Silk scarves and their environmental impact
To shop responsibly, first you need to learn how to read clothing labels. Understanding the environmental and social impact of each type of textile is central to sustainable fashion.
There are three main categories of textile materials in fashion:
Natural: Fibers made from plants (cotton, linen, bamboo, etc.).
Artificial: Fibers made from processed plants (viscose).
Synthetic: Fibers made from petrochemical compounds.
Most of us think that natural textiles are good for the planet and that synthetic textiles are not. However, it is not that simple. On the one hand, some natural textiles have very harmful direct and indirect consequences on the environment and workers, depending on how they are processed. On the other hand, synthetic textiles require a number of chemical processes to be produced.
What is silk?
Silk has been a prized material for centuries. It is appreciated for its fluidity and luminosity, which make it a unique textile. Silk originates from Asia. According to legend, Leizu, the Empress of China in 2700 BC, discovered silk while drinking her tea under the shade of a mulberry tree. A silkworm fell into her tea, and the heat from the cup caused the unique silk thread to appear. She then realized that this very long thread was also particularly soft.
Whether or not this legend is true, the origin of silk undoubtedly lies in China, between 3000 and 2000 BC. In fact, for three millennia, it remained exclusive to China, which traded it through the famous Silk Roads while keeping its production method a secret. History then speaks of spies and thieving monks leading to the inevitable spread of silk production to Western Europe and the rest of the world by the end of the Middle Ages.
Silk comes from the cocoons of silkworms, specifically the silk produced by mulberry tree caterpillars, which eventually transform into butterflies, called the mulberry silkworm: Bombyx mori.
Silk is thus a natural material of animal origin that is biodegradable and renewable. Its production mainly takes place in China, followed by India, Vietnam, and Brazil. It is no longer produced in Europe! Naturally, the environmental impact of producing this raw material is significant.
The Environmental Impact of Silk
This wonderful material might seem planet friendly because it is natural, biodegradable, and renewable. However, like all intensive farming, silk production has a negative ecological impact. It involves the use of chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers that are harmful to the planet. Additionally, sericulture is mostly based in Asia, particularly in China, where working conditions are not well regulated.
One positive aspect of silk is that the amount of raw materials used in silk textiles is very small compared to other fabrics like cotton, linen, or wool. Very fine silk threads can be made thanks to its unmatched strength. We conducted a small experiment where we weighed a silk scarf, a cotton scarf, and a wool scarf of the same dimensions (70x200cm):
Silk scarf: 35g
Cotton scarf: 100g
Wool scarf: 185g
We found that much less silk is needed to make a scarf!
Moreover, global silk production is significantly lower than other textile materials! On a global scale, silk production alone does not play a significant role environmentally.
To give you an idea, here are several figures:
Global Silk Production: 182,000 tons/year
Global Cotton Production: 25 million tons/year
Global Polyester Production: 60.5 million tons/year
From this, we can conclude that polyester is the most produced textile material. It comes from petroleum, a limited fossil resource, and moreover, polyester garments release plastic microfibers with each wash, which end up in the oceans. About 240,000 tons of plastic micro-particles are released into the environment each year, equivalent to 24 billion plastic bottles. Before buying a garment, carefully check the composition label and avoid polyester!
Silk and Animal Cruelty
However, piercing a cocoon to release the silkworm would mean that the silk thread is broken, which is not very practical for weaving. To avoid this, the worms must be killed, usually by boiling, which keeps the cocoon intact and allows the silk thread to be easily retrieved. But in recent times, alternatives have been developed. Cruelty-free methods, known by the names Ahimsa or Peace Silk, allow the cocoons to hatch. By making small incisions to let the silkworms escape, it manages to avoid destroying the cocoon and still allowing the silkworm to live. However, this technique is very rarely used at present because it is far too costly.
SILK SCARVES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Besides silkworm cultivation, other factors come into play in making a silk scarf! Here are the main steps of this process, in order:
Silk spinning
Dyeing the silk thread
Creating the patterns
Weaving the silk thread
Finishing and making the silk fabric
As you know, companies having an environmental impact of some kind is inevitable. Whether producing or distributing a product, every company has an environmental effect. Even the most virtuous company cannot avoid this reality.
However, today, the focus is on reducing this impact. An ecological transition is necessary for the environment.
Recall that there is an environmental impact if one of these indicators is compromised:
For the air: if there is a contribution to the greenhouse effect, air acidification, ozone layer depletion, or fine particle emissions;
For water: if there is pollution of fresh or salt waters, if drinking water becomes unfit for consumption, or if the oceans are poisoned;
For soil resources or human health: if non-renewable fossil fuel resources or Earth’s resources disappear, or if the activity poses a danger to humans or biodiversity.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO LIMIT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT?
While it is unlikely that sericulture, or silkworm cultivation, will be reestablished in Europe any time soon, which would involve the replanting of mulberry trees and Europeans re-learning this long-lost skill, it is still necessary to carry out certain steps in Europe, particularly in France, to limit the ecological and environmental impact of silk production. Doing this will result in lower greenhouse gas emissions due to shorter travel distances and the use of environmentally friendly transport methods (i.e., avoiding air transport of goods).
Spinning and dyeing require water and energy. Spinning mills in Italy, Spain, and Belgium must adhere to standards similar to those in France regarding water consumption and discharge, energy consumption, and have better conditions for workers than in other parts of the world.
Next comes the creation and weaving stage, which is not a polluting activity as it does not consume water or use polluting products, only electricity. Due to better environmental standards and working conditions in Europe, choose products that are made in France. Although these clothes will be more expensive, they will have a much lower environmental impact. The cost of labor, looms, and facilities is higher in France, which is why many clothing brands turn to Bangladesh and Pakistan for better prices. But at what environmental cost?
FRENCH SCARF IS STRIVING TO LIMIT ITS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT WITH SEVERAL CHANGES:
Digital moderation:
- Turning off workstations in the evening
- Avoiding webcam use and limiting video conferences
Heating:
- Using heat pumps for heating our offices, while the workshop remains unheated
Transportation
- Utilizing electric cars for travel and optimizing goods transportation
Recycling
- Recycling waste by weaving new qualities from “waste” threads
Dyeing
- Maximizing the use of dyed threads, which have less of an environmental impact than dyeing and/or printing raw fabric
Chemical Finishing
- Minimizing chemical finishing processes to reduce water consumption and water pollution
CONCLUSION
Silk is prized for its fluidity and luminosity, which make it a unique textile.
There are two main phases in the production process of a silk scarf in terms of carbon footprint:
Silk production and its transformation into yarn (spinning)
Preparation and shaping of the fabric (weaving and finishing)
The carbon footprint of a silk scarf woven in France is much lower than that of a cotton scarf made in India and even lower than that of a polyester scarf from China. Choose scarves made in France! Furthermore, you can further lower your environmental impact by using your scarf for as long as possible. French scarf provides advice on how to care for and protect your silk scarf.
And when you want to part with it, don’t throw it in the trash. You can sell it online or at a flea market. Alternatively, you can simply return it to a designated collection point: association premises, containers, shops, etc.
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