Title: Fashion-Toxic
Course: Project week - Leuphana-Copy

Q: [Image: IHSH-27bk | (c) section215 on Flickr]

There are huge gaps in the cost of making clothes depending on the location where they are produced.

Imagine a denim shirt being produced in the U.S. According to the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights, the shirt's production would cost $13.22 in total. The labor cost, which is included here, would amount to $7.47. The math is simple: More than half the costs of the U.S. garment industry are used to pay for the workers in this industry.

However, in other places of the world this is not necessarily the case. Let's take the example of Bangladesh – a country with a central role in the world's garment industry. What do you think is the average percentage of labor cost in this country's garment industry? In other words, how much of a shirt's production costs are used to pay for the workers in this process?
- 37 %
- 52 %
- 25%
- 5 %
- 19 %
A: 5 %
Feedback: Did you know...?! The production of a denim shirt in the U.S. costs $13.22. On the other hand, the same denim shirt can be produced in Bangladesh for only a small share of this: $4.70. Why is that so? Some expenditures can be reduced because the resources and materials as well as industrial laundry are cheaper in this country. The most radical difference, however, concerns the cost of labor: Employees producing this shirt in Bangladesh earn much less than their American colleagues. In Bangladesh, only 5% of the shirt's total cost go to the people who produce it. Per shirt, the Bangladeshi entrepreneur only has to pay 22 cents on labor – as opposed to the $7.47 his or her U.S. counterpart has to invest. This is of great importance, especially in such a labor-intensive industry. Of course, this also has tremendous consequences for the situation of these workers – sewers, cleaners, machine operators, helpers, packers, supervisors, and others. [fa-leanpub] Learn more about this topic and visit the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights website.

Q: [Image: Pashmina Spectrum | (c) Tom Martin on Flickr]

The U.S. generates an average of 25 billion pounds of textiles (clothing, footwear, bedding, towels etc.) every year. This is about 82 pounds per U.S. resident! Fast fashion has to do a lot with this development. Instead of four main fashion seasons (as it used to be until a few decades ago), we now have 52 seasons per year – thanks to fashion chains that produce an ever-growing number of fashion styles that are affordable at the same time.

Instead of quickly throwing away worn-out or seemingly outdated clothes, some people rather donate or recycle them. What do you think is the percentage of textiles that are not thrown away each year in the U.S. – but instead recycled or donated?
- 31 %
- 46 %
- 72 %
- 15 %
- 23 %
A: 15 %
Feedback: Did you know...?! Only 15% of the textiles that are sorted out by U.S.-Americans are donated or recycled. The remaining 85% end up in the country's landfills. Thus, the average U.S.-American produces 70 pounds of textile trash per year. This translates to 210 shirts, 630 pieces of kid's clothing and 70 pair of shoes. Now, of course, the figures also include industrial garment production. (However, don't think that Germans are much better in this regard!) [fa-leanpub] Learn more about this topic and visit the Council for Textile Recycling.

Q: [Image: Laundering Dollar Bills by Images_of_Money (Flickr)]

During the fiscal year of 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) produced approximately 6.6 billion U.S. dollar notes at an average production cost of 10 cents per note. Over 90 percent of the notes that the BEP delivers each year are used to replace notes already in or taken out of circulation.

What does that have to do with the environment you are wondering? Well, think about the materials necessary to produce all the ‘paper’ money. Have you ever wondered what the U.S. dollar notes are made of? Which material (or combination of materials) is used?
- Cotton
- Artificial fibers
- Cotton and linen
- Silk
- Linen
A: Cotton and linen
Feedback: Did you know...?! The U.S. dollar bills are made of 75% cotton and 25% linen. This is what gives the U.S. currency its distinct look and feel. Ordinary paper that consumers use throughout their everyday life such as newspapers, books, cereal boxes, and so on is primarily made of wood pulp. Wood Pulp is wood that has been grinded in order to create a usable raw material for different types of paper products. Due to the rise of cotton prices, the cost of producing a single dollar note increased in recent years. The government produced 6.4 billion new currency notes in 2010. Each one cost 9.6 cents in production, including the cost of paper and printing. In 2008, the price was only 6.4 cents per note. By the way, the European Euro notes are made of 100% cotton. [fa-leanpub] Learn more about this topic and visit the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the European Central Bank.