Author: Ankitha Mohan
Chinmaya International Residential School
Abstract
The purpose of this research paper was to examine the extent to which the textile industry pollutes the environment and to propose new and existing solutions to the problem. The textile industry is one of the world's largest industries and employs millions of people, but its processes generate a great deal of pollution (water, air, soil, noise). This paper examines three facets. Firstly, the majority of this industry's carbon emissions are produced by the dying process, which accounts for approximately 36% of emissions (2018 Environmental Impact of the Global Apparel and Footwear Industries Study, 2018). Now, renewable energies such as solar and wind are subsequently substituting fossil fuels. There are now devices that use biosolids from sewage as boiler fuel. Smaller businesses use electric heating systems. This significantly decreases energy consumption and carbon emissions, thereby increasing cost savings. The second factor is coloring methods. The effluents produced (chlorinated solvents, alcohols and esters, and hydrocarbon solvents) are extremely hazardous to worker health and the environment. The dyeing process produces wastewater that contaminates water bodies and harms aquatic life. With constantly improving technology, new dyeing techniques such as digital printing, oxygen-based bleaching, cotton pretreatment techniques, vat dyeing techniques, and plasma dyeing techniques have emerged. These reduce the use of chemicals, water consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions, produce high-quality textiles, and increase firm profits. The third component is the circular economy, in which waste from one industry can be used as raw materials in another. Today, producers use agricultural waste as fuel in their broilers, resulting in zero net carbon emissions. Pinatex and other alternatives to cotton have been developed, but their widespread use has not yet begun. Moreover, people's desire to own new clothing has shifted; they now desire access to the latest fashions, resulting in the rapid expansion of rental services and thrift stores. This study is a surefire way to help us recognise and reflect upon how each of our actions has altered the very world we inhabit.
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