New research from print technology specialist Epson has found that 35 trillion litres of water are needed to produce all the clothes in homes across the UK.
The study calculated that an average of just over 634,510 litres of water is used across production, finishing and dyeing to create garments owned by each British consumer.
At 35 trillion litres, the total for the whole of the UK population was said to be “equivalent to draining the River Thames fifteen times over”.
However, the European-wide research found that the UK was ranked seventh for each person’s clothing “water footprint”. The highest figure was Portugal at 817,131 litres per person.
The research also found that Britons were the least likely in Europe to have heard of the term “water footprint” and nearly two-thirds (62%) have never thought about how their clothes get their colour.
The textile industry is responsible for around 20% of industrial wastewater worldwide. While fabric production uses the most water, significant amounts are also used during dyeing. For instance, the dyeing process for a jacket typically requires over 3,300 litres – almost half of the water needed to produce the garment.
Maria Eagling, chief marketing officer at Epson, said: “Fashion is one of the world’s most influential and inspiring industries but as our research indicates, it also has a significant impact on our planet’s resources.”
The research was released yesterday to tie in with the start of London Fashion Week and the launch of Water Silks, a collection of EcoVero silk scarves created in in collaboration with Epson and sustainability designer and authority on pattern, Patternity. The scarves are inspired by the rivers and canals of Europe’s style capitals.
Epson also highlighted how some of its own technology can help tackle the clothing industry’s water usage, such as the Monna Lisa ML-13000 direct-to-fabric printer which reduces water consumption in the colour printing stage of garment production by up to 97%.
Maria added: “What makes it so exciting is not only the water saving but also the flexibility of on-demand textile printing which significantly reduces stock waste and managing excess inventory.
“With the upcoming fashion week season on the horizon, we see a real opportunity to drive meaningful change across the industry. We hope to inspire more brands to adopt our technology and lead the way towards a more sustainable future.”
The research was conducted by Censuswide among a sample of over 8,000 respondents aged 16 and over in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Poland and the Netherlands in November.
