– COLLABORATIVE CONTENT –
Do you know exactly where your clothes come from? Probably not, and the companies that sold them to you probably don’t either. Fast fashion has caused the clothing industry’s carbon footprint to skyrocket, and things like human trafficking and child labour are a blight on the fashion world. The industry needs a reboot, and it can start with consumers making simple changes to their shopping habits. Here are five things to keep in mind about shopping sustainably.
The Numbers Are Important
- 100 billion = the number of new items of clothing produced each year.
- 2.5 billion = how many lbs of clothing end up in landfill every year.
- 2.1 million = how many tonnes of CO2 emissions are given off by the textile and apparel industry each year.
- 70-100 million = how many trees are cut down each year to make fabrics like modal and rayon.
- 10% = the apparel industry’s contribution to the world’s total carbon footprint. It is the second largest polluter in the world.
Shop Less But Spend More
Modern generations are buying more and paying less than anyone before them. But the system is exhausting consumers, and they are beginning to spend their money on experiences rather than material things. Years of ‘bingeing’ on fast fashion items have resulted in nothing but clutter, both in the home and in a landfill. Change is in the air, and when it comes to clothing, spending more on fewer items is the sustainable way to shop.
Focus On Clothes That Will Go The Distance
Durability is a key component of reducing a product’s environmental impact because its carbon footprint decreases the longer you keep using it. So a jacket produced through a sustainable supply chain using high-quality fabrics can last for decades or be recycled. It really pays to invest in quality, and you can feel more assured that quality items were produced ethically since high-quality construction requires skilled professional craftspeople.
Natural Fabrics Should Be Sought After
Synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester and acrylic can take an entire millennium to decompose. So every bit of polyester that has been produced still exists, accounting for a huge chunk of the clothing that currently sits in landfills. Furthermore, synthetics require chemicals to make, which end up in the water supplies of the countries that make them. If you choose to only purchase clothing made from all-natural fabrics, you will build up a more sustainable wardrobe. Look for silk, wool, cotton, jute, hemp, cashmere, Tencel and alpaca – they’re more luxurious than artificial fabrics anyway.
Look For Companies With Transparent Production Processes
A natural fabric doesn’t necessarily have a clean history. It takes many steps to produce a T-shirt, from the cotton plantation to your wardrobe. Someone must pick the cotton, then different people must spin it, weave it, dye it and finish it. There could be people being exploited at some stage in the process, and many companies will hide that fact to avoid putting consumers off their products. Look for brands that value ‘traceability‘, and you will be able to see that their clothing is ethically manufactured. If you’re trying to be a more responsible shopper, choose brands which are open about their sustainable commitments. Debenhams, for example, is openly against animal testing and doesn’t sell fur.
As consumers learn more about the importance of sustainability when it comes to clothes shopping, they will stop buying from sources that don’t deliver on that front. It is down to us to protect the environment, and global trends start with consumers. Make the effort to shop sustainably and play your role in the global shift towards a more sustainable future!
Are you making a more conscious effort to shop sustainably? Let me know in the comments below.
*Disclaimer – This is a collaborative post. All words are my own.
