Sustainable fashion in action

Train talks

Concept

A laid back conversation with random people about water consumption, electricity and waste both within the fashion industry and other sectors...

Topics

Water

The use of water for cultivating fibers and dyeing, finishing and washing textiles.

Pollution

The wastewater full of chemicals that is discharged into rivers and the ocean.

Solutions

In addition to addressing the problem, it is also important for me to contribute to finding a solution. I have brainstormed with the people I commute with on the train about possible solutions.

The Aral Sea

1989

2021

The energy consumption to produce 60 trillion kilograms of textiles, the yearly average, is equivalent to 130 million tons of coal.

De productie van textiel maakt voor 80% deel uit van energieverbruik

van de fashionindustrie.

To the article

WOODSTRK-Negative-Impact-Fashion-Industry-Infographic_2048x2048.webp

Due to the production of cotton since the 1950s, the Aral Sea has shrunk to 10% of its original size. This has brought disastrous consequences for the livelihoods of the population groups dependent on this lake.

To the article

Fast fashion is the second largest consumer of water.
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of the total CO2 emissions.
85% of all textiles are dumped annually.
Washing clothes produces 500,000 tons of microfibers annually.

Execution

On average, I spend about an hour and a half per day on public transportation, and I have decided to use this time to talk to random people about environmental issues within the fashion industry.

I've had conversations with a man who works at Natuurpunt, someone who writes for a travel magazine, a preschool education student, someone studying to become an elementary school teacher, and a friend who works in fashion retail.