I would like you to consider if you’ve ever purchased clothing without thinking about it’s impact on the social and environmental factors that contribute to manufacturing it? I definitely have. Let me tell you why this is important: The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world after the oil industry. Think about that for a second.
Let me provide some of the most astonishing facts and then I’ll dive into the details. The fashion industry — fast fashion (faster production at lower costs) in particular — is responsible for about 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The industry uses water 93 equal to the consumption of five million people every year. 87% of the total amount of fiber in our clothes ends up in a landfill.
In terms of the environment, the fashion industry contributes to water contamination, water waste, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. 90% of toxic wastewaters are dumped directly into rivers in most counties in which clothing is produced. Toxic chemicals affect aquatic life and the health of communities that live along these rivers. Fertilizers for cotton are also heavy polluters to runoff waters. In addition to water contamination, water waste is a massive issue. In India, 85% of daily water needs go to the clothing industry while 100 million people in India do not have access to drinking water. Along with water waste, 1,900 microfibers are released into the water for every load of laundry which eventually wind up in the ocean. Furthermore, the production, manufacturing (made in countries like China powered by coal), and transportation processes contribute immense amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Rainforest destruction and soil degradation caused by plantations for growing materials are both threatening issues as well.
In terms of social dilemmas and human rights, garments are often made in sweatshops with unsafe and unethical conditions. One of the most well-known examples is the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013 in Bangladesh. After management ignored concerns in the foundation of the building, it collapsed killing 1,129 workers. Workers often work with toxic chemicals for long days for low wages — an average of $67/month in 2016. Many women and children are forced to work at factories with few alternatives or education options in order to support their families.
I am not blaming any one person for making a clothing purchase because I contribute to the problem as well. However, I think it is an important issue to address so people can make more conscious decisions about how they inadvertently affect social ethical practices in the manufacturing industry as well as the environment. There are definite solutions that we can practice to mitigate these impacts.
So why should you care? I know not everyone’s top priority is caring for the environment, but harming the environment indirectly harms you. Sustainability covers ecological, social and economic factors that contribute to supporting the current generation without compromising the needs of future generations. Yet. we currently use 1.5 times the capacity of the Earth. Since these sustainability factors are intertwined, affecting one factor impacts the others. It’s not a problem that we can ignore or shift into third world countries. Countries like the United States cause the impact by offshoring and outsourcing materials while also causing ethical labor issues.
How can you solve this issue to move towards more ethical and sustainable choices? The easiest step is to start buying from more sustainable brands. Sustainable brands focus on the quality of their materials to avoid toxic non recyclable fibers. I’ve listed some sustainable brands below that are conscious of their social and ecological impact below:
Patagonia: https://www.patagonia.com/home/
Pact: https://wearpact.com
Able: https://www.livefashionable.com
Boden: https://www.bodenusa.com/en-us
tentree: https://www.tentree.com
Kotn: https://kotn.com
Everlane: https://www.everlane.com
Summersalt: https://www.summersalt.com
Reformation: https://www.thereformation.com
Amour vert: https://amourvert.com
Levis: https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/
Allbirds: https://www.allbirds.com
The first step to avoiding “fast fashion” is to be aware of your purchases. In addition to purchasing clothing from more sustainable brands, another alternative is buying clothing from secondhand stores to reduce new manufacturing processes. Renting clothes is also an alternative solution (renttherunway.com). Think “more is less” with your purchases. Ask or investigate who made your clothes — do your favorite brands disclose what factories they’re working with and how their workers are treated? Do less loads of laundry. Approach buying clothing similar to how you buy healthy food. You often look at the first ingredient right? You should do the same with clothing. Non recyclable synthetic materials that compose your clothing take a huge toll on the environment. Instead, choose linen or recycled fibers. Lastly, when you no longer want to keep your clothing, don’t throw it away. Instead, donate it, try to repair it, or put it in the textile recycling bin.