Sustainable Fashion: Why You Should be Proactive
What is sustainable fashion?
What does green fashion bring to the environment protection? How can we as
consumers play a part in it? All these questions linger in the back of your
mind. However, only by being proactive, you can make a change.
You protect the environment
The goal of sustainable
fashion is to minimize the negative impact on the environment by using natural
resources and renewable sources of energy. When it comes to natural materials,
green clothes made of organic materials come to the forefront. Not only do
these fabrics have natural origin, but they are produced without the use of
toxic chemicals.
For example, organic cotton,
bamboo, hemp and linen are grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides,
which are hazardous for any form of life on the planet. Once the growing
process finishes, companies need to take into account environmentally
responsible manufacturing. For a company to be called truly organic, it should
not treat fabrics with bleach, synthetic dyes, disinfectant agents and other
chemicals.
Finally, another measure of
sustainability is maximizing the use of renewable sources of energy such wind
power, biomass, sola power, etc. during textile manufacturing. In order to
avoid greenwashing, the Global Organic Textile Standard was developed to
examine garment sustainability.
You protect other people
Another aspect of sustainable fashion is fair trade. Fair trade is a social movement which promotes the
safe working environment. Workers’ rights include the elimination of forced
labour, the possibility of forming associations and unions and the elimination
of any kind of discrimination and abuse.
Fair trade respect the right
of the child by not supporting child trafficking and exploitative child labour.
Bangladesh
is the second largest garment manufacturer in the world. However, poor and
dangerous working conditions resulted in a tragedy at the Rana
Plaza factory outside Dhaka in 2013, when more than 1100 people were killed
after the building of the factory collapsed. It is worth thinking about fair
trade when you go to a conventional store next time.
You maximize recycling
When we say recycling, there
are many aspects of it connected to sustainable fashion. For example, there are
companies such as H&M which have projects for textile recycling. The
Garment Collecting Initiative is the H&M programme whose goal is to recycle
all textile fabrics for new use. H&M stores offer discounts if you hand in
unwanted or torn clothes. There is even more it. New fabrics emerge in
sustainable fashion. Econyl
used for the manufacture of swimwear, sportswear, lingerie and outdoor clothing
is the fabric 100% recycled from abandoned fishing nets and carpets. Returnity
is a 100% recyclable polyester suitable for workwear. You as consumers have the
important role in sustainable fashion, too.
Do not throw away your old
clothes, repurpose it. With the help of a host of DIY projects on the Internet,
make your contribution to the greener world. You can also organize a public
clothes swap and sell your clothes to a recycling company, but there is one
thing you should not do: do not throw
away your clothes so that they end up at a landfill.
You support small business
Green fashion has a major
role in promoting traditional skills such as spinning yarn, using a loom and
embroidery in the making of clothes. Find a store which sells hand-made clothes
and jewelry. The best option is if you can find designers which make hand-made
clothing from recycled or organic materials.
Do not forget the Etsy, one
of the most popular websites selling hand-made products. Buy locally is another
motto of green fashion. Minimize ecological footprint by minimizing the use of
fossil fuels, preserving natural habitats and decreasing transportation needs.
You can make all these contributions to the greener planet if you buy locally.
The growing number of vintage and second-hand shops shows how much people are
dedicated to the greener cause. You will definitely find something for yourself
in these shops, you will spend less money, you will have a unique piece of
clothing and you will be a green fashionista.
Do not shy away from buying bamboo socks, jewellery made from
fruits and vegetables, going to clothes swaps and buying clothes and
accessories in a second-hand store.
By protecting the
environment, supporting working conditions of textile workers, recycling
clothes and supporting small business, you form a part of a major social
movement in sustainable fashion. We can make this planet a greener place to
live.
1 komentar:
kak...kasih translateannya ngapah, supaya saya bisa lebih ngerti isinya lebih mendalam.
jangan menyiksa saya wae disuruh ngejah baca artikelnya atuh
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