Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is one of the key challenges for reducing humankind's impact on the planet. Recently, a tool has become available that measures how much carbon a citizen expends on each daily activity. This tool is called the carbon footprint , and LUDIS is focusing on it in the textile industry.
What is carbon footprint?
The carbon footprint is a tool developed by ADEME (the French Environment and Energy Management Agency) that allows us to measure the greenhouse gas emissions of a product . The measurement of a product's carbon footprint is carried out over the entire life cycle of the same product. From the production of raw materials to its destruction (or recycling), a product will create activity. Thanks to the carbon footprint, we can know the impact of these activities on the environment by evaluating the greenhouse gas emissions they generate. The activities in question are measured in carbon equivalent because, as you know, CO2 is the main greenhouse gas.
Example of carbon footprint calculation
To understand all the activities related to a product's life cycle and their impact on the environment, let's take the example of a fashion classic: cotton jeans! (All weights given are in CO2 equivalent).
- First, there is the production of raw materials which in this example is cotton and which is worth 6.7 kg.
- Then there is the supply of cotton (raw materials) to the place of production of the jeans which is worth 0.9 kg.
- Then comes the shaping of the cotton (dyeing, spinning and weaving) so that it can be transformed into denim. This activity is the most important because it weighs 9.9 kg.
- Then comes the assembly (that is to say the addition of supplies such as buttons and fasteners) which in this case weighs 2.3 kg.
- Once the jeans are assembled, they are ready to be distributed. The distribution is worth 3.4 kg.
- Then there is the use of the jeans. The lifespan of a pair of jeans is measured in the number of washes, not in years. A pair of jeans therefore has an average lifespan of 30 washes, which is worth 0.8 kg .
- Finally comes the end of the life of the jeans, their packaging, the surplus cotton during manufacturing, but also the collection and sorting: all this equates to 1.2 kg.
This equates to a total of 24.4 kg of CO2 equivalent per year . For comparison: a sweatshirt weighs 29 kg/year, a polo shirt 8.8 kg/year and a polyester T-shirt 5.9 kg/year.
Since jeans are fairly representative of the textile industry, we can see that for clothing, the phases that emit the most carbon are the shaping, raw material production, and distribution phases. Indeed, if we look at our example, we realize that the shaping of jeans represents 41% of emissions !
Also read: What is Slow Fashion?
Ludis and the carbon footprint
Committed to promoting ethical, responsible and sustainable fashion, Ludis aims to reduce the carbon footprint of its clothing . To achieve this goal, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by activities such as the production of raw materials, shaping and distribution. First, if the production of raw materials is done with respect for the environment, the impact of emissions will decrease significantly. This is why we only use Oeko-Tex certified fabrics for the manufacture of our men's playsuits.
This is a demanding label that is only awarded if environmental criteria are met. To further reduce our emissions, we are currently exploring different options for using recycled cotton. Our products are then shaped in Marseille because the goal is to distribute our men's playsuits in France. This allows us to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of our garments because they don't have to make a long journey between the manufacturing plant and the customer, thus avoiding extremely polluting means of transport like planes or boats!
With France announcing its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, the textile industry, like all other industries, must find solutions to minimize the CO2 equivalent kilograms emitted by the products it sells. Consumers can also take action by favoring companies that are striving to achieve this goal, avoiding over-equipment and over-replenishing purchased products.
PS: Let’s imitate Bhutan, which is the only country to have a negative carbon footprint! 😉
