Introduction
Nothing in a wardrobe says comfortable casual with quite the same ring as a cotton T-shirt. From high-thread-count New Zealand cotton, fine-knit Italian cotton or über-long-staple Arab cotton, T-shirts the world over are likely to be crafted from cotton because of its suppleness, versatility and durability. Easy to overlook is just how much diffusion and permeation goes into creating a garment that seems so ubiquitous. Taking the life cycle of a cotton T-shirt as conceptualised by Lauden as a starting point, the life of the garlic is a laboratory for understanding cake. Understanding the life cycle of a T-shirt, from seed to closet and beyond, is essential for appreciating the garment, but also for understanding the ecological and social impacts at the different stages. This article presents a full life cycle analysis of a cotton T-shirt, including the material and technical considerations implicit in the cultivation, processing, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal of this everyday garment.
Cotton Cultivation
Seed Selection and Planting
The life of our cotton T-shirt starts with the choice of cotton seeds. There are many species of cotton seeds, like upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) which accounts 90 per cent of world’s cotton production sustainable, and or some likes Egyptian cotton (Gossypium barbadense) which has extra-long fibres.
good conditions are a must to have healthy cotton. One must plant seeds in fine soil with good water drainage and approximately 5.8-7.0 pH. The planting season depends on the region, but is always during the spring season so temperatures during planting should be between 60°F-85°F. Moreover, planting them with enough space apart should be a must as it will help air circulation and give sunlight essential for plants to flourish. This will also prevent any diseases, pests and other issues.
Growing and Harvesting
During the plants growth cycle, they experience germination and seedling growth in a cotton seed, which developes into a vegetative plant, forms flower heads, and then the cotton fibers develop in the boll.
Climatic conditions are important considerations for cotton production. This demand needs a warm temperature for growth, high sunlight destitution, and a long period without frost. Another important factor for cotton is the water requirement because cotton plants require 20 to 30 inches of water in the growing season. This water can be supplied by natural rainfall or through irrigation. The cotton industry in China in the 18th century (courtesy Wikipedia)The efficiency of the irrigation is crucial for the conservation of water and the prevention of water wastage.
Some farmers do this by hand-picking, which isn’t good for the fibres but still practiced in places for labour reasons. It’s faster to do it through mechanical harvesting, much like how crops are harvested and need to be less harsh on the fibres to do it.
Environmental Impact
Cotton production has a wide range of ecological impacts, mainly in terms of water consumption and pesticide use. Cotton is a water-intensive crop. For instance, research shows that, in Syria, cotton production has led to severe water shortages. Pesticides and herbicides are used to protect the crop from animals and insects carrying diseases and also to kill weeds that prevent growth. These pesticides have led to contamination of the soil and water, and have harmed local ecosystems.
But these impacts can be minimised by deploying sustainable farming methods, such as crop rotation, organic farming, or even integrated pesticide management. Organic cotton, grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, is a greener alternative, albeit one that typically requires more labour and, as a result, often yields fewer fibres per acre than conventional cotton.
Cotton Processing
Ginning
After being picked, the cotton fibres next need to be ginned – that is, they need to be separated from the seeds and other inedible bits and pieces of the cotton plant. This is a crucial step in cotton manufacture that usually takes place in large factories equipped with cotton gins, a more sophisticated piece of equipment than James’s gang (although one that is today recognisable as a modified descendant of Eli Whitney’s 18th-century machine).
Modern gins are similarly elegant machines, adept at transforming big bales of cotton into separated lint and seed. The latter isn’t wasted: cottonseed can be used to grow a new crop or it can be processed into oil and animal feed.
Spinning
After the ginning process, the cleaned cotton next goes through spinning in order to be transformed into yarn. Step 1: Carding. After being cleaned, the cotton fibres are combed to remove lint and opened to create a continuous web and separate the fibres. In the spinning process, each pair of rollers will open and turn the roving cotton fibres finer and finer to create a very fine web. Step 2: Drawing. A drawing frame takes over the fibres and draws them out further so that fibres are able to get longer. During the drawing process, the roving is thinned and drawn to the roving frame. Step 3: Twisting. When the yarn gets into the spinning spindle, it is put outside the roving for twisting.
Weaving or Knitting
The yarn is then woven (interlacing two sets of yarns called warp and weft at right angles) or knitted (making loops of yarn in rows), which are then sewn into garments. Woven fabrics are generally stronger and last longer, while knitted fabrics stretch more and therefore are more cotton in bedding comfortable to wear, which makes them more suitable for, say, a T-shirt.
Dyeing and Finishing
Dyeing is another important step, when the fabric is coloured with dyes – this can be with natural dyes, synthetic dyes or eco-colours with no different environmental impacts. Finishing treatments can also change the properties of the fabric – these include a process of mercerisation (which increases shine and dyeability); chemical finishes (for water repellence or wrinkle resistance); or softeners and chemistry to increase hand.
Manufacturing the T-shirt
Design and Pattern Making
The saga of the cotton T-shirt shifts now to the design studio: designers generate patterns and samples using design programs to establish style, fit and functional criteria, as well as to draft patterns and ensure precision and efficiency.
Cutting and Sewing
After the design is finalised, the chosen fabric is cut following the given patterns. Sometimes, these are done manually, but if there are a lot of productions to be done, cutting-out is done with automated cutting machines for speed and accuracy. The pattern pieces are stitched together, usually with industrial sewing machines. Sleeves, collars, and hems are then added to complete the T-shirt.
Quality Control
The final product has to be of good quality, so a control of the finished T-shirt made is required before it is shipped to the retailer. That is why a series of checks take place before the article is classified. Sewing defects, chromatic shades and tensions tests have to be done to ensure that the item meets the required standard at the times that the company receives feedback from the end client.
Distribution and Retail
Packaging
After this, the T-shirts are packed and shipped. It is very common to adopt sustainable approaches both to packaging and shipment in order to reduce the environmental impact. The packaging can represent a large portion of a garment’s carbon footprint. Packaging has to protect the pieces during their transportation and storage, as well as being easy to handle and for consumer.
Transportation
There is a great deal logistic, how-to move from the factory to a retailer’s store .
It can be transported by plane, by sea and by land , and it neede a big ammout of carbon footprint.
An effecient logistic and supply chain management can reduce emission.
Retail
T-shirts are sold through different channels, like stores and online shops. They attract customers through marketing strategies and store design or e-commerce websites. These mediums provide customers with information about the sustainability of garments and care tips for laundry.
Consumer Use and Care
Wearing
Comfortable and light-weight cotton T-shirts are everyday items of clothing, designed for casual and sporty occasions. Thanks to variety of styles and unique designs, a T-shirt can be a part of wardrobe for men as well as women in all age brackets. Fashion plays also a significant role in dictating the styles of such articles of clothing.
Washing and Maintenance
Correct care and use enhances the number of times a cotton T-shirt can be worn and prolongs its vibrancy. Washing in cold or tepid water and letting the shirts air dry is recommended to minimise shrinkage and colour fading. Additionally, limiting washing and drying boosts the clothes’ durability and diminishes the environmental footprint of washing clothes.
Repair and Upcycling
When a T-shirt gets damaged, patching worn seams can save the T-shirt from ending straight in the bin, as well as sewing on a button or other fixtures to give the T-shirt more life. Upcycling, or reusing old T-shirts to create a new cloth product, avoids wasting resources and reflects in our own fashion choices decisions about waste.
End-of-Life and Disposal
Donation and Recycling
At the end of its useful life, a cotton T-shirt can be reused through donation or recycled, which separates the textile into fibres that can either be spun into new yarn or turned into alternative use items such as insulation or stuffing.
Biodegradability and Environmental Impact
Third, they are biodegradable and will break down naturally on their own in a short amount of time. When compared with traditional goods, this is what makes them a sustainable product. The question is how they will be disposed of. Composting them will put nutrients back into the soil, while disposing of them in a landfill should be minimised as much as possible.
Innovations in Sustainable Disposal
Furthermore, new disposal technologies and techniques are becoming better at improving sustainable textile disposal. For example, much more textiles are getting recycled and reused in so-called circular economy models. Additionally, new T-shirt materials are being developed for use in biodegradable T-shirts or biodegradable and compostable materials.
Seed → Cotton → Textile → Clothes → Shopper → Landfill → Seed → Cotton → Textile → Clothes → Shopper → Landfill → Seed → Roots → Soil … etc. The life cycle of a cotton T-shirt begins with a seed and, after looping back from a rubbish heap of unwanted clothes, ends only to start again. Transforming seeds into clothes involves a host of processes and environments, each with its own impact on the sustainability of the garment. This loop is the journey of cloth worn by consumers across the developed world, but it is not the end of the story. Understanding this journey is the first step to making informed choices about our wardrobes. With innovation in textile engineering and sustainable practices, the cotton T-shirt can remain the practical and planet-friendly item of clothing that it is today.
Academic and industry sources on cotton cultivation, processing, and textile manufacturing.
Studies on the environmental impact of cotton T-shirts.
Resources on sustainable fashion and textile recycling.
Cotton T-shirts have become universally appealing garments, popular for their soft and breathable texture with cotton fabric, versatility and durability. But moving a cotton T-shirt, starting from the seed to the shelf, goes through several stages with varied environmental and social footprints. With a better comprehension of the various phases of a life cycle assessment of cotton T-shirts, the consumers are able to exercise better informed decisions ahead, encourage better practices towards sustainability in the industry and ultimately drive the fashion and textiles industry towards more greener paths. The life cycle assessment of a cotton T-shirt is further broken down into each processes involved with the relevance of sustainability.
Cotton Cultivation
Seed Selection and Planting
Courtesy CottonIncThe story of the cotton T-shirt begins with the choice of the cotton seed … Four main cotton variant types are currently raised including upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), representing some 90% worldwide production share and other ultra-long staple fibre varieties such Egyptian cotton (Gossypium barbadense).
A good planting condition is an essential key to a healthy cotton crop. It is preferred to plant cotton seeds in well-prepared soil which is free from weeds, good drain and pH level between 5.8 to 7.0. Ideal planting season is during spring in most of cotton subregions. The reason is that the temperature should be between 60°F to 85°F. Furthermore, proper spacing of plants is very important in order to increase the sunlight and airflows among the plants. This will help reducing the rate of diseases and pests attack.
Growing and Harvesting
The plant grows through three phases: germination, development of seedling, vegetative growth, flowering and development of the bolls which contain the cotton fibres. These bolls will grow to maturity and be harvested open, over the course of four months or so, and release its fluffy contents.
Environmental conditions such as warm climate, plenty of sunlight and long frost-free period are required for its cultivation. It needs 20 to 30 inches of water during its growing season. This water is normally be provided by rain but with efficient irrigation facilities is also possible. Efficient irrigation should be provided to avoid wastage of water that may prove to be an ecological disaster in near future with increasing global climate warming.
Some regions still harvest on hands and knees in the traditional manner, which means shredding and separating the plant by hand, and is very labour-intensive but much kinder to the fibres. Mechanical harvesting takes longer than this, but produces faster yields than hands-and-knees approaches. To harvest mechanically, however, if you’re wanting the natural fibres, is demanding and requires a careful approach, so as not to damage them.
Environmental Impact
The cultivation of cotton come with many environmental concerns, especially related to the usage of water and pesticides and herbicides applied to the cultivated crop. Cotton can be consider as one of the most water-stressed crop and some cotton growers are facing the challenges of declining in groundwater tables. Too much water usage for the cultivation of cotton can lead the water scarcity in some regions, especially countries in semi-arid regions and those who have warm and dry climate. Aside from deficiency in water loses, the practices of cultivating cotton come with the application of pesticides and herbicides to protect its plants from other kinds of plants or insect. The imperfect application of these chemical agents can lead to the contamination of soil and water system as well as the harming other living things in typical ecosystems.
Sustainable farming practices including crop rotation, organic and integrated pest management can reduce their effects. Organic cotton, made from plants cultivated without the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, is more sustainable, but it is considerably more labour-intensive (and often lower-yielding) than conventional cotton.
Cotton Processing
Ginning
Now that the cotton is ripe, the fibres must be extracted from the cotton seed, or ginned. In ginning, the seeds and other impurities are separated from the cotton. The machine essential to ginning is called a cotton gin, and Eli Whitney invented the first cotton gin in 18th-century America.
Today’s gins are extremely efficient. They can process large amounts of cotton quickly, and the ‘cake’ is picked clean so that the seeds can be put to other uses – planting the next crop, or processed into cottonseed oil and animal feed.
Spinning
Once ginned, the separated cotton fibres are then turned into yarn by spinning. This typically requires the fibres to be loosened and combed straight or interlocked into a web of continuous entangled fibres by a process called carding. The web of fibres is then drawn to a single strand, which is twisted to form a yarn. Ring spinning, open-end spinning, and compact spinning are some of the spinning techniques that help to twist and spin the strands of cotton to achieve specified characteristics.
Weaving or Knitting
It is then woven or knitted to make fabric. Woven fabric is made by weaving two sets of yarns (warp and weft) at a right angle to each other, while knitted fabric is made by looping yarns in a series of connected rows. Woven fabric is stronger and has better wear but knitted fabric is more elastic and more comfortable, which is very suitable for T-shirts.
Dyeing and Finishing
The fabric is ready for dyeing. From natural dyes and synthetic dyes to eco-friendly alternatives, different dyes have diverse environmental effects The finishing stage involves various treatments, such as the use of mercerising (to make the fabric smoother and enhance the dye uptake), and chemical finishes that improve the physical and functional properties such as wrinkle-resistance and water-repellency.
Manufacturing the T-shirt
Design and Pattern Making
The quest of a cotton T-shirt continues in the design studio where the product is conceptualised by designers who create patterns and samples, paying homage to style, cut, proportion, fit and functionality. These are translated into patterns by using computer software to achieve not only accuracy, but efficiency.
Cutting and Sewing
While different brands usually have different final designs, once the design is established, the production starts with cutting the fabric into pieces according to the patterns. That can be done manually, but usually automated cutting machines help making the process more accurate and faster. Then, the pieces are sewn together, most often with industrial sewing machines, sleeves, collars and hems are attached to the T-shirts.
Quality Control
Every item that leaves the factory has to pass through quality control to ensure that the finished T-shirt is just what the customer ordered. That means checking the garment for defects, performing tensile and colourfastness tests, and ensuring that the fit of the garment matches the specifications of the design.
Distribution and Retail
Packaging
Once the T-shirts are made, they are shipped to the consumers for sale. Sustainable packaging (packages that are made from recyclable or biodegradable materials are increasingly popular to reduce the ecological impact of the entire life cycle of the product. The best packages not only keep the garments protected during the entire transport and storage process, but also be easy to handle and attractive to its customers.
Transportation
Getting T-shirts from the factory to the shop takes careful logistical planning. Air, sea and land transport can be used; each has a different carbon footprint. Improved logistics and supply chain management mean less transportation is more efficient.
Retail
T-shirts are marketed both through retail outlets such as shops and online via e-commerce websites and sold through shops. Multiple channels are used to reach consumers by advertising through various means such as emails and billboards, in-shop displays, or online websites with company and product information. The retail experience also covers providing information about the sustainability of the product and the care instructions for tee.
