Carbon Footprint of Intimate Apparel

This page provides an overview of the carbon footprint of intimate apparel products, offering sustainability professionals valuable insights into emissions hotspots and key drivers across the product lifecycle. Understanding these impacts is crucial for identifying improvement opportunities.

4.08 kg CO2e The Carbon Footprint of Intimate Apparel Intimate Apparel Carbon Footprint
What's the Carbon Footprint of Intimate Apparel?

What's the Carbon Footprint of Intimate Apparel?

The average carbon footprint of intimate apparel is 4.79 kg CO₂e per product. This value is based on an analysis of 14,758 intimate apparel products with an average mass of 86.55 grams. The emissions range from a minimum of 0.38 kg CO₂e to a maximum of 11.26 kg CO₂e per product.
  • Minimum footprint: 0.38 kg CO2e
  • Median footprint: 4.08 kg CO2e
  • Maximum footprint: 11.26 kg CO2e

Carbon Emissions by Process Step in Intimate Apparel Production

Each intimate apparel's footprint includes emissions from multiple manufacturing stages. The following process steps were identified as carbon hotspots for intimate apparel:
  • Coloration 0.24 kg CO₂e
  • Finishing 0.27 kg CO₂e
  • Raw Materials 0.31 kg CO₂e
Carbon Emissions by Process Step in Intimate Apparel Production

Key Insights from the Environmental Data on Intimate Apparel

Emissions Span a Wide Range

The greenhouse gas emissions for intimate apparel products range from 0.38 to 11.26 kg CO₂e, indicating a significant variation across different styles and materials.

Coloration and Finishing Are Hotspots

The coloration (0.24 kg CO₂e) and finishing (0.27 kg CO₂e) process steps are identified as top emissions contributors for intimate apparel production.

Raw Material Impacts

Raw material extraction and processing accounts for 0.31 kg CO₂e of emissions per intimate apparel product on average.

Product Complexity Relationship

With 5 components per product, more complex intimate apparel styles may have higher environmental impacts compared to simpler designs.

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"Carbonfact's offerings, particularly its product-level focus for footwear and apparel, ensures we can both measure our carbon footprint and actively find ways to reduce it. Carbonfact has been instrumental in helping us model different scenarios and make informed decisions that align with our sustainability goals."

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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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