In collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, National Geographic just released a video explaining the impact of a cotton t-shirt: How much water it takes to make just one, how much energy it takes to grow, manufacture, and transport that shirt, and how much water and energy it takes to care for that shirt in your home. The video also explains how we can make a difference in reducing the resources used in care for that tee:
One load of washing uses 40 gallons of water. One load of drying uses 5 times more energy than washing. In fact, skipping the ironing and drying of your t-shirt, saves a third of its carbon footprint.
Whether it’s reducing waste, saving energy, or being a conscious consumer, small actions can make a big difference. Think about ways that you could save energy and water.
Interested in a few changes that makes an impact?
1. Buy and share second-hand clothes. Related watching: Jessi Arrington’s Wearing Nothing New TedTalk about buying thrift store clothing. Two favorite quotes: “Color is powerful. It is almost physiologically impossible to be in a bad mood when you’re wearing bright red pants.” and ”Fitting in is way overrated.”
2. Buy a drying rack at a local store and let the sun (or the heat in your house) do all of the work!
Watch more videos about conservation here.
Watch this related video: Planet Money’s What does it take to make a t-shirt?
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