According to Mary Holt, marketing manager at the Soil Association, conventional inks and dyes used to dye and print t-shirts impact on the environment and our health. It seems there are no clear-cut answers to this issue, but rather a series of improvements that could be made.

The dying process

Conventional dyeing processes are extremely polluting. The manufacture and use of synthetic dyes are two of the world's most polluting industries, with at least 8000 chemicals being used to turn raw material into clothing. Azo dyes are most common and make up around 70% of all dyes used to colour fabric.

Currently, there are serious concerns about the safety of azo's and a number of other toxic chemicals, such as those present in some reactive and sulphur dyes. Most azo's are water-soluble and there is the risk that carcinogenic chemicals from these dyes can be absorbed by the body through skin contact. Dye house workers have also been know to suffer from asthma, allergies, birth defects and reproductive damage. Alongside the human cost, considerable environmental damage is caused by chemicals from the dyes. Each year, the global textile industry discharges 40-50,000 tons of dye into rivers and streams. Harmful chemicals and high salt levels used in the dying process pollute freshwater habitats and leave soil too alkaline to support crops. Therefore, the proper treatment of water is vital, even when environmentally friendly dyes are being used, as local community and eco-systems can be severely affected by harmful toxins in water supplies.

Customers looking for an ethical garment are often interested in natural dyes made from animal or plant extracts. In theory, these would seem the least damaging to the environment as they are produced without manmade chemicals. In reality, it takes a huge amount of natural produce to create these dyes and this produce is not necessarily obtained from sustainable resources. To give an example, over a ton of beetles need to be crushed in order to produce 1kg of cochineal. What's more, unsafe heavy metal mordents are often used to fix the dye, which, if not treated properly, can enter water supplies. The performance of these dyes is also questionable. They aren't as colour or light fast, or as vibrant as synthetic dyes and are expensive and difficult to source. To be a commercially viable option, any 'ethical' alternative needs to be able compete with the mainstream.

Positive steps are being made to reduce the environmental impact of garment dyeing. Recently, the European Commission passed a directive banning specific azo dyes in any textile or leather product that may come in "direct or prolonged" contact with the skin or mouth, and many clothing manufacturers have rejected azo's altogether.

The printing process

Although some 'environmentally friendly' inks have been developed, there seems to be a consensus that an ultimate eco printing process would be difficult to achieve due to the prevalence of man made and harmful chemicals in all commercially acceptable inks.Waste disposal is also a key concern. Some of the damaging chemicals used in printing include white spirit, potential carcinogens phthalates, formaldehyde, PVC (a significant component in plastisol inks and transfers) and a group of products called APEO's. APEO's form a significant part of many detergents and emulsifiers and need to be removed at source, as they usually pass straight through water treatment plants and they have been identified as damaging marine organisms.

PVC free plastisol inks and water-based printing are generally considered to be less harmful to the environment than conventional inks. Chemicals such as white spirit and APEO's are found in most inks, even water-based ones, but Magna has introduced a water-based printing system that is free from phthalate, PVC, APEO's, formaldehyde, heavy metals and meets all the requirements of the Oeko-Tex certification. Another advantage of water based inks is that they wash off screens with water, reducing the number of chemicals used in the printing process. A number of printers have opted to use these printing methods, while some printers also clean all of their equipment solely with rags, which are then cleaned and recycled by specialist companies. One printer filters all its water before it enters the water system.

Garment dyeing and printing remain relatively underexposed, but both have a significant environmental impact. There are currently no hard and fast solutions, but new and innovative possibilities continue to be explored in the quest for a more ethically produced, eco-friendly promotional t-shirt.

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