The life cycle of a t-shirt - Angel Chang
TED-Ed・4 minutes read
Two billion t-shirts are sold globally each year, starting production in countries like America, China, or India, requiring large amounts of water and pesticide use. The manufacturing process involves spinning facilities, textile mills, and human labor in countries like Bangladesh, China, India, or Turkey, leading to a significant carbon footprint and global carbon emissions from apparel production.
Insights
- The production of t-shirts involves a complex global supply chain starting from cotton farming in countries like America, China, or India, where significant water usage and pesticide application occur, highlighting environmental impacts and sustainability concerns.
- The process of manufacturing t-shirts involves multiple stages, including spinning, weaving, chemical treatment, dyeing, and stitching, often carried out in countries like Bangladesh, China, India, or Turkey, leading to high carbon emissions from transportation and production, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the fashion industry with environmental issues.
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Recent questions
How many t-shirts are sold annually worldwide?
Two billion t-shirts are sold globally each year.
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Summary
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Global T-Shirt Production and Environmental Impact
- Two billion t-shirts are sold and bought globally each year, with the average t-shirt starting its production on farms in America, China, or India where cotton seeds are grown, harvested, and processed into bales, requiring 2,700 liters of water and significant pesticide use.
- Cotton bales are sent to spinning facilities in China or India where they are transformed into yarn, then to textile mills where they are woven into fabric treated with chemicals and dyes, some of which contain harmful compounds that can contaminate water sources.
- After production, t-shirts are typically manufactured in countries like Bangladesh, China, India, or Turkey by human labor due to intricate stitching requirements, then transported to high-income countries, contributing to a significant carbon footprint and global carbon emissions from apparel production.
