What We Wear Matters: Earth Day Reflections from Shining Sea Sport
Fashion is one of the world's biggest industries, valued at $1.84 trillion and accounting for approximately 1.63% of the world's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of 2025 (UniformMarket). However, its size comes at a cost. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that the fashion industry contributes 10% of global carbon emissions annually, surpassing the combined emissions from international flights and maritime shipping. Apparel consumption is projected to increase by 63% by 2030, potentially consuming over one-quarter of the world's carbon budget by 2050 (UniformMarket).
Fast fashion fuels this crisis by relying on synthetic fibers, man-made textiles derived from petrochemicals, and byproducts of fossil fuels like crude oil and natural gas. Common examples include polyester, nylon, and acrylic. These fibers are favored by fast fashion brands for their low cost, durability, and versatility (Changing Markets Foundation). However, their environmental toll is substantial. Manufacturing these materials is fossil fuel-intensive and releases nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas over 300 times more harmful than carbon dioxide in terms of its warming potential (EarthDay.org, 2024).
Moreover, the energy-intensive production of fast fashion garments is frequently powered by coal, especially in major manufacturing hubs like China, India, and Bangladesh. This reliance on fossil fuels across both material sourcing and production amplifies the fashion industry's contribution to climate change. From fiber to factory, the environmental cost of synthetic textiles underscores the urgent need for a shift toward more sustainable alternatives and production practices.
While sustainable fabrics may cost more, choosing them over synthetic fibers shifts industry demand toward less polluting, less water- and chemical-intensive materials. Consumers have power—buying better pushes progress. At the core, it's worth remembering the value of investing in timeless, high-quality pieces made to last and live on through secondhand use. It is a slight shift that helps reduce waste and lightens our collective carbon footprint.
Solutions also lie in systemic change, particularly in how raw materials like cotton are grown. Traditional cotton farming is resource-intensive, requiring significant amounts of water, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers, contributing to soil degradation and greenhouse gas emissions. However, innovative practices like regenerative agriculture turn cotton fields into potential carbon sinks, meaning they can capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere rather than emit it (CottonToday). Additionally, reforestation and agroforestry on or around farmland can significantly reduce the fashion industry's carbon footprint. Planting trees absorbs excess CO2 and restores ecosystems damaged by industrial-scale agriculture while promoting biodiversity. However, together, consumer behavior and industry-wide changes in production practices can create a ripple effect, pushing the fashion world toward a future that supports both people and the planet.
The Environmental Cost of Fashion
Energy & Air Pollution
From textile manufacturing to global shipping, fashion is an energy-hungry industry. 75% of the energy used in fashion comes from textile manufacturing alone—a process that requires heat, electricity, and water at nearly every step for dyeing, finishing, and yarn preparation. (Earth.org). Textile manufacturing converts fiber into yards, which can be made into fabric, requiring electricity to run machinery such as air pumps and sewing machines in textile factories and heat for washing, drying, and dyeing cloth. Synthetic fibers—like polyester and nylon, made from fossil fuels—require significantly more energy than natural ones. Most garments are manufactured overseas, often in countries like China, India, and Bangladesh, then shipped globally using bunker fuel, a highly polluting energy source. This heavy fuel oil is a residual product from refining crude oil, containing sulfur levels up to 3,500 times higher than those found in U.S. diesel fuel. Burning releases significant amounts of sulfur dioxide, contributing to air pollution and acid rain (World Economic Forum).
While every stage of clothing production has some environmental impact, brands can reduce their footprints by being intentional in every choice, from sourcing and developing to production and fulfillment. Prioritizing natural fibers or recycled materials—and avoiding energy-intensive synthetics—helps minimize pollution and resource use. Choosing low-impact dyes, investing in local or domestic production to cut global shipping emissions, and supporting clean energy initiatives in textile mills can all help mitigate the industry's reliance on coal-powered factories and highly polluting bunker fuel. Each decision is part of a broader commitment to lowering our collective carbon footprint, from material selection to where and how garments are made.
Soil Degradation & Land Overuse
Soil degradation is one of today's most pressing environmental issues—vital for food production and carbon absorption, yet increasingly threatened. The fashion industry plays a role, from chemical-heavy cotton farming to animal overgrazing to widespread deforestation for wood-based fibers like rayon and viscose. As a result, the degradation of these lands poses significant challenges to biodiversity and the overall ecological balance of these regions affected, but also threatens the traditional nomadic herding lifestyle and natural animal grazing. For example, 77% of Mongolia's land is affected by desertification and land degradation, much of it driven by unsustainable land management practices, climate change, and overbreeding of cashmere goats to meet global fashion demand (UNDP.org).
Each year, over 300 million trees are logged to produce cellulosic fabrics like viscose and rayon, with a significant portion sourced from ancient and endangered forests in regions such as Indonesia, Canada, and Brazil (FashionUnited). Fortunately, alternatives like Tencel and organic cotton offer lower-impact options, grown or sourced without harmful chemicals. As innovation meets awareness, the industry is slowly shifting, rethinking how fibers are grown, how animals are raised, and how materials are sourced—all to tread lighter on the planet (Collective Fashion Justice).
Chemical Pollution & Toxic Wastewater
Chemical use is deeply embedded in fashion, from fiber production to dyeing and finishing. About 20% of worldwide industrial wastewater pollution is due to the fashion industry (Business Waste). The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) notes that conventional cotton production involves substantial use of fertilizers and pesticides, which threaten the quality of soil and water and the health of biodiversity in and downstream from the fields.
An estimated 20% of global industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment processes, with many factories in countries like Bangladesh, China, and Indonesia discharging untreated wastewater directly into rivers. These effluents contain hazardous chemicals, including heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, severely contaminating water sources that millions rely on daily. Notably, the Citarum River in Indonesia, often dubbed the world's most polluted river, receives waste from over 500 textile factories (Good Maker Tales).
While the environmental and human toll is undeniable, growing awareness is sparking progress. Faced with polluted rivers and toxic runoff, more brands are turning to closed-loop dyeing systems, waterless technologies, and certified safer chemicals. This shift—driven by innovation and consumer demand—marks a promising move toward a cleaner, more responsible fashion industry.
Water Overuse in Fashion
The fashion industry is one of the top global consumers and polluters of freshwater, using about 93 billion cubic meters of water annually—enough to fill 37 million Olympic-sized swimming pools (Irrigreen). For example, producing a single cotton shirt takes about 2,700 liters of water (Business Waste).
Thankfully, technologies that reduce water use in dyeing and monitor crop health are helping the industry shift toward more sustainable practices. Movements like Slow Fashion and Fashion 4 Climate are raising awareness about the benefits of high-quality, low-impact materials—like linen, recycled fibers, Tencel, and Lyocell—as alternatives to more water- and chemical-intensive options. Natural fibers like cotton, hemp, flax, and bamboo offer more sustainable options. Hemp, for example, requires minimal water and resists pests naturally, making it a strong choice for long-term circular design. Sourced from plants or animals—not petroleum—these are easier to recycle and gentler on the environment (Yano & Fu, 2023).
Fashion's Waste Problem
Disposal becomes a pressing issue at the end of a garment's life. Fast fashion's rapid pace has led to overwhelming waste—with 100 billion new garments produced annually worldwide and 57% of all clothing thrown in landfills. Business Waste confirms that the average American throws out 37kg of clothes yearly (Business Waste).
More than 60% of global apparel is made from synthetic fibers like polyester and acrylic, which dominate the market. Unlike natural fibers, these synthetics can take anywhere from 80 to 800 times longer to break down, contributing significantly to long-term environmental pollution (Business Waste). Natural fibers decompose much faster than synthetics—cotton breaks down in about three months, and silk takes one to two years, while polyester can take between 20 and 200 years to break down. For this reason, choosing products made from natural fibers is a more environmentally friendly option (Business Waste).
Understanding a garment's full life cycle—from how it is made to how it's discarded—helps reduce its long-term environmental impact. As awareness grows, so does interest in buying higher quality and sustainable products, recycling programs, and repurposing, extending the life of what we wear. This is the foundation of closed-loop fashion—a circular system where materials are reused, not wasted. Instead of ending up in landfills, garments are designed to be replaced, broken down, and remade into new products. By supporting brands that embrace circular design and take-back programs, consumers play a vital role in closing the loop and making fashion more sustainable.
Investing in high-quality clothing made to last is one of the simplest ways to reduce waste. Well-made garments don't just look and feel better—they also hold up over time, reducing the need for frequent replacements and the chances of them ending up in the landfill. For example, wearing clothes for just nine more months can cut their carbon, water, and waste impact by 20–30%. It also helps save around £5 billion worth of resources that would otherwise go into making, washing, and throwing away those clothes (Business Waste).
Sustainability in Fashion
Sustainability isn't just an environmental buzzword—it's a way of thinking that prioritizes long-term social, economic, and ecological well-being. It's about designing a future where current choices don't compromise the ability of future generations to thrive. In fashion, that means being thoughtful at every step—from the fibers chosen and the way garments are made to how they're worn, cared for, and ultimately disposed of.
Sustainable fashion challenges the throwaway culture of fast fashion. It focuses on creating clothing from eco-friendly fabrics, using natural resources responsibly, reducing waste, and supporting ethical labor practices. It's rooted in durability, fair trade, slow fashion, and circular design principles. While simple shifts in daily choices can help, larger transformation depends on governments, producers, and corporations through clean energy, better land use, and reimagined supply chains. The fashion industry can lead with long-term solutions—designing less, designing better, and designing to last.
Recycling & Fashion
Recycling plays a critical role in reducing landfill waste and environmental pollution. It's become a creative solution to textile waste in fashion, primarily through recycled plastics. Since polyester and plastic bottles are made from PET, bottles can be broken down, spun into thread, and turned into garments. This process uses 59% less energy than producing virgin polyester and keeps plastic out of landfills (WellFabric).
But it's not without challenges. Synthetic fabrics, including those made from recycled plastics, pose environmental challenges due to microfiber shedding during washing. Recent studies have shown that a single load of laundry can release between 120,000 and 730,000 microfibers into wastewater, depending on factors such as fabric type, washing conditions, and garment age. Notably, polyester fleece garments have been found to shed significantly more microfibers compared to other fabric types (Shirvanimoghaddam et al., 2021).
While recycled plastic clothing gives waste new life, it also reminds us it's to consider materials carefully. Natural, biodegradable, and breathable options like TENCEL®, which is made from wood pulp, offer lower-impact alternatives (Wolfe, Good On You). To mitigate microfiber pollution, wash full loads, use cold water and shorter cycles, air-dry when possible, and utilize microfiber-catching devices like specialized laundry bags to help capture microfibers during washing (Presso).
Love the Earth just as much as we do!
As the fashion industry continues to reckon with its environmental impact, it's clear that real change requires more than consumer shifts—it demands innovation at the source. From developing better materials to reimagining the design process, sustainability must be woven into every step.
Sustainability isn't just about recycling or marketing—it's about rethinking how we create, wear, and value clothing. Timeless, well-crafted garments that reflect personal style—not fleeting trends—are worn more often and loved longer. That's why we focus on designing unique pieces that stand the test of time.
This belief is at the heart of everything we do at Shining Sea Sport. Our brand was founded on the idea that performance apparel can be elevated and earth-conscious. We create pieces meant to last—seasonless, sun-safe, and made with carefully selected fabrics that honor both function and the environment. Whether you're out on the water or winding down afterward, our designs are crafted to keep up with you—and help protect what you love most because great fashion shouldn't come at the planet's expense.
—sustainably made for sun, sea, and everything in between
Sources
https://www.earthday.org/4-contributors-to-climate-change/
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/11/air-pollution-aerosols-accelerate-climate-change/
https://wellfabric.com/recycled-polyester-vs-cotton-fabric/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8270180/?utm_source=chatgpt.com