LCA | Life-Cycle Assessment
WEAR YOUR
T-SHIRT
OFTEN
Do you know the environmental impact of your T-shirt?
Calculating a T-shirt's impact on CO2 emissions is a complex task. That is exactly why we show you the journey these products go through and suggest how you yourself can contribute to positive change.
LCA = Life-cycle Assessment
LCA is a detailed analysis of a product's impact on the environment.
ID® T-shirts
Together with the organisation Tekstilrevolutionen, we have carried out life cycle assessments of selected ID® T-shirts.
The impact of one wash
The more times you wash a T-shirt, the smaller its environmental footprint per wash.
6 environmental categories
The analysis covers 6 environmental impact categories.
T-shirt life cycle
What does a T-shirt go through?
A T-shirt's life cycle covers all stages – from cotton cultivation, through yarn and fabric production, sewing, transport, use and washing, to disposal or reuse. Each of these stages has an impact on the environment.
Why does it matter?
Understanding a product's life cycle enables better purchasing decisions. By choosing durable, high-quality T-shirts and wearing them for longer, you genuinely reduce their environmental footprint per use.
Choose the right T-shirt
The difference between high-quality and low-quality T-shirts is significant.
Both when it comes to production and environmental impact, and to social responsibility and product longevity. By choosing a good-quality T-shirt, you help reduce the impact on the environment – it lasts longer and you do not have to keep buying new products.
How to choose the right T-shirt – three tipsEnvironmental impact
The chart shows that a high-quality T-shirt has a significantly lower environmental impact over its entire life cycle. The longer you can wear one T-shirt, the smaller its environmental footprint – unlike buying many cheaper, lower-quality T-shirts.
Life cycle stage | Raw materials and production
Initiatives and memberships
– it makes a difference
Life cycle stage | Use
Take care of your T-shirt
Wash with care
Wash at a low temperature (30°C), avoid the tumble dryer and only wash when necessary. This way you extend the life of your T-shirt and save energy.
Read more
Repair your clothes
Small repairs can significantly extend a T-shirt's life. Instead of throwing away a damaged T-shirt, consider repairing it – the simplest way to reduce waste.
Read more
Life cycle stage | End of life
Everything deserves
a second chance
When a T-shirt has truly reached the end of its life, you still have options: donate it to charity, or hand it in for reuse or recycling. This keeps raw materials in circulation and limits the impact on the environment.
Read more
Reduce your
environmental impact
Every decision matters. Use the diagram opposite to see how your clothing choices translate into environmental impact – from reusing what you already own to choosing high-quality products.
LCA of five ID® T-shirts
Download the full report “Life Cycle Assessment of 5 T-shirts”, in which we analyse in detail the environmental impact of selected ID® T-shirts throughout their entire life cycle.
See the LCA report