Across Two Generations, China has yielded 01 Gigaton of Clothes

Research, by the Tsinghua University of China, mapping textile fibre flows and stocks in China from 1978 to 2022, a period of rapid economic and societal development in China, has asserted the fact that China has produced more than a gigaton of textile fibres equivalent to 1 billion tons (1,000,000,000 or 10,00,00,00,00,000 Kilograms) roughly twice the total human mass on the planet.

Zhu Bing, researcher along with a professor of chemical engineering at Tsinghua University, said: “We are the first team to quantify the entire supply chain of the sector in China in such a dynamic and comprehensive way”. Zhu, who also heads Tsinghua’s Institute for Circular Economy, added that the research, which produced a massive amount of data, could lay the foundation for further research and policymaking, such as enabling a more accurate assessment of the recycling potential of waste.

The global annual production of textile fibre has more than tripled from 33 million tons in 1975 to 116 million tons in 2022 and is projected to grow by an additional 27% by 2030. The industry is grappling with serious environmental challenges. The fashion industry contributes 2% to 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, and 92 million tons of waste were generated in 2015 alone.

Textile fibres fall into three broad categories: synthetic, natural and artificial cellulosic. The production of synthetic fibres made from primary polymers – whether derived from petrochemical sources or agricultural crops – emits large amounts of carbon. In addition, the consumption and use of synthetic fibre products cause microplastic pollution. The other two categories are derived from plant and animal sources. Natural fibres, such as cotton, hemp, wool and silk, require large amounts of water and soil, and rely on pesticides for cultivation. Artificial cellulosic fibres are the product of specific chemical treatments and reconstitutions of natural polymers, particularly cellulose, but their production involves harmful chemicals.

As a group of British scientists pointed out in an article published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology last year, the environmental impacts of the fashion and textile industry are notoriously difficult to quantify due to the scale of its globalised supply chains. “Establishing a complete understanding of this industry’s global environmental footprint, and communicating it effectively, therefore has considerable potential in advancing, and clarifying, the public understanding of sustainability”, the British team said.

Although many countries and regions are now advocating the idea of “circular fashion”, Zhu said textile industry governance should be considered within a broader socio-economic context. “Society should oppose fast fashion practices, while also promoting consumption and striking a balance between international trade and the recycling and utilisation of discarded textiles to achieve sustainability”.

He said that their research aimed to “highlight the complexity of this system and provide a scientific foundation for the formulation of future policies”, suggesting that policymakers “consider the entire supply chain and its connections with many other industries”.

Team Maverick