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© Boardworks Ltd 20051 of 23

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Textiles Social, Moral, Cultural and

Environmental Issues


Learning objectives


Lea

rnin

g o

bje

ctiv

es To learn about how social, moral, cultural and environmental issues influence designer and consumer choices.

To understand the reasons we wear clothes, and the different needs different markets have.

To consider the environmental impact of growing or manufacturing fibres.

To consider the environmental impact of manufacturing, transporting, cleaning and disposing of textile goods.


Designers and manufacturers need to consider the social, moral, cultural and environmental issues arising from the production of their textile items.

How will your textile product affect and impact on society as a whole?

Issues

Where will I get it made? Labour costs are cheaper in Asia.

Who will wear this item? What will they wear it for?

What material shall I use? Will my customers

object to fur?


Why do we wear clothes?


Decoration or adornment

Decorative clothes are often worn for special occasions like weddings or ceremonies.These garments are made from expensive, rich fabrics. While elaborate clothes may be worn for a one-off occasion, religious garments may be worn again and again and passed down through generations.

A wedding dress will often only be worn once.



Dressing for the elementsClothes were first used to keep us warm and dry. Fur and leather were the main materials used to protect the human body from the elements. There are a number of new and alternative fabrics that are now suitable to protect us.Whether it be windproof, waterproof or UV protective, there is a garment to suit all weather.



Fashion

We buy new items of clothing every year, not just because our old clothes have worn out, but because we want to wear the latest styles. Clothes are often thrown away simply because they are no longer fashionable.

High street shops often copy designers’ collections, which are released every season, producing imitation items at a fraction of the price. Items need to get from designers to shops as quickly as possible to satisfy consumer need.


Fashion

Many fashion garments have a short product life cycle as trends change rapidly. The rapid production and turnover of goods fuels the textile industry, but also puts pressure on workers to produce goods as quickly as possible, uses large quantities of material and produces considerable amounts of waste.


As a designer you must consider different cultures if you are planning to mass produce your item.

Generally most cultures cover up in public places but there are exceptions to the rule.

Some cultures and religions consider it unacceptable and sometimes offensive to show certain parts of the body in public.

Cultural issues


Do we always know where our clothes are made or who makes them?

Moral issues concern the people who are producing garments and textile items.We sometimes hear of major companies who exploit workers.People, often children, in poorer countries work long hours in poor conditions and get very little pay.The Ethical Trading Initiative has been set up to promote good practice.

Moral issues


Different markets


As a nation, we are increasingly concerned about the environment. Textile production can contribute to environmental damage in a number of ways.

Environmental issues

Crops can use up large quantities of land. Pesticides used to protect the crops may harm wildlife.Dyeing and finishing fabrics uses large amounts of water which contains chemicals and can pollute the environment.Manufacturing textile goods uses energy and creates waste products. Transporting materials to factories and then from factories to shops also uses fuel.Washing textile items uses large quantities of water and detergent, and uses energy.Many textile items are thrown away as waste.


Producing man-made fibres can cause pollution and contribute towards environmental damage.

Man-made fabrics

Rayon is made from wood pulp which is a sustainable resource. However, hazardous chemicals like sulphuric acid and caustic soda are used to treat the pulp, and a lot of the timber used is wasted.

Polyester and nylon are man-made fabrics, and a lot of energy is required to produce them. They are made from oil which is a non-renewable resource and they are not biodegradable.


The production of natural fibres can also be harmful to the environment:

Growing cotton requires a large amount of land that could otherwise be used for food production.Cotton is grown using pesticides which then remain in the fabric. Bleaches and dyes are used, as cotton is produced in off-white. The chlorine compounds used in bleaching are highly toxic. In the production of wool, sheep and farm workers are exposed to chemicals in the dips. Again bleaches and dyes are used. Gallons of water are used when dyeing fabrics. Unfixed dye can be washed out of garments and into rivers and sewers.

Natural fabrics

The cotton used to manufacture this T-shirt has been bleached white.


Environmental fibres

Organic fibres, which can be used to produce yarns and fabrics, are produced without using pesticides or fertilizers.

Organic wool is produced from organically reared sheep, and processed without the use of harmful chemicals.

Genetically modified cotton crops are now being grown in China, India and the US. These crops are resistant to certain pests, and have been designed to minimize the use of damaging pesticides. However, the effects of GM crops are not yet fully known.

Eco-friendly textile products are made using materials which will not harm the environment. Organic fibres and products from sustainable resources are now available.


Even through a garment may seem environmentally friendly, we must consider the process that it has gone through.

Where is the factory and how do the workers get there?How did the fabric get to the factory and how are the garments being transported to the fashion outlets?Consider the energy needed to light, heat and run the machinery.How much waste is produced and how is it disposed of?

Industrial processes


Industrial processes


As a designer, you need to consider how the consumer is going to look after the textile product.

How is the product washed/dry-cleaned?The colour of the product will determine the temperature that it is washed at. A white item will require hotter temperatures than a coloured item.Does the product require ironing? This is another energy source.Dry-cleaning puts a garment through a number of chemical processes.

Cleaning processes

The label inside an item of clothing will tell you how it

should be washed.


Primary – second hand clothing is an example of when a product can be used again.Secondary – a product is melted, ground, torn/shredded, etc., and reused. This is also known as physical recycling.Tertiary – this process uses chemicals. Plastic (PET) bottles are recycled, made into fibres and re-spun into polyester.

This logo shows when a garment or product has been recycled. There are three main types of recycling.

Recycling

Clothing banks are used to collect used garments that can then be given to charity or sold to businesses who sell the goods in developing countries.


It is now possible to recycle plastic bottles and make them into fleece. The bottles are made into small pellets and these are made into fibres which are then re-spun and made into fleece fabric. It takes 25 two litre plastic bottles to make one adult fleece jacket.

Finishing, dyeing and printing processes have been refined to use less toxic products.

Environmental issues


How can you help?


Think about it

Look at these clothing labels.

What issues might arise from the manufacture, cleaning and disposal of these items?


Key points


Key

po

ints

Designers and manufacturers need to consider the social, moral, cultural and environmental issues arising from the production of their textile items.

Different social and cultural groups have different requirements of the clothes they wear.

Where our clothes are made, and the working conditions in the factories where they are made, can raise moral concerns.

Growing or manufacturing fibres and manufacturing, transporting, cleaning and disposing of textile goods causes environmental damage. This can be reduced by recycling textile items.

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