Everything you want to know about the sustainability of the textile and fashion industry
Conventional cotton cultivation is associated with the use of vast quantities of hazardous chemicals, accounting for approximately 4% of global pesticide use and 10% of insecticide use. The residues from these pesticides and insecticides leach into the soil and eventually end up in groundwater basins as well as surrounding bodies of water, causing harm to the environment such as poor soil health and contaminated waters. Additionally, it has been reported that air pollution due to pesticides can be detected at great distances away from the source of use, an alarming finding further supporting the need to take action to address this widespread issue with tremendous interlinked impacts on the overall health of the planet and global population.
This review examines the significant presence of pesticide residues in leather products, as detailed in the study by Jinlan Dai et al. (2020), and explores the broader implications for the fast fashion industry and the shift towards sustainable fashion practices.
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Cotton is ubiquitous and widely used throughout the world in the textile and garment industry. However, cotton production can lead to adverse impacts on both human health and the environment due in large part to pesticide use during production.
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