YOUR WATERFOOTPRINT FABRIC IMPACT
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What is your Waterfootprint?

Are you wondering what your personal wardrobe at home has got to do with growing water challenges in countries that have a strong textile industry? It’s quite simple actually - especially if your wardrobe consists of various cotton items. As cotton is a very thirsty plant, it demands for extraordinarily high irrigation during its cultivation. These amounts of water are then bond to textiles - impacting especially regions that are suffering from water stress or water scarcity. So let’s make it concrete. How much water is hanging in your own wardrobe?

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Even though we speak of the blue planet...

earth

only 2.5% of our blue resources are actually fresh water

Tree

Water is not only needed for our own drinking purposes but moreover for the production of goods and services (industrial and agricultural consumption)

cotton

Cotton is used to produce 40% of the world's textile products while being one of the most water and pesticide intensive crops

t-shirt

Influences on natural processes such as extensive water consumption for the production of textiles harm the sensitive water equilibrium

water drip

Especially in water scarce regions (physically or economically scarce) negative effects on natural resources are tremendous

consumer

So how can consumers influence the development in water scarce regions, directly and indirectly, with their fashion habits?

CALCULATE YOUR IMPACT

An average German household consumes 120 litres per capita and day, and with 1,000 litres or 1 m3 of water, we could shower 20 times, wash our hands 400 times or drink 4,000 glasses of water – each containing 250 ml. Sticking to glasses of water, one cotton sweater with an average footprint of 4,500 litres of water would fill up even more of them – 18,000 to be precise.

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Jeans

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Sweater

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Dress

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T-shirt

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Shirt/Blouse

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Underwear

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Your Wardrobe Contains...

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What to choose?

When thinking of the natural water cycle being challenged by our direct and indirect consumption, we should ask ourselves: What can I do to reduce my own water footprint and help to manage water for both people and nature?
One of the first things that are necessary to be understood is, that we all share freshwater in an open global economy, and that addressing local water scarcity demands for wise water governance in a global dimension.[1]

Average impact for a shirt

0.4m3
0.1m3 70 % saving
85 days drinking water for one person

You might be interested to know:

Linen fabric is produced from flax, a plant fiber that can grow with little attention or fertilizers. Flax is mainly cultivated in regions with sufficient rainfall, e.g. north-west Europe, eliminating the need for irrigation and contributing to a minimal water impact, meaning even standard linen is a lower impact choice.

Look out for these lower-impact material certifications:

Average impact for a dress

0.9m3
0.7m3 23 % saving
6.6 days drinking water for one person

You might be interested to know:

Polyester is made from crude oil and the production is energy intensive. Recycled polyester, made from plastic bottles or discarded polyester textiles, avoids emissions resulting from the oil extraction process contributing to CO2 savings of up to 75%. However, like standard polyester, it can shed plastic microfibers during use, contributing to marine pollution. We recommend using a GUPPYFRIEND® washing bag or similar to help capture microfibers.

Look out for these lower-impact material certifications:

Average impact for a pair of trousers

0.16m3
0.15m3 3 % saving
1.6 days drinking water for one person

You might be interested to know:

Econyl has pioneered closed loop regeneration processes, transforming marine debris into recycled nylon with the quality of standard nylon and requires 50% less energy in production. Like standard nylon, it can shed plastic microfibers during use, contributing to marine pollution. We recommend using a GUPPYFRIEND® washing bag or similar to help capture the microfibers.

Look out for these lower-impact material certifications:

Average impact for a t-shirt

Organic cotton
Recycled cotton
0.4m3
0.1m3 80 % saving
99 days drinking water for one person

You might be interested to know:

Cotton uses a disproportionate amount of pesticides. It is grown on just 2.5% of agricultural land worldwide, but accounts for 16% of all insecticides sold globally. Lower-impact cotton production uses crop rotation and biological means to control pests, which reduces soil, air and water contamination, and carbon emissions from the production of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Look out for these lower-impact material certifications:

Average impact for a dress

LENZING™ Viscose
TENCEL™ Lyocell
0.3m3
0.3m3 20 % saving
21 days drinking water for one person

You might be interested to know:

Viscose is a manufactured cellulosic fiber, primarily made from wood. Several initiatives, including CanopyStyle, ensure the raw materials used are sourced from responsibly managed forests, protecting ancient and endangered forests and rainforests. Examples of preferred viscose include LENZING™ Viscose and TENCEL™ Lyocell whose processing is done in a closed-loop system recycling the water and chemicals.

Look out for these lower-impact material certifications:

Average impact for a jumper

0.3m3
0.1m3 63 % saving
61 days drinking water for one person

You might be interested to know:

While wool's share of the total textile fiber supply is only around 1.3%, it accounts for up to 5% of the recycled fibers market. The Responsible Wool Standard ensures animal welfare (e.g. no mulesing) and best practices in the management, protection and regeneration of the sheep grazing land.

Look out for these lower-impact material certifications:

Average impact for a blouse

Vegan silk (Cupro)
Recycled silk
17.4m3
0.2m3 99 % saving
5358 days drinking water for one person

You might be interested to know:

China and India produce around 97% of silk worldwide and silk farming provides income for 700,000 households in India. Organic wild or peace silk is often the more sustainable option as silkworms are not harmed in the harvesting process. Cupro, recognized for its silk-like properties, is a man-made cellulosic fiber produced from cotton linter bio-utility waste converted through a traceable closed loop process, where chemicals and water can be recycled.

Look out for these lower-impact material certifications:

Average impact for a bag

0.4m3
0.4m3 0 % saving
0 days drinking water for one person

You might be interested to know:

The process of tanning leather can be toxic due to the chemicals used. The Leather Working Group provides environmental audits of tanneries and gives ratings to high-performing facilities, which use low-chrome or non chrome tanning and have water treatment processes in place, reducing the amount of chemicals that are released into local waterways.
There are also vegan alternatives that can replicate the aesthetic and mechanical properties of real leather and have the potential for recyclability and biodegradability e.g. vegan leather made from food waste, cork or mycelium.

Look out for these lower-impact material certifications: