A Spatial Water Footprint Assessment of Recycled Cotton T-Shirts: Case of Local Impacts in Selected China Provinces

Abstract

In global trade, the manufacture and consumption of cotton textile products are intervening in the hydrological cycle. To address the relationship between the product system and the unsustainable use of local water resources, a spatial water footprint assessment is needed. This study presents a spatial water footprint method that was demonstrated in the case of domestically produced cotton T-shirts in three recycle scenarios. The results showed that the water scarcity footprint of conventional T-shirt, eco T-shirt, recycled T-shirt is 2.45 H2O eq, 1.74 H2O eq, 8 × 10−2 H2O eq, respectively, and the water-eutrophication footprint of conventional T-shirt, eco T-shirt, recycled T-shirt is 1.18 × 10−2 PDF·m2·yr−1, 9.47 × 10−3 PDF·m2·yr−1, 4.04 × 10−3 PDF·m2·yr−1, respectively. Two interesting results have been found. Firstly, the hydrosphere has been affected by manufacture and consumption; thus any choice made by manufacturers and consumers may lead to an impact on the water resource in a region that is far from the location. Secondly, the effect of water footprint reduction will be more apparent in places with severe water stress. The spatial water footprint offers a transparent result of each phase’s potential contribution to the local environment and could make a quantitative comparison between product stages, products, and local impacts. Thus, spatial water footprint will be a critical component in the sustainability management improvement of the supply chain.