Why do your jeans wear out so quickly? - Madhavi Venkatesan

Prevodilac: Jelena Đurasović Lektor: Milenka Okuka

The first pairs of jeans were designed for durability.

Prve farmerke su napravljene sa ciljem da bi trajale.

Named for the French city of Nîmes,

Nazvan po francuskom gradu Nim,

denim was constructed as a sturdy cotton weave worn by sailors.

teksas (denim) je izrađen kao jaka pamučna tkanina za mornare.

This rugged material got even stronger in the 19th century,

Ovaj grubi materijal je ojačan u devetnaestom veku

when Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis added metal rivets to reinforce stress points.

kada su Livaj Štraus i Džejkob Dejvis dodali metalne nitne na kritične tačke.

Their design introduced a new brand of durable trousers

Njihov dizajn je uveo novi brend izdržljivih farmerki

for California miners that could withstand years of wear and tear.

za kalifornijske rudare koji je mogao da potraje godinama.

Over the course of the 20th century,

Tokom dvadesetog veka,

these working-class pants have transformed into fashion icons.

ove radničke pantalone postale su modne ikone.

But as the demand for jeans has gone up, their durability has gone down.

Kako je potražnja za farmerkama porasla, njihova izdržljivost je opala.

Today, most pairs last no longer than a year.

Danas, par farmerki ne traje duže od godinu dana.

And each new pair you buy has a much higher cost than you might think.

Svaki novi par koji kupite je skuplji nego što mislite.

Every pair of jeans begins its life in a cotton field.

Svaki par farmerki započinje svoj život na polju pamuka.

It takes about 0.7 kilograms of cotton to produce a single pair of pants.

Potrebno je 0,7 kilograma pamuka da bi se proizveo jedan par farmerki.

Growing this much cotton requires roughly 10,000 liters of water,

Za uzgoj ovoliko pamuka potroši se otprilike 10 000 litara vode,

not to mention various herbicides and pesticides,

a da ne pominjemo razne herbicide i pesticide,

which can contaminate groundwater.

koji zagađuju podzemne vode.

The cotton is harvested by hand or industrial machines

Pamuk se bere ručno ili uz pomoć industrijskih mašina

and transported to textile factories where it’s spun into yarn.

i transportuje se u tekstilne fabrike gde se prede u predivo.

At this point, it’s typically combined with plastic fibers like spandex

U ovoj fazi obično se kombinuje sa plastičnim vlaknima kao što je spandeks

to increase the yarn’s elasticity.

da bi se povećala elastičnost prediva.

These plastic threads make modern jeans more comfortable and flexible,

Ove plastične niti čine moderne farmerke udobnijim i elastičnijim,

but also much less durable.

ali u isto vreme i manje izdržljivim.

Next, the yarn is dyed jeans’ trademark blue.

Nakon toga, predivo se boji u teksas plavu boju.

Historically, this color came from natural plant-derived indigo.

U prošlosti se ova boja dobijala od prirodnog biljnog indiga.

But most modern manufacturers use a synthetic dye

Međutim, većina današnjih proizvođača koristi sintetičke boje

made from petroleum byproducts and toxic chemicals.

dobijene od naftnih derivata i toksičnih hemikalija.

Once dyed, the cotton-plastic blend is woven into denim sheets,

Kada se oboji, mešavina pamuka i plastike se tka u teksasne čaršave,

which are then cut and sewn into jeans.

koji se potom seku i od njih se šiju farmerke.

After assembly, some jeans undergo additional procedures

Nakon šivenja, na nekim farmerkama se vrše dodatne procedure

to get a distressed look.

da bi se dobio istrošen izgled.

This often includes chemical sprays and multiple cycles of acid-washing,

Ovo često uključuje hemijske sprejeve i višestruko pranje kiselinom.

the toxic runoff can turn rivers indigo-blue.

Toksični otpad može da oboji reke u indigo plavu boju.

Finally, there are the zippers, buttons, and rivets

Na kraju, tu su rajsferšlusi, dugmad i nitne

made of copper and other metals,

koji se prave od bakra i drugih metala,

whose mining is yet another source of environmental degradation.

čije iskopavanje je dodatni vid degradacije životne sredine.

All in all, the manufacturing process for a single pair of jeans

Sve u svemu, proizvodni proces jednog para farmerki

emits over 33 kilograms of carbon—

oslobađa preko 33 kilograma ugljenika,

the equivalent of driving over 110 kilometers.

što bi bilo jednako vožnji od 110 kilometara.

But this process doesn't just damage the environment.

Međutim, ovaj proces ne šteti samo životnoj sredini.

Much of the world’s cotton is grown in developing countries,

Većina svetskog pamuka se uzgaja u zemljama u razvoju

with poor labor practices and few protections for workers.

koje imaju loše uslove za rad i slabu zaštitu radnika.

Cotton here is often picked by children or forced labor,

Pamuk često beru deca ili prisilni radnici,

and most jean manufacturing plants frequently expose workers

i većina fabrika za proizvodnju džinsa često izlaže radnike

to toxic chemicals throughout production.

otrovnim hemikalijama u toku proizvodnje.

One particularly dangerous technique called sandblasting

Jedna posebno opasna tehnika zvana peskarenje

involves spraying jeans with fine sand at high pressures

podrazumeva prskanje farmerki sitnim peskom pod velikim pritiskom

and has been linked with numerous cases of incurable and often fatal lung disease.

i dovodi se u vezu sa mnogim slučajevima

neizlečivog raka pluća i drugih kobnih bolesti.

Like many globally produced products,

Kao i mnogi proizvodi koji se prave širom sveta,

jeans are made in poor countries and bought in rich ones.

farmerke se prave u siromašnim državama, a kupuju u bogatim.

All these pants will likely be washed dozens or even hundreds of times per year.

Sve ove farmerke se peru desetinama ili stotinama puta godišnje.

This energy intensive process breaks down the plastics woven into each pair,

Ovaj energetski iscrpljujući proces kida plastične niti utkane u svaki par

releasing microplastics into the water

oslobađajući mikroplastiku u vodu

and, perhaps most ironic of all, shortening the jean’s lifespan.

i, ono što je ironično u svemu, skraćujući trajanje farmerki.

Like most waste, discarded jeans end up in landfills,

Kao i većina otpada, bačene farmerke završe na deponijama

where their decomposition releases methane gas,

gde se prilikom raspadanja oslobađa metan,

while their dyes and plastics leach into the soil and groundwater.

dok boje i plastika cure u zemljište i u podzemne vode.

Some companies are working on solutions here,

Neke kompanije rade na traženju rešenja,

from using organic cotton to recycling and reusing denim.

kao što su korišćenje organskog pamuka, recikliranje i ponovna upotreba teksasa.

You can also help reduce the environmental impact of your favorite pants

I vi možete pomoći da se smanji uticaj na životnu sredinu

by buying used jeans and buying fewer pairs altogether.

tako što ćete kupovati polovnu robu i u manjim količinama.

Denim manufacturers also recommend only washing your jeans once every 10 wears.

Proizvođači teksasa preporučuju da perete farmerke nakon deset nošenja.

And, when possible, air dry your pants to reduce energy consumption.

Kada je moguće, sušite svoje farmerke na vetru i smanjite potrošnju energije.

Life cycle and labor problems like these extend far beyond just jeans.

Životni ciklus i ovakvi radnički problemi ne obuhvataju samo farmerke.

Some governments are pursuing policies to make companies more responsible

Neke države sprovode planove po kojima bi kompanije bile odgovornije

for worker pay and welfare,

za plaćanje radnika i socijalnu pomoć,

but unsustainable practices still run rampant throughout the fashion industry.

ali neodrživa praksa je i dalje van kontrole u celoj modnoj industriji.

So when the price tags on your clothes seem like a steal,

I zato kada vidite da cena na vašoj odeći izgleda kao pljačka,

it’s important to consider who’s actually being robbed.

važno je da razmislite ko je zapravo opljačkan.