Do you know what your undergarments are made of, and if it’s safe for your health? I explored this topic further to understand what materials are being used, how it is being made, and how it affects our health and the environment.
Materials that are being used for the undergarments are cotton, silk, spandex, nylon, lace, and lycra. Some of the materials are being grown and some are being artificially made. For example, cotton is being grown at farms, and it can take more than 20,000 liters or 5,000 gallons of water to produce 1kg of cotton equivalent to a single T-shirt and pair of jeans. Not only that, but due to cotton farms, there is still slave labor and child labor in many parts of the world. There are also silk farms, where silk worms are used to get silk. Other materials like nylon and polyester needs fossil fuels and chemicals to produce into small fibers, then the fibers are stretched and weaved into thin yarns.
From these synthetic clothes, people and environment could get harmed, and it could damage your health too. For example, during farming and manufacturing, the pesticides and chemicals used could seep into the water system. Many farmers and animals are killed every year by drinking these polluted waters. It also harms the natural resources and ecosystems. The nearby farm communities are experiencing severe health problems like ADHD, weakened immune systems, and birth defects.
I wonder what are the impacts of wearing these materials, especially as undergarments as it’s so close to our skin? One of my suggestions is to use less chemicals to make the fabric, so no one will be harmed, and the environment isn’t damaged. Another suggestion is that cotton should be grown organically, so people and animal don’t get killed with pollution. My last suggestion is that we should stop child labor and give them a chance to learn.
Let’s remember, stop using materials that use chemicals to stop harmful things towards us and the environment. Let’s make the world great again by giving chance to children to go to school.
About the Author
Win Kyaw is a high school freshman and he loves to explore, to travel and learn new things. He likes to play video games, sports, and do gymnastics.