In Australia, 6,000kg of clothing is dumped in landfill every 10 minutes. This is the life cycle of a polyester T-shirt
www.abc.net.au
Many of us are now dressed head to toe in plastic thanks to the invention of cheap and durable textiles like polyester. But the extent of the environmental impact from these garments might surprise you — we've tracked the life cycle of a polyester top from an oil field, through to when you chuck it in the bin.

Many of us are now dressed head to toe in plastic.

A textile derived from the same non-renewable source as takeaway containers, has grown to make up more than half of the clothes bought in Australia.

Polyester is durable, cheap, and dries quickly. It’s also easy to print patterns on.

It’s commonly used by itself or as a blend with other textiles. It’s used for gym clothes and sports uniforms, party dresses, work attire, and many cheap fast fashion items.

And every purchase is taking an environmental toll.

One Australian study by RMIT found a single 100 per cent polyester T-shirt has a carbon footprint — from creation through to when you dump it in the bin — equivalent to 20.56 kilograms of CO2 emissions (CO2e).

That’s equivalent to driving 140 kilometres. Buy just six tops, and that gets you all the way from Melbourne to Sydney.

So, what’s involved in getting a T-shirt from a fossil fuel, to the one you might be wearing right now? Here’s its journey along the supply chain.

  • Wiggles@aussie.zoneOP
    6·
    10 months ago

    I think bamboo is a good up and coming fabric. Bamboo grows like a weed so it’s pretty sustainable and I’d say it’s pretty durable as well. I’ve got some bamboo work socks a couple of years ago and they are still going hard. Super soft and comfortable too.

    I don’t think there are heaps of options available in terms of shirts and shorts, pants, etc yet. I’d say the ones that are out there would be more expensive than polyester or even cotton. But hopefully as the industry grows they get cheaper.

    Edit: I think bamboo breathes really well too. Well it at least seems to with those socks I have. So it could be a good fabric for hot weather too.

    • DarkThoughts@kbin.social
      41·
      10 months ago

      Can you machine wash it? A lot of textile “alternatives” that i see often tend to be listed as “hand wash only”.

      And weeds aren’t a thing. It’s just a term used for plants that people don’t want in their gardens.

      • Zagorath@aussie.zoneEnglish
        4·
        10 months ago

        Contextually, “grows like a weed” means “grows really fast and hardily”.

      • Wiggles@aussie.zoneOP
        1·
        10 months ago

        Bamboo is fine to machine wash as far as I know. At least I have always used the washing machine for it and all my stuff is fine.

        To an extent I agree about your perspective on weeds themselves, the only thing I would argue is some plants are pretty invasive and can kill off others, so they are worth removing or at least keeping in check.

    • sil@aussie.zone
      2·
      10 months ago

      I have bamboo sheets and they are great for hotter weather. I find them quite cool.