Challenges of Textiles (00:40)

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Making fabric requires massive amounts of energy, uses up vast quantities of natural resources, and often leaves huge quantities of waste.

Water & Energy Use (02:44)

Textiles account for 80% of Bangladesh's exports. Environmental problems are ignored largely because of cut-throat global competition for cheap goods. Keeping thousands of textile factories going uses vast amounts of energy and resources.

Water Pollution (02:38)

Most of the wet processes in textile production involve potentially harmful chemicals. The textile industries in Bangladesh release 56 billion liters of contaminated water per year. The rivers in the textile districts are biologically dead.

Air Pollution (02:04)

Dyeing, bleaching, and finishing processes in the textile industry release harmful gasses to factory workers, and the whole city of Dhaka suffers from poor air quality. Efforts to reduce air and water pollution are in place.

Padma Dyeing Company, Dhaka (02:43)

One of Dhaka's largest textile manufacturers has felt governmental pressure to reduce harmful environmental impacts. Continuous pad steam dyeing uses 90% less water than jet dyeing and 95% less water than winch dyeing.

Water Treatment Plants (03:51)

Large-scale polluters in Dhaka are required by law to have their own treatment plants for contaminated waste water. Treatment plants costs money, and many industrialists do not install them in order to keep prices low in the competitive global market.

Axminster Carpets, Devon, UK (01:35)

Axminster uses 400,000 liters of water every day for washing, bleaching, and dying sheep's wool and wool yarn. Once used, this water becomes 400,000 liters of waste water.

Water Treatment Plant (03:07)

Axminster Carpets has its own water treatment plant. The company's goal is to reduce its carbon emissions by 20%. Viewers take a tour of the plant, learning what happens at each step in the process. The factory reuses its treated water.

Industry Standards (02:52)

An environmental officer checks Axminster's water treatment systems to make sure they meet industry standards. He also develops ideas and systems to improve every step of the textile manufacturing industry in the UK and in Bangladesh.

Reducing Impacts: Managing Waste (04:12)

Textile wastes that include scraps, threads, and bits and pieces of other waste wool are made into carpet underlays. Latex, a byproduct of oil refining, and rubber from old truck tires make up a layer of carpet underlays.

Credits: Environmental Impacts: Ethical Textiles (00:27)

Credits: Environmental Impacts: Ethical Textiles