Carbon Footprint of Fashion Face Masks

This page provides an in-depth analysis of the carbon footprint of fashion face masks, offering valuable insights and benchmarking data to help sustainability professionals make informed decisions and drive improvements in environmental impact.

1.33 kg CO2e The Carbon Footprint of Fashion Face Masks Fashion Face Masks Carbon Footprint
What's the Carbon Footprint of Fashion Face Masks?

What's the Carbon Footprint of Fashion Face Masks?

The average carbon footprint for a fashion face mask is 1.66 kg CO₂e. This value is based on an analysis of 39 fashion face masks with a mass range of 73.92 g on average. The emissions range from 0.17 kg CO₂e to 8.86 kg CO₂e, highlighting the variability in environmental impact across different products and manufacturing processes.
  • Minimum footprint: 0.17 kg CO2e
  • Median footprint: 1.33 kg CO2e
  • Maximum footprint: 8.86 kg CO2e

Carbon Emissions by Process Step in Fashion Face Mask Production

Each fashion face mask's footprint includes emissions from multiple manufacturing stages. The following process steps were identified as carbon hotspots for fashion face masks:
  • Raw Materials and Yarn Formation 0.30 kg CO₂e
  • Coloration 0.13 kg CO₂e
  • Finishing 0.15 kg CO₂e
Carbon Emissions by Process Step in Fashion Face Mask Production

Key Insights from the Environmental Data on Fashion Face Masks

Emissions Variability

The wide range of emissions, from 0.17 to 8.86 kg CO₂e, suggests that fashion face mask production can have vastly different environmental impacts depending on factors like materials, processes, and efficiency. This variability highlights opportunities for improvement.

Material and Process Impacts

The top emission hotspots are raw materials/yarn formation (0.30 kg CO₂e), coloration (0.13 kg CO₂e), and finishing (0.15 kg CO₂e), indicating that optimizing these stages could significantly reduce the overall footprint.

Product Mass Relationship

With an average mass of 73.92 g, the emissions of 1.66 kg CO₂e suggest a potential relationship between product mass and carbon footprint that could inform more efficient design and material use.

Benchmarking Opportunities

The availability of emissions data allows brands to benchmark their fashion face mask products against industry averages and identify areas for improvement or differentiation based on environmental performance.

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References

Data sourced from Carbonfact’s proprietary database, powered by over 50 million LCAs run on textile, fashion, and footwear products. The methodology is aligned with the EU Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and adapted for product category specificity.

Find more information about our LCA methodology here.
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