4. Design to reduce Energy & Water use

After being inspired by Anke Domaske's Qmilch designs, I have started to explore more companies that plan on targeting water and energy consumption. Most water consumption is used in the production stages with dying and washing garments to make them ready for sales. however, I feel that designers need to source the most energy efficient and natural/organic materials as they can to ensure that when they are passed onto the consumer they too will treat the garments in the kindest way. The best way for them to reduce the environmental impact is during the design stages especially when 60% of the total energy consumption in the life-cycle of a t-shirt occurs in the use phase; i.e. washing, ironing, drying.

In order to reduce energy and water use we need to source our materials locally and cut down in the amount of mordant dying, exhaust and digital printing.

Levi Strauss & Co have already begun to examine their work ethics and have produced a life-cycle of their most popular 501 jeans to see how much water is used in the process. It provides the designer with details on how to make a more sustainable and ecological product.

Levi's LifeCycle of a Jean

1. COTTON PRODUCTION - As 95% of their products are made from cotton, Levi looks to source sustainable cotton by working with The Better Cotton Initiative to ensure their cotton is not damaging to the environment.

2. FABRIC PRODUCTION - Textile mills turn the fibres into fabric with the help of NRDC's Sourcing Initiative

3.GARMENT MANUFACTURING - Cut, sew and finishes.

4.TRANSPORT AND DISTRIBUTION - Retail, online and wholesale around the world. Attempt to reduce global carbon footprint by looking at the amount of energy use and greenhouse gas emission records.

5.CONSUMER USE - By line drying Levi jeans and washing them in cold water consumers can almost half the environmental impact and reduce the life-cycle climate.

6.RECYCLING - A care-tag has been produced in the jeans to encourage the consumer to donate their old jeans to Goodwill rather than adding to the 23.8 billion pounds that ends in landfill yearly.

7.END OF LIFE-  In 2009 Levi added recycled cotton fibres to their Eco jeans and have also begun looking at how denim can be recycled and used for housing insulation.