BELIEVE IT or not, most of our clothes today have plastic in them. From the warm, shiny fleece jackets we wear to brave the winter chill to body-hugging workout clothing to stretchy and comfortable lowers, all the apparel is either completely made out of plastic fibres such as polyester, nylon and acrylic, or from the blending of natural fibres such as cotton and wool with the synthetic material.
About 60 per cent of material made into clothing is plastic, which includes polyester, acrylic and nylon textiles, says the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The global production of polyester, the most commonly used plastic fibre, has increased by nearly 900 per cent between 1980 and 2014, as per November 2022 report released by US-based non-profit Fibershed. There is a reason the textile industry is so fond of polyester. Despite being tough and durable, it creates new possibilities of fashion. Clothes made out of polyester hold their shape well, are lighter, wrinkle-free and resistant to shrinking and colour fading. But perhaps the most important reason for its popularity is that garments made from synthetic fibres are substantially cheaper than natural fabrics. In April 2019, the cost of polyester yarn in India was ₹105 a kg, while cotton yarn was more than double at ₹213, as per the latest data released by the Union Ministry of Textiles. While on the face of it, clothes made of plastics appear harmless, their infiltration into the textile industry is a cause for concern. These synthetic fabrics have significant environmental impact during production, use and disposal.
Esta historia es de la edición January 01, 2023 de Down To Earth.
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Esta historia es de la edición January 01, 2023 de Down To Earth.
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INVISIBLE THREAT
Significant presence of microplastics in Puducherry’s agricultural soil raises concerns for soil and crop health
Feeding off each other
VEGETARIAN MOVEMENTS IN SOUTH ASIA AND THE WEST GREW WITH MUTUAL SUPPORT AND VALIDATION
India's unhealthy patent amendments
Despite strong pleas, the Modi regime has changed the rules to impose a cost on those who challenge faulty patents
URBAN DISCOMFORT
Poorly planned, heat-trapping infrastructure, along with dwindling natural spaces, turn up the temperatures in major Indian cities
BLAZING SUN IS ON
Rising temperatures are testing the limits of human tolerance to heat. With their predominantly built-up landscape, urban areas offer no respite. A study by the Centre for Science and Environment on the morphology and heat patterns of nine Indian cities over the past decade shows how these urban centres are turning into heat islands with a potentially serious impact on human health. An analysis by Rajneesh Sareen, Mitashi Singh and Nimish Gupta, with Shagun in Haryana and Kiran Pandey
"H5N1 may be more severe than COVID-19"
In early April, the US confirmed the first case of avian influenza in livestock, along with cow-to-human transmission of the virus disease.
A PSYCHEDELIC HIGH
Driven by surge in global trials and low success rate of current medications in treating mental health problems, researchers call for home-grown clinical trials of psychedelic drugs
Locked out
Two years after becoming the only state to be excluded from the Centre's ruralemployment guarantee scheme, villages in West Bengal grapple with distress migration and debt traps
'Protection from climate change part of right to life'
The Supreme Court of India, on April 5, recognised that citizens have a right to be free from the adverse effects of climate change, saying it is intertwined with the fundamental rights to life and equality. Here are the key arguments articulated by the three-judge bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra in their judgement
Weaving dreams
Tribal communities in West Bengal slowly embrace traditional weaving to ensure sustainable livelihood