Sustainable fashion – why is it important?

It is a common myth that fashion and sustainability are opposing forces, but there have been big changes in the industry over the past few years. The world’s biggest brands have started to take responsibility for their environmental impact and more customers are becoming aware of what they buy. In today’s society, it is important to know where our clothes come from and how they get to us.

 

So what does sustainable fashion mean?

 

Simply put it means manufacturing clothing without harming the environment or exploiting workers. Ethical fashion goes one step further by ensuring all of these conditions, including fair wages for employees, no underage labour, worker safety standards, and non-polluting factories . It can be a challenge for some brands to manufacture sustainable clothing, but some have managed it successfully.

 

Many large companies have adopted new manufacturing practices that allow them to produce more clothing while having a smaller environmental impact. For example, they may use more organic cotton in their products which is grown without pesticides and doesn’t need as much water.

 

The future of fashion needs to change

 

The way we make clothes has a huge effect on the planet. According to the UK government, fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. That’s because cotton, for example, uses more pesticides than any other crop and accounts for 24% of all insecticide sales. About 70% of a garment’s carbon footprint is created during the manufacturing process, not from transportation or retailing.

 

It can take about 7000 litres of water to make just 1 T-shirt and only 2% of that shirt will be recycled into new clothing. Some brands are trying to change this by working with suppliers who have less impact on the environment. Nike has developed an eco laser technology that cuts down on fabric waste by 50%. It also analyses fabric composition so it can reuse leather scraps or unused fabric.

 

The fashion industry is the third most polluting industry in the world, after oil and cars. It uses about 25% of global fibre production and up to 1/3rd of global petroleum production. In fact, fashion accounts for 10% of all chemicals used worldwide.

 

What can I do to help?

 

The best thing we can do as consumers is to choose our clothes carefully. We should be more aware of how much we spend and where it comes from. The more we know, the better the choices we can make. When you go to a store, ask yourself what you really need and if there is a greener alternative.

 

We should remember that fashion is not something that should harm us or the planet, so every time we buy something new, think about your impact on our society. According to Greenpeace, it’s possible for companies to make clothes without destroying the planet – they just have to be given a little push in the right direction.

 

If you want a greener option but don’t want to pay extra for it, take a look at thrift shops or charity stores which sell used clothes that have been donated by people like us. The items will already be pre-selected and you’ll know they are ethically manufactured! Another option is emerging sustainable fashion brands such as BAOBAB Avenue who are advocates in space and are really driving forward the movement to a much more sustainable and ethical clothing industry.

The Shock-Factor – Pollution stats from the fashion industry

  • Cotton is the world’s most widely traded fibre and one of the most chemically intensive crops.
  • The fashion industry is the third biggest polluter of our waterways after mining and agriculture, led by water pollution from synthesis fibres (viscose rayon), followed by actual fibres (cotton, wool, jute) and finishing agents (chrome tanning).
  • Synthetic clothing continues to be produced at an annual rate of 27 billion units per year globally. This volume has increased more than five times since 1980.
  • A cotton t-shirt requires almost 2000 litres of water to produce, and a pair of jeans over 10 000.
  • In the last 20 years, around 1 billion kilograms of chemical inputs have been used on cotton crops annually.
  • Textile dyeing is one of the most toxic processes in fashion. Chemical dyes are routinely made from petrochemicals. At least 250 tonnes a day of hazardous waste is discharged into waterways from textile dyeing and processing facilities across China – poisoning communities along its banks. Greenpeace investigations have identified rivers in China that are so heavily polluted with chemicals that the water is dangerous for drinking, fishing and swimming.
  • Polyester production is highly energy-intensive, requiring more than 8 times as much fossil fuel energy than producing cotton fibre.
  • A polyester fleece jacket requires 3 times the amount of water needed to produce a cotton t-shirt.