Textiles is the second most polluting industry in the world. That’s why at Eticlò we only use sustainable fabrics and processes.

How much water does a t-shirt consume? And how much for a pair of jeans?

It’s hard to tell. What is sure, however, is that the textile industry is now globally recognized also for being one of the main users of water in the world.

“Water use is high, often in water-scarce areas – says Ellen MacArthur Foundation – . Textiles production (including cotton farming) uses around 93 billion cubic metres of water annually, representing 4% of global freshwater withdrawal (World Bank, AQUASTAT, and FAO, Dataset: Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (2014)). Clothing accounts for over twothirds of this water use. At present, many of the key cotton-producing countries are under high water stress, including China, India, the US, Pakistan, and Turkey.86 In China, 80% to 90% of fabric, yarn, and plastic-based fibres are made in water-scarce or water-stressed regions.

Beyond production, washing clothing using washing machines is estimated to require an additional 20 billion cubic metres of water per year globally”.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation, A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future, (2017, http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications)

Among the solutions that have been globally  appointed for the reduction of water consumption, the most persuasive is moving to circular production systems; a perfect circularity applied to supply chain would clearly minimize wastes.

However, also the use of organic fibers – a more pragmatic and feasible solution in the short term – can significantly contribute to reducing the impact of the supply chain on the environment.

The cultivation of cotton according to organic farming, in fact, by the cd. crop rotation (a practice in which each piece of land is dedicated to different crops over the years), makes the soil more fertile and reduces its water requirements.

Moreover, organic farming does not use any pesticides so it preserves aquifers,from being polluted as it happens with conventional agriculture.

A radical change in the textile industry is necessary, but probably not immediate.

However, while waiting for a global move to new industrial solutions, it is possible to make concrete choices in order to minimize the impact of our purchases on the environment.