Do you know the cost of your jeans? The denim industry is one of the largest in the world, yet also one of the most polluting.
In factories, jeans are washed extensively with chemicals to give them a rugged look. Copious amounts of water are used to rinse them, and this chemically contanimated water is often dumped, untreated, into nearby rivers.
Contaminated with heavy metals, bleach, and strong alkalis, the water's pH skyrockets and chemical levels far exceed national safety limits. During some times of the year, the rivers are so polluted that it is even possible to set them on fire.
Many of these rivers are currently inhabitable. Due to toxic working environments, workers have a high incidence rate of cancer. Furthermore, the denim industry releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
RiverBlue is a documentary that illustrates the damage the fashion industry does to the environment. For more details, visit RiverBlue's official website.
STATISTICS
7,000 Liters
The amount of water needed to create one pair of jeans. This is equivalent to about 45 bathtubs of water. As a result, 2.5 billion gallons of wastewater are produced annually in Asia, contaminating 70% of Asia's rivers.
6 Million Metric Tons
The amount of carbon dioxide resulting from the production of jeans in China annually. The production of one pair of jeans produces 20kg of carbon dioxide, and about 300 million jeans are sold in China each year.
Toxins
The denim industry pollutes rivers with heavy metals such as mercury and lead, as well as carcinogens.
People who spend time near these rivers suffer from a high incidence of cancers, as well as gastric and skin related issues.
In one case, cadmium levels in soils near polluted rivers was reported to be 128 times China's national limit.
The pH of these polluted waters can reach up to 11.95.
Deception
Popular denim brands are hiding as much as 90% of the pollution they generate by outsourcing production to contractors in developing countries.
Often, the toxins are discharged untreated in rivers near drinking water sources. This has caused a spike in incidence rates of cancer and other diseases and poisonings. As a result, many people are unwilling to work at or live near denim factories. Denim factories often do not supply insurance for employees for the first three months they are employed as they realise how dangerous the working environments are.
1.8 million Deaths worldwide caused by water pollution.
56.4% of freshwater is unusable in Shanghai.
4.9% of freshwater is drinkable in Tianjin.
3.78 trillion liters of untreated wastewater discharged across China in 2015.
TAKE ACTION
Now we know the ramifications of this industry. But unless we are in charge of a large denim company, it feels like there is not much we can do. However, every little change makes a difference. Here are some ideas:
