Textile & fashion

The textile and fashion industry plays a significant role in climate change. The production, transport and consumption of clothing have a very large impact. The increasing spread of fast fashion and a throw-away culture increases the problem. Didactic Bricks gives students the opportunity to actively and creatively engage in the development of solutions to some of the biggest climate challenges associated with clothing and fashion. Through investigation, reflection and innovation, students can gain insight into how they can contribute to a more climate-friendly fashion industry and more sustainable consumption.

Facts about textile and fashion 

1. The fashion industry is responsible for up to 10% of global CO2 emissions – more than the aviation and shipping industries combined.

2. Each year, an estimated 264-594 thousand tonnes of returned or unsold textile products are destroyed in the EU – that is 4-9% of all textile products put on the market.

3. The average EU citizen buys about 19 kg of textiles per year – including around 8 kg of clothing.

4. Global consumption of clothing and footwear is expected to increase by over 60% by 2030 – driven by a growing middle class and increased spending.

5. The production of one cotton T-shirt requires around 1,400 litres of water – equivalent to more than 10 full bathtubs.

6. Some fast fashion brands release 24 collections a year – one every two weeks, which pushes for overconsumption.

7. Only 1% of all clothing is recycled into new clothes – the rest becomes lower quality textiles or waste.

8. Every second, a truckload of textiles is thrown away, either to incineration or landfill. In some places, that clothing ends up in so-called ‘clothing graveyards’ in less developed countries.

9. More than half of all fast fashion clothing ends up in incinerators or landfills within a year of production – that’s also the equivalent of a truckload of textiles every second.

10. Textile production is responsible for around 20% of global water pollution due to dyeing and finishing of textile products.

Didactic opportunities

Didactic Bricks aims to enable students to be active and work creatively, including:

• Investigate the climate footprint of the clothing industry through research, analysis and interviews.
• Reflect on their own consumption habits and what sustainable alternatives exist.

• Experiment with upcycling and redesigning clothing.

• Develop solutions that can create change in consumption patterns and production.
• Communicate and realize their ideas and solutions.

Textile and fashion is a strong starting point for working concretely and creatively with climate, consumption and sustainability in education. It is a topic that speaks directly to the students’ lives and values, and it can engage them in a relevant and meaningful learning process. There are many opportunities to involve methods and content from school subjects, just as working with the textile and fashion industry helps to form students as critical citizens and innovative changemakers.

As a teacher, you can get direct access to lesson plans (playlists) developed by other teachers, activities (which you can choose and use to build your own lesson plans) and resources (texts, videos, worksheets, etc.) related to the textile and fashion industry by clicking on the 3 orange buttons below. You can also click on the ‘Activity overview’ button below to get an overview of the activities that have been developed specifically for the theme.