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The research examined the full life cycle of polyester and cotton T-shirts, covering manufacturing, shipping, consumer use and disposal, to identify which stages carry the greatest environmental impacts and where reductions could be made.<\/p>\n
Concordia-led research finds polyester T-shirts emit more greenhouse gases than cotton, while cotton has higher land and water demands.
\nAir freight is a major emissions driver; switching to sea freight can cut a shirt’s carbon footprint by roughly 30 to 60 per cent.
\nLonger garment lifespans, fewer new items and durability-focused design offer supply-chain levers for fast-fashion supply chains. <\/p>\n
The fast-fashion model is built on cheap, short-lived garments, particularly cotton and polyester T-shirts, and relies on high production frequency, short product lifespans and a globalised supply chain, all of which contribute to making the industry a major source of global pollution, the study said.<\/p>\n
The researchers analysed a production cycle covering materials and garment manufacturing in China, transportation, consumer use in Montreal and final disposal. They also assessed scenarios including alternative shipping methods, different disposal options and longer garment lifespans.<\/p>\n
Under the baseline scenario, polyester T-shirts generated substantially more greenhouse gas emissions than cotton shirts because synthetic fibres require more energy and fossil fuels. Cotton, by contrast, placed much greater pressure on land and water because of the resources needed to grow the crop, Concordia said.<\/p>\n
Transportation and product lifespan outweighed many material differences in the study. Air freight was one of the largest emissions contributors, while replacing it with sea freight reduced a shirt’s carbon footprint by roughly 30 to 60 per cent, depending on the material.<\/p>\n
The study also found that doubling a garment’s lifespan could reduce emissions by about half because fewer new garments would need to be produced to provide the same amount of clothing use.<\/p>\n
For manufacturers and sourcing teams, the findings point to fewer garments, durability-led design and reduced reliance on air freight as the strongest environmental levers identified in the research.<\/p>\n
For consumers, the researchers said wearing clothes for longer may have a greater climate benefit than focusing solely on whether a T-shirt is made from cotton or polyester.<\/p>\n
The study was led by PhD candidate Xinyu Xu and Chunjiang An, associate professor in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering (BCEE) at the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science. Zhi Chen, BCEE professor at Concordia, and Linxiang Lyu at the Shanghai Institute of Technology also contributed. It was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.<\/p>\n
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Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)<\/p>\n
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