They say it fits you to a T. But at what environmental cost does a T-shirt come, asks D. Radha Krishnan, a colour solutions provider based in Salem. A normal T-shirt, weighing roughly 200 grams, will soak up between 100 and 200 litres of water in its making. During its entire life term, it will take around 6,000 litres of water for its maintenance. The quantum may vary but the fact is that conventional methods of cotton fabric production leaves a huge carbon footprint, he said at a presentation on organic cotton production in the city on Wednesday. The seminar was organised by the directorate of handloom and textiles as part of a campaign to create awareness about organic cotton fabric. Mr. Krishnan said modifying the dyeing process has resulted in water consumption coming down from 200 litres to 50 litres. Waste water recycling and zero residue in water released from factories are ways to control eco damage from cotton fabric production, he added.
