“The textile industry has not recognized the socio-environmental problems”

textile industry It is among the most polluting and the most notable for their relationship with labor exploitation. It uses toxic chemicals, requires high water and energy consumption, generates vast amounts of waste and landfill, and many factories keep employees in miserable conditions.

Correcting all these problems requires bringing clean production knowledge and good practices to companies. This is one of the missions of Enric Carrera, PhD in Textile Engineering, Master’s in Environmental Education and Eco-audits and Environmental Planning.

Since 2018 he has been in charge of the Textile Research and Industrial Cooperation Institute of Terrassa (INTEXTER), belonging to the Polytechnic University of Catalonia where it researches and collaborates with companies to reduce environmental impact and increase production efficiency.

Enric Carrera: “As long as we do not face the paradigm shift in fashion, we will not get out of the loop in which we are trapped”

– What do you think of the “sustainable fashion” movement around GOTS certification of cotton, natural fibers and decent working conditions?
I think it’s fantastic, very necessary and opportune. I prefer to talk about “sustainability fashion”, that is, it contributes to sustainability, because sustainability is a property of the system, not of the parts. In the same way we would have to speak of “sustainable mobility” and not of “sustainable mobility”. It is especially interesting to emphasize that the movement considers the three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. Using organic cotton without considering the social conditions of the workers or fair trade, for example, does not make any sense in the sustainable logic.

“The unsustainable hyperconsumption induced by fast fashion is another problem that must be faced”

– What is the textile industry doing worse? What are the most serious problems?
–The worst thing that the textile industry is doing is not sufficiently recognizing or adequately addressing the magnitude of the socio-environmental problems that industrial malpractice produces. Today there is sufficient technology both to reduce water consumption and to adequately purify wastewater from dyeing and finishing processes. I say the same for the consumption of certain chemical products.

A good sustainable design of textile products would contribute to significantly minimizing this type of problem. Unsustainable hyperconsumption induced by fast fashion It is another problem that must be faced, but this requires a review of the fashion business model, which will not be easy.

As long as we do not face, seriously and with all its consequences, the paradigm shift posed by sustainability, we will not get out of the loop in which we are trapped. It must be recognized, however, that there is a big difference between the environmental impact generated by the textile industry in Europe and in other latitudes. Both European regulations and the sensitivity of companies are very different. Most of the negative figures and statistics on the impact generated by the textile industry do not correspond, in general, to the daily reality of the European textile industry.

–Is it necessary for clothes to carry so many problematic additives (flame retardants, plasticizers, etc)?
–One of the principles of sustainability tells us that “less is more”. The presence of problematic additives only makes sense in particular and very specific cases of special garments, security, etc.

“Natural fibers, obtained through certified organic agriculture and livestock, are the ones that are best placed in the long career of sustainability.”

–From your point of view, which are the most sustainable fibers?
–I am asked this question many times and the answer is not obvious, because sustainability does not depend solely on the fiber, but on the long textile process followed, on the social responsibility of the companies in the value chain, on their economic viability, etc Normally the people who ask me this question really want to know which of the textile fibers has the least environmental impact. This is a problem because it shows that unfortunately, the concept of sustainability has been reduced only to the environmental dimension and this is a serious misconception. A company with zero emissions that treats its workers very well will not be sustainable over time if it is not economically viable. I repeat that sustainability is a property of the system and not of the parts. A sustainable company must be environmentally clean, socially just and economically viable. That said, natural fibers, obtained through certified organic agriculture and livestock, are the ones that are best placed in the long race of sustainability.

–Is hemp an alternative to cotton?
–Textile hemp is a very interesting plant fiber since it has very undemanding growing conditions, it does not deplete the soil of nutrients, but quite the contrary. It remains green all year round and is therefore a good firebreak. It is a resistant and fresh fiber. More than an alternative to cotton, it is complementary. At INTEXTER we are investigating the hemp cottonization process. It is a chemical treatment to give hemp properties similar to cotton. We are working with different blend percentages with other fibers and the initial results are very encouraging. Hemp can contribute to reducing the consumption of extensively and intensively produced cotton that has such an environmental impact.

–Should clothes be more expensive? Is it necessary to reduce production and consumption?
–To a certain extent the price of the products you consume is related to the importance and social value we give them. Fast-fashion has contributed to frivolizing the great technological complexity and length of the value chain of textile products. To obtain a cotton T-shirt, you have to plant the fiber, take care of its growth, harvest it, gin it, pack it, transport it, spin it (opening, cleaning, mixing, carding, two draw frame steps, combing, roving frame, continuous, winder), weaving it or knit it (with its previous preparation), proceed to scouring, bleaching, dyeing or printing and finishing, to finally make it. All this cannot cost three euros in a store. If this happens, we are deceiving ourselves by externalizing internalities.

Tips: buy less, quality, and wash less clothes

–What recommendations would you make to a consumer when buying textiles? What do we have to pay attention to?
–First: buying clothes is an emotional act. Therefore –and it is not easy– before buying we have to think if we really need that garment and what use I am going to give it. Second: buy quality products because they will last longer. I remember that when I was little I went to buy some shoes, my grandparents told me: “we cannot afford to buy cheap”. Extending the useful life of garments is the best contribution we can make to reduce environmental impact. Third: wash clothes less frequently and less intensely to extend their useful life. If a cotton shirt is not stained, there is no point in washing it for two hours at 40ºC with aggressive detergents as shown in the washing programmes. Today there is a paradox that, in many garments, we wear them out more during domestic washing than during use.

– What would you like to add?
–It is customary to associate textiles exclusively with clothing, but this industrial sector is much broader and more diverse. Garments represent approximately 60% of textile production worldwide. 30% is so-called home textiles (sheets, blankets, curtains, towels, upholstery, etc.) and 10% is so-called industrial textiles (seat belts, boat sails, fishing nets, asphalt fabrics, etc.). This sector represents more than 30% of European textile production and is the one that demands the greatest technology and research. It is also the one with the highest industrial margin due to its high added value. The European textile industry is clearly moving in this direction.