, produces 440 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year (Berners-Lee and Clark, 2010). If the temperature is 40 degrees Celsius, the majority of the carbon footprint is produced during the drying phase. Thus, it would be more eco-friendly for consumers to let their jeans and other garments air dry naturally.
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Unfortunately, like most other items in fashion, the unused scraps of material (denim, zips, buttons, thread, etc.) and chemicals are thrown out in public landfills close by to these factories. Although it may not seem like scraps are harmful, these landfills possess a series of environmental hazards. This is due to the chemicals such as carcinogens and sodium hydroxide being disposed of in these landfills. Harsh chemicals such as sodium hydroxide is known to cause severe rashes and even chemical burns (International Finance Corporation, 2007). Furthermore, there are also social impacts that occur due to the dumping of denim and textile scraps. For example, in 2009, Taiwanese suppliers of denim for the American clothing brand GAP, were caught illegally disposing tons of textile scraps in a nearby community (Howden, 2010). It was common for the factory workers to set their waste alight, thus causing damaging respiratory and eye issues with those residing nearby. Fumes from illegally setting fumes alight have adverse impacts on both the environment and socially.
Although less common, consumers also recycle and re-use their used jeans by either repurposing it or donating their garments to someone else. This method has been present for many generations and was originally used as consumers wanted to save money (Fletcher, 2008). Despite the economic benefits, this habit has declined in the modern day due to jeans now being more affordable and consumers wanting to keep up with more modern trends (Cline, 2014). According to the Environmental Protection Agency (2015), reducing and reusing helps to prevent pollution as the demand to harvest raw materials such as denim reduces. It also reduces the contribution to climate change and helps consumers to sustain the current environmental state for future generations.
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