Buying stylish clothes at an affordable price is appealing to most consumers, but it can have negative impacts on our environment. Known as fast fashion, this industry offers low prices on clothing, but it comes with a hidden cost. Thanks to a rise in the human population and the increasing popularity of fashion-related social media content, people often think they need more clothes than they really do. In fact, humans are consuming a whopping 400% more clothing today than they were 20 years ago. Behind the automotive and technology industries, clothing is the third biggest manufacturing industry in the world. However, fashion manufacturers are responsible for five percent of the worldโs greenhouse gas emissions, producing 1.2 billion tons of CO2 per year.
What is Fast Fashion?
The term fast fashion refers to a highly profitable industry that mass produces clothing, shoes, and accessories based on the latest trends. This clothing is available at a low cost, but most products arenโt exactly made of the highest quality. Since trends come and go, most people who buy fast fashion items wear them short-term, then dispose of them. In many ways, it has dangerous repercussions on the environment.
Why Is Fast Fashion Bad for the Environment?
Because this clothing is made at large manufacturing plants, it uses a massive amount of energy and natural resources. Some chemicals used in dyes and manufacturing can contaminate the soil and nearby waterways. As a whole, the industry produces a tenth of the worldโs total carbon emissions. Producing items like jeans requires several thousand gallons of water, making it a wasteful industry as well. And, since this clothing is โdisposable,โ most fast fashion items end up in a landfill which contributes to pollution. On average, each American throws away approximately 80 pounds of clothing every year. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to reduce your consumption and carbon footprint.
What is Ethical and Sustainable Fashion?
Ethical and sustainable fashion uses materials that are made and marketed in a responsible way that takes its environmental and socioeconomic impacts into account. Ideally, the process of sustainable fashion is performed across a garmentโs entire life cycle from the manufacturing process all the way to its disposal. In addition to having a smaller carbon footprint, this type of fashion pays attention to the ethical aspects too. People who work for these companies are paid a living wage and work in safe environments.
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What is Slow Fashion?
Slow fashion as the exact opposite of fast fashion. Brands have an understanding and approach to fashion that takes the manufacturing process and the resources it requires into consideration when making clothing. The slow fusion industry holds a high value on the fair treatment of people, animals, and the environment. Many brands also focus on making fewer pieces and higher-quality items, so they last longer and donโt end up in a landfill. Even someย luxury brands are going sustainable!
What is Circular Fashion?
In the circular fashion industry, materials and production are well thought out, and the company looks deeper at how each item can be used in a more sustainable way from manufacturing to disposal. It also takes things a step further by designing out waste and pollution by using recyclable or biodegradable materials. Some companies also make repurposed items out of old products, ensuring that these items remain in the life cycle of clothing rather than going to a landfill.
How to Make Your Wardrobe More Sustainable: Reduce Your Fashion Carbon Footprint
There are many things you can do to develop a more sustainable wardrobe. Here are some quick tips…
1. Analyze brands you purchase from them to make sure they are choosing sustainable and ethical practices.
Take a closer look at your wardrobe and your favorite brands. Find out where their clothes are made. Are they exploiting workers? Are they using wasteful or recyclable materials? How much does their clothing contaminate the environment? When you learn more about the clothes you love, you can make smarter choices for the future by choosing eco-friendly brands.
2. Know what to look for in a sustainable clothing company.
Find out what types of manufacturing processes are best, what brands offer items made of sustainable materials, and what theyโre doing to help the environment. Some brands offer programs where you can return used clothes for a store credit or ensure that they go back into the production cycle rather than in the trash.
3. Choose eco-friendly materials.
Look for products made with eco-friendly fabrics and other materials. Things like linen, organic cotton, and dyes made of squid ink are just some examples. Hemp is another excellent choice that is gaining popularity in the fashion world.
4. Avoid companies that practice “greenwashing”. Understand what greenwashing is and how to spot it.
The term โgreenwashingโ refers to companies that claim to be eco-friendly but theyโre actually not following the proper processes. Brands should be open and honest, offering their sustainability reports to consumers. If a brand uses eco-friendly packaging but their clothing isnโt sustainable, thatโs also greenwashing. Even luxury brands can be guilty of greenwashing.
Use resources like Environmental Working Group, Good On You, and the Fashion Transparency Index to help you make informed decisions before purchasing clothing.
5. Be aย conscious consumer and reduce your fastย fashionย consumption.
Reduce your consumption of clothing by wearing what you already have as much as possible before buying something new. Recycle your old clothing if possible so it doesnโt end up in a landfill. Repair ripped or torn clothing by sewing it back together before you throw it out. Resell clothing you no longer want or need so that someone else can enjoy wearing it. Donate clothing to local charities and to people in need.
โCheap prices make us believe they bring about savings for consumers. This may appear true in the short term, with a narrow focus and looking just at the money in our wallets, but all of us, as global citizens, will ultimately end up paying the external cost, the true cost for the unsustainable consumption and production of cheap clothing.โ โ Fashion Revolution
TreeEra helps individuals and businesses reduceย human impact on the planet we love byย community-funding the planting of trees.
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