The pandemic has put much emphasis on the topic of sustainability. It is a growing concern shared by experts across multiple industries due to growing environmental degradation. At the fashion forefront, the industry is slowly evolving, as people are becoming more environmentally conscious, looking for ways to stay stylish without harming the environment. Undoubtedly, the fashion industry is one of the world’s biggest polluters. So change is needed.
What exactly is sustainable fashion and why is it important?
To sum it up, the sustainable fashion movement aims to create clothing that is ethically made and environmentally friendly.
The only way to break this cycle of death, destruction, and pollution is to aim for sustainability.
Here are some important reasons why sustainable fashion matters:
Better for workers
Sustainable fashion gives these workers rights, including a decent living wage, safer working conditions, and less risk of being sexually assaulted.
Better for the environment
We’ve already mentioned the damage the textile industry is doing to the environment, contributing to around 10% of global carbon emissions.
Sustainable fashion creates longer-lasting clothes of higher quality, meaning that while they are more expensive initially, they will stay in your wardrobe for years. Even when they come to the end of their life, because they are made from recyclable material, they can be used again to create another product for future generations.
Saves animal lives
This may not be news for you, but the fashion industry loves to kill for fashion. A common misconception is that leather, for instance, is a by-product of the meat industry. However, this is not always the case. It’s estimated that the leather industry alone is slaughtering and killing over 430 million animals per year.
Leather bags, boots, and items produced from fur, leather, feathers, and wool, often have harmful effects on animal populations from which the materials are sourced.
You can save animals by choosing sustainable clothing brands that are using human-made fibres, recycled materials, and other plant based viable alternatives in their production.
This way, several animals are spared harm, abuse, and death, preserving the ecosystem’s balance.
Save water
Water is a major resource for the fashion industry. It is used in the dyeing and finishing process for nearly all of our clothes. It takes an incredible amount of 2,700 litres of water to produce a single T-shirt. Cotton in particular is highly dependent on water, but is usually grown in hot and dry areas where water is a scarce resource already.
By contrast, organic cotton reduces water consumption by 91% as opposed to conventional cotton.