Learning objectives:
- Trace the life cycle of a common garment
- Identify biodiversity impacts at each stage
Please note that some of the activities in this online course require watching a video, mostly in English, but also in Hindi and Italian. You can select subtitles in your own language, if they are available. If they are not available, you can select auto-translation of subtitles into your language from each video’s settings on YouTube.
Activity: Mapping the life cycle of a T-shirt (15’)
Prompt: Watch this 6-minute video presenting The life cycle of a t-shirt. Take notes or draw a diagram outlining how each stage in the life of a T-shirt contributes to biodiversity loss. Keep in mind that activities contributing to climate change through carbon emissions also accelerate biodiversity loss.
Before watching the video, familiarise yourself with the five key life cycle stages:
- Raw material extraction (in this case, growing cotton)
- Fabric manufacturing
- Transportation
- Consumer use
- End-of-life / disposal
