| Non-organic cotton and polyester make up | | | | the long term, a variety of health effects are possible. |
| approximately 80% of all fiber production globally. | | | | There are convincing connections between pesticides |
| Approximately 10,000-17,000 L of water is required to | | | | and an increased risk of developing a variety of solid |
| produce 1 Kg of cotton lint. This heavy water | | | | tumors such as brain cancer, kidney cancer, lung |
| requirement has led to water shortages in many areas | | | | cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and other |
| of the world such as the Aral Sea. | | | | cancers such as non-Hodgkins lymphoma, leukemia as |
| Over 73% of cotton fields world wide are irrigated | | | | well as reproductive effects including: birth defects, |
| (Kooistra and Termorshuizen, 2006). Improper irrigation | | | | fecundity, fetal death, and intrauterine growth |
| techniques such as flood-furrow lead to salinisation. | | | | retardation (Sanborn et al, 2004). |
| Salinisation is a condition which occurs through | | | | And these are just the long term effects of chronic or |
| evaporation. Water contains minerals such as salt. If | | | | low level exposure to pesticides. In many third world |
| water is not allowed to penetrate the soil, that water | | | | countries, application of pesticides by hand spraying is |
| evaporates, leaving behind the mineral salts. If this | | | | common and this type of close contact with highly |
| happens repeatedly, minerals will build up in the soil top | | | | concentrated pesticides can have far more dramatic |
| layer. This salt build up will make the soil inhospitable to | | | | consequences. It has been estimated that at the global |
| continued agriculture activity. An estimated 100 million | | | | level 40,000 lives are lost annually due to pesticide |
| hectares has been abandoned by farmers due to | | | | application (WHO, 2002), representing 10% of all |
| salinisation and cotton is the main crop involved in this | | | | casualties in the agricultural sector (ILO, 1997). |
| arable land loss. | | | | Now let's discuss polyester. The main raw material |
| Conventional cotton consumes 11% of the world's | | | | used to produce polyester is oil. Oil is non-renewable |
| pesticides and 24% of the world's insecticides, despite | | | | so obviously, polyester production is not sustainable. |
| the fact that cotton only uses 2.4% of total arable land. | | | | Polyester is also not biodegradable. Any polyester |
| Additionally pesticide and insecticide use is difficult to | | | | textiles that end up in the land-fill will remain there for a |
| control due to its broad blanket application. | | | | very long time. |
| Because land application of pesticides and insecticides | | | | Close to 12 billion pounds of post consumer textile |
| is difficult to control serious collateral damage to | | | | waste ends up in our land-fills every single year (EPA, |
| environment is common. For example, it is estimated | | | | 2008). With approximately half of this textile waste |
| that pesticides unintentionally kill approximately 67 million | | | | being non-biodegradable polyester, the implications are |
| birds each year (Lotus, 2004). | | | | obvious. |
| Pesticides are highly persistent and as such, will stay | | | | Polyester production is an energy hog. Approximately |
| around in ground water for a long time. This can lead | | | | 80 GJ of energy is required to produce one metric ton |
| to pesticides entering our drinking water and slowly | | | | of polyester amounting to green house gas (GHG) |
| poisoning us. For example, Tariq (2003) reported wide | | | | emissions of approximately 5.5 mt CO2 per mt |
| spread pesticide contamination of groundwater due to | | | | polyester (Robert Smith, Lenzing Fibers). |
| cotton cultivation in Pakistan and India. Pesticide | | | | The textile industry is very important to developing |
| contamination isn't just a third world problem. On Prince | | | | economies. However, in its current state it is simply |
| Edward Island, Canada, 110 domestic wells have been | | | | unsustainable. Conventional cotton is polluting our |
| monitored since 2004 for pesticides. Pesticides were | | | | eco-systems, destroying our bio-diversity and poisoning |
| detected in 7.5% of domestic wells in 2004 and has | | | | our populations. Polyester is a big contributor to GHG |
| steadily increased to over 15% in 2007 (Government | | | | emissions and choking our land-fills. |
| of PEI, 2008). | | | | Organic cotton clothing, organic wool, hemp, Tencel, silk |
| Low level exposure to pesticides in drinking water | | | | and bamboo offer a way to meet our fashion needs |
| won't likely have immediate effects on our health but in | | | | in a responsible manner. |