“Hello Everyone,

I was born in the cotton fields of a distant land, under the blazing sun and amidst the sweat of hard working farmers. My journey began as a tiny seed, planted with hope and care. The cotton plants stretched as far as the eye could see, a testament to the labour-intensive process of growing the cotton that would eventually become me.

The Gruelling Harvest
When the time was right, the farmers harvested the cotton. Their hands picked and plucked, working tirelessly to gather the fluffy white fibers that would be spun into yarn. The bolls were carefully collected, but not without a toll on the land, as pesticides and herbicides were often used to protect the fragile crops.

From Fluff to Fabric
I, along with my cotton siblings, then embarked on a journey to the textile mill. There, we were cleaned, carded, and spun into threads. Machines whirred day and night, consuming vast amounts of energy and water. The air was thick with the dust of cotton fibers, and the waterways surrounding the mill often bore the brunt of chemical runoff.

The Dyeing Process
My next transformation involved being dyed into a vibrant hue. Vats of water were filled with chemicals and I was submerged, absorbing the colour that would define me. The dyeing process consumes colossal quantities of water, and the leftover chemicals are often discharged into local rivers, polluting the ecosystem.

Coming Together
As a roll of fabric, I was sent to a garment factory. There, skilled hands meticulously cut and stitched, turning me into a t-shirt. The factory was a whirlwind of activity, with machines humming and workers toiling away. The fast pace of production often led to overwork, low wages, and unsafe working conditions for those who crafted me. After being packaged, I began my long journey to consumers' wardrobes. I travelled across oceans, carried by massive cargo ships, emitting vast amounts of carbon emissions. My voyage contributed to the global carbon footprint, as these vessels guzzled fossil fuels.

A Brief Stay in the Wardrobe
For a while, I resided in a consumer's wardrobe, providing comfort and style. But the fast-fashion industry demanded constant change, and I was soon discarded, as trends shifted. Many like me found themselves abandoned in a landfill after only a few wearings, contributing to the growing textile waste problem.

The Final Resting Place
Finally, I ended up in a landfill, where I lay among heaps of other discarded clothes. It was here that the true cost of my existence became evident. Landfills overflowed with textiles that would take decades, if not centuries, to decompose. The chemicals from dyeing and finishing processes leached into the soil, further degrading the environment. This is when I realised something, that I was never meant for the wardrobe, I was made for the landfill. 

The Call for Change
My journey, from the cotton fields to the landfill, was not just about me but about the environmental degradation and human exploitation woven into the fabric of the fashion industry. As I lay in the landfill, I yearned for a world where the fashion industry embraced sustainable practices, where consumers cherished their clothes, and where we, the humble t-shirts, could tell a different story; one of responsible production, ethical labour and a healthier planet. I hope my autobiography serves as a reminder that every t-shirt has a story and it's a story that we all must pay attention to if we want a more sustainable and compassionate world.”

- Your mate, T-shirt