28
G. Jha et al.
the ironing and tumble drying which may be substantially reduced if we will cut the
ironing and tumble drying. Another important parameter is the type of fabric under
consideration. 1 kg of cotton preparation emits 3.3 kg CO 2 whereas 1 kg of polyester
(PET) releases 20 kg CO 2.
Objective: Carbon footprint assessment in the textile industry.
Goal and scope: The study assesses the carbon footprint from the textile industry,
intending to seek out the environmental impact imposed by the textile industry. The
study also aimed to highlight the factors, if avoided can result in shrinking of carbon
footprint.
Inventory generation: LCA of the textiles often faces critical issues because of the
unavailability of desired, full scale, dedicated, and standard datasets. This is due to the
reasons that the work requires extensive work–power, time, and precision. However,
some of the datasets do exist named Ecoinvent, GaBi, and ESU LCI database.
A sample dataset is displayed in Table 7 that illustrates the carbon footprint of a
Levi Strauss & Co. Jeans produced for the American market in 2006.
Impact assessment: One can imagine the overall footprint when one cotton jeans
have a footprint of 32.5 (kg CO 2 equivalent). Electricity is found as the most expensive
commodity while producing any textile goods whereas the “use phase” is witnessed
as the highly emitting zone of the product lifecycle. This carbon footprint can be
reduced with certain steps that are listed in the next section.
Interpretation and recommendation: Following recommendations can be made
from this assessment.
• Utilization of fabric that has the least footprint
• Use of renewables in manufacturing. Presently, everything is based on the
electricity grid
• Use of sustainable technologies in the production
• Reuse and recycling
• Efficient disposal and incineration.
• Discarding the requirement for ironing and tumble-drying stage
Table 7 Carbon emissions in
the production of one unit of
jeans [53]
Stages
Carbon emission (kg CO 2 equivalent)
Cotton
1.7
Fabric production
6.6
Cut/sew/finish
3.0
Logistics and retailing
2.1
Consumer use
18.6
End of life
0.5
G. Jha et al.
the ironing and tumble drying which may be substantially reduced if we will cut the
ironing and tumble drying. Another important parameter is the type of fabric under
consideration. 1 kg of cotton preparation emits 3.3 kg CO 2 whereas 1 kg of polyester
(PET) releases 20 kg CO 2.
Objective: Carbon footprint assessment in the textile industry.
Goal and scope: The study assesses the carbon footprint from the textile industry,
intending to seek out the environmental impact imposed by the textile industry. The
study also aimed to highlight the factors, if avoided can result in shrinking of carbon
footprint.
Inventory generation: LCA of the textiles often faces critical issues because of the
unavailability of desired, full scale, dedicated, and standard datasets. This is due to the
reasons that the work requires extensive work–power, time, and precision. However,
some of the datasets do exist named Ecoinvent, GaBi, and ESU LCI database.
A sample dataset is displayed in Table 7 that illustrates the carbon footprint of a
Levi Strauss & Co. Jeans produced for the American market in 2006.
Impact assessment: One can imagine the overall footprint when one cotton jeans
have a footprint of 32.5 (kg CO 2 equivalent). Electricity is found as the most expensive
commodity while producing any textile goods whereas the “use phase” is witnessed
as the highly emitting zone of the product lifecycle. This carbon footprint can be
reduced with certain steps that are listed in the next section.
Interpretation and recommendation: Following recommendations can be made
from this assessment.
• Utilization of fabric that has the least footprint
• Use of renewables in manufacturing. Presently, everything is based on the
electricity grid
• Use of sustainable technologies in the production
• Reuse and recycling
• Efficient disposal and incineration.
• Discarding the requirement for ironing and tumble-drying stage
Table 7 Carbon emissions in
the production of one unit of
jeans [53]
Stages
Carbon emission (kg CO 2 equivalent)
Cotton
1.7
Fabric production
6.6
Cut/sew/finish
3.0
Logistics and retailing
2.1
Consumer use
18.6
End of life
0.5