2026-08-28 カナダ・コンコルディア大学
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/encs/2026/08/28/fast-fashions-carbon-footprint-can-be-reduced-across-its-life-cycle-new-concordia-study-suggests.html
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772912526000746
生産から廃棄まで：ファストファッションのポリエステルおよび綿Tシャツのライフサイクルアセスメント From production to waste disposal: A life cycle assessment of fast fashion polyester and cotton T-shirts
Xinyu Xu, Linxiang Lyu, Zhi Chen, Chunjiang An
Cleaner Waste Systems Available online: 2 June 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clwas.2026.100541
Highlights
- The life-cycle impacts of polyester and cotton fast fashion T-shirts were assessed.
- Polyester has higher impacts in most categories, while cotton dominates water and land use.
- Air freight distance is the most sensitive driver of CO₂-eq emissions for both materials.
- Changes in waste disposal methods have a limited effect on total greenhouse gas emissions.
- Extending garment lifespan can reduce CO₂-eq emissions by about 50% for both T-shirts.
Abstract
Fast fashion apparel causes significant environmental impacts due to its high production frequency, short lifespan, and global supply chains. However, existing life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of clothing have not yet fully considered the specific conditions of fast fashion. This study employed an LCA methodology to systematically compare the environmental impacts of polyester and cotton T-shirts from production to end-of-life disposal throughout their entire life cycles within the fast fashion context, using one T-shirt under a 20-wash use scenario as the functional unit. By combining transport-related sensitivity analyses with fast fashion scenario analyses focusing on transport modes and clothing lifespan, this study aims to address these limitations and conduct a more targeted assessment of key environmental issues within the fast fashion system. The environmental impacts across multiple categories were evaluated, followed by the estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for each stage. Results indicated significant differences in environmental performance between cotton and polyester T-shirts across various impact categories. Polyester T-shirts exhibited considerably higher emissions, reaching 9.62 kg CO2 eq per functional unit, compared to 6.1 kg CO2 eq for cotton T-shirts. Sensitivity analysis showed that polyester and cotton T-shirts’ carbon emissions were both more sensitive to transportation-related parameters, particularly air freight distances. Scenario analysis indicated that altering transportation modes and extending product lifespans could significantly reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion. The results suggest that improving the environmental performance of fast fashion garments should prioritize reducing air transport and extending product lifespan, as both significantly reduce environmental impacts.
