Environmental impact of the textile industry

Od pradavnih vremena su ljudi imali potrebu pokrivati svoje tijelo i na taj način se štititi od hladnoće, štetnog utjecaja Sunca i ostalih vanjskih faktora, a što je bilo nužno za preživljavanje. Čovjek je počeo izrađivati odjeću od tekstila, odnosno stvarati tkaninu još u doba neolitika. Do prve industrijske revolucije izrada tekstila i tkanina nije se značajno promijenila te nije imala izrazito štetan utjecaj na okoliš. Naime, tekstilni otpad se većinom uspijevao prirodno razgraditi te nije značajno utjecao na okoliš. Odnosno tlo, vodu i zrak. Pojavom industrijalizacije te stvaranjem umjetnih vlakana ne raste samo dostupnost tkanine i potreba za istom nego i štetni utjecaj tekstilne industrije na okoliš koji nije zanemariv kao ranije. Razvojem tekstilne industrije znatno se povećalo zagađenje vode, zraka i tla, a što značajno ugrožava opstanak života na Zemlji. Novi naglasci, odnosno smjer tekstilne industrije je naći nove, održive i ekološki prihvatljive načine proizvodnje i prerade tekstila, a sve kako bi se spriječilo daljnje nepovratno zagađenje i uništenje vode, zraka i tla.From ancient times, people felt the need to cover their bodies to protect themselves from the cold, the harmful effects of the sun, and other external factors necessary for survival. As early as the Neolithic period, man began to create fabric and make clothes from textiles. Until the first industrial revolution, the production of textiles and fabrics did not change significantly and did not have a particularly harmful impact on the environment. Indeed, most textile waste was able to decompose naturally and had no significant impact on the environment. With the advent of industrialization and the production of synthetic fibers, not only the availability of fabrics and the need for them increases, but also the harmful effects of the textile industry on the environment, which are no longer as small as before. The development of textile industry has significantly increased the pollution of water, air and soil, which poses a significant threat to the survival of life on earth. A new focus, i.e. the direction of the textile industry is to find new, sustainable and environmentally friendly ways of producing and processing textiles to prevent further irreversible pollution and destruction of water, air and soil