Pakistan’s textile industry, while economically important, is wasting millions of dollars every year, and the opportunity cost is staggering. Our air, freshwater, marine life and overall climate are bearing the brunt of this environmental damage. For example, it takes an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 liters of water to make a pair of jeans. This is an astonishing misuse of a scarce resource like water, especially in a country like ours, where water scarcity is a growing concern. This unsustainable process is leading us to a future where we may find ourselves starving for the resources we are recklessly depleting today.
Adding to the problem is the heavy carbon footprint associated with textile dyeing along with other harmful pollutants. The traditional linear business model used by most of our industries isn’t just outdated – it’s harmful. This allows for unchecked production that ends up with waste. We urgently need to move to a circular economy, where the focus is on reusing, reducing and recycling inputs.
Zainul Abidin Qureshi
Sukkur