Carbon Footprint of Leggings

This page provides an in-depth analysis of the carbon footprint of leggings, a popular athleisure and fashion product. By examining detailed emissions data across the full product lifecycle, sustainability professionals can identify key hotspots, benchmark performance, and uncover opportunities for impact reduction.

6.16 kg CO2e The Carbon Footprint of Leggings Leggings Carbon Footprint
What's the Carbon Footprint of Leggings?

What's the Carbon Footprint of Leggings?

The average carbon footprint for a pair of leggings is 8.14 kg CO₂e based on the provided data. This value represents the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the full lifecycle of leggings production. The product count of 3,582 leggings and an emissions range of 2.27 - 19.90 kg CO₂e highlight the variation that can exist within this product category.
  • Minimum footprint: 2.27 kg CO2e
  • Median footprint: 6.16 kg CO2e
  • Maximum footprint: 19.9 kg CO2e

Carbon Emissions by Process Step in Leggings Production

Each leggings' footprint includes emissions from multiple manufacturing stages. The following process steps were identified as carbon hotspots for leggings:
  • Raw Materials 0.59 kg CO₂e
  • Yarn Formation 0.82 kg CO₂e
  • Coloration 0.47 kg CO₂e
Carbon Emissions by Process Step in Leggings Production

Key Insights from the Environmental Data on Leggings

Emissions Variation Range

The provided emissions range of 2.27 - 19.90 kg CO₂e per pair of leggings indicates a significant variation of up to 17.63 kg CO₂e within this product category. This variation could be influenced by factors like material composition, manufacturing processes, or transportation.

Raw Material Impacts

The raw materials phase accounts for 0.59 kg CO₂e of emissions per leggings, emerging as one of the top contributors. Optimizing raw material sourcing and increasing use of lower-impact fibers could help reduce the footprint.

Yarn Formation Emissions

Yarn formation is another key hotspot, responsible for 0.82 kg CO₂e per leggings on average. Improving energy efficiency and adopting renewable energy in this process step presents an opportunity for impact reduction.

Coloration Process Impacts

The coloration process contributes 0.47 kg CO₂e per leggings, indicating that dye selection, water use, and treatment processes influence the overall footprint. Exploring cleaner dyeing technologies could yield environmental benefits.

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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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