The Water You Wear.

When people talk about food, they’re usually familiar with terms like organic, GMO, antibiotic-free or even local. But it also takes water to grow the food we eat. In fact, nearly 80% of our water use is dedicated to agriculture. That’s a big number. Since some foods and agricultural products require more water than others, consumers benefit from transparency, from information that helps them make purchases aligned with their values. What about our clothes? Most of what we wear is made from cotton. On the surface, it’s a commodity crop no different than corn or soy, except, paradoxically, cotton is grown in the world’s hottest climates, which creates a very real stress on local water supplies. It can also be a dirty crop. Globally, nearly 25% of all insecticide use is dedicated to cotton production. The problem is magnified by the fact that less than 5% of all farming land is used for cotton production. In short, that’s a lot of chemicals used on a relatively small sector of arable land. To begin our work on Water and Textiles, we’ve decided to focus on two key areas: the first looks at how CLOSED LOOP systems allow textiles to be UPCYCLED for reuse in a variety of ways, allowing for tremendous water savings and the recirculation of VIRTUAL WATER sources. The second takes a close look at how Levi’s Eureka Innovation Lab, located in San Francisco, CA, is pioneering new approaches to denim finishing with practices that dramatically reduce (and at times even eliminate) water use. In the future we will look closely at how cotton production can become more sustainable, by reducing inputs, adapting greater land and water stewardship practices, and providing greater equity for farmworkers. We will also examine a variety of innovative manufacturing practices–from fiber to yarn to fabric—that are reducing both water use and pollutants that impact air and water quality. To learn more visit http://www.thelexicon.org A production of the Lexicon of Sustainability Producer - Laura Howard-Gayeton Writer/Director - Douglas Gayeton Editor/Animator - Pier Giorgio Provenzano