Dixie Walker

Advocating for the Earth where textiles are concerned is a challenging task. Consider the facts:

• The textile industry is the second largest polluter in the world. • Textile production is the second largest consumer of water worldwide. • From cotton seed to finished garment, a pair of jeans requires 20,000 liters of water. • The farming of crops for textile production makes liberal use of poisonous pesticides. Cotton farming alone accounts for 20% of global pesticide use. • Textile dyeing and finishing is responsible for 20% of global water pollution. • 80% of textile production wastewater is returned to the environment untreated.

This is not a pretty picture, for sure. But even more disconcerting is the matter of textile waste:

• The average American consumer throws away 81 pounds of textiles a year. This is the equivalent of one garbage truck full of fabric unloading at an incinerator or landfill every second. • It can take 200 years for textiles to decompose in a landfill. During that time, textiles generate greenhouse methane gas and leach toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and soil. • Half of the textiles produced today are polyester, which is most often manufactured from petroleum.

These fabrics release micro plastics into the environment as they decompose or burn. An estimated 10% of the micro plastics found in the ocean come from textiles. What, then, shall we wear? From clothing to bedding to home furnishings and beyond, fabric touches nearly every aspect of our lives. Living without textiles is not a feasible option. So, how can we begin to heal our environment from this pollution?

• Buy less, and use longer. • Buy the best quality you can afford, to ensure the items have a longer life. Boycott cheap fast fashion. • Buy organic natural fiber fabrics whenever possible. • Avoid petroleum based fabrics (polyester, nylon, acrylic) when an organic natural fiber alternative is available. • Buy secondhand. Thrift stores and online used clothing companies are excellent environmental options. • Reuse. Give your textiles another chance as an up-cycled garment or utilitarian rag. • Donate usable clothing and shoes to reputable resellers. These companies routinely sort donations into what has sales potential and what can be recycled. • Examine store take back programs and use them if they are environmentally friendly. • Lobby your state and local governments to enact laws prohibiting textiles in landfills and incinerators.

Massachusetts recently put into effect such a law; other states can follow suit.

The 81 blue reused fabric pieces in this artwork represent the pounds of useful fabric one American throws away each year. Whether burned or left to decompose, this “trash” threatens our health and the health of the planet. The Advocate archetype urges you to be a part of the solution. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Textile Blues: Trashing the Planet 2022 20” x 34” Patchwork NFS