Sustainable fashion: what you can do to help
At the end of last semester, I decided to treat myself post-exams and buy a pair of classic white Reebok sneakers at Hype. Now see, I already had a pair of classic white Stan Smith sneakers which had very minor differences to the Reebok ones. And yet, despite already having the Stan Smiths (which were also in great condition), I bought the Reeboks anyway, because I was simply bored of the Stan Smiths. I didn’t need them, I definitely couldn’t afford them (currently unemployed), but somehow I left the store with not only a pair of shoes, but also a fully equipped sneaker cleaning pack.
I haven’t touched my Stan Smiths since.
I’m probably going on a very confusing tangent, but my point is to illustrate how I’ve fallen victim to the notion of “fast fashion”. It’s essentially the rapid production and replication of cheap, low-quality clothing that derives trends from celebrity culture and catwalks to keep consumers buying more. When I realised my Stan Smiths weren’t “in”, I got bored, and wanted something different. Is there a problem with that?
“These ones are so in at the moment.”
Lady at Hype DC Store, pointing to classic Reeboks.
Turns out, other than draining our wallets, ‘fast fashion’ is also incredibly harmful to the environment. The fashion industry has often been coined the second largest polluting industry after oil and gas, not only for its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, but also because it generates a large amount of waste. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) “The fashion industry, including the production of all clothes which people wear, contributes to around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, due to its long supply chains and energy intensive production”. To put that into perspective, this amount is larger than the pollution generated from international flights and shipping combined.
An average Australian person buys 27kg of textiles each year, out of which 23kg is thrown into landfill. A survey conducted by The Guardian suggests that 24% of millennials toss throw away clothing because they are sick of wearing them, 19% do so because they have become unfashionable, and 18% because they are more than a few seasons old. It seems that millennials no longer value quality, rather they opt for the cheapest, trendy garment.
Research by the UNFCC suggests that shifting to more sustainable fashion practises is an essential change required to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic global warming.
However, hope is not lost. Rising concerns of climate change amongst contemporary society has sparked a gradual shift towards ‘sustainable fashion’. Not only are consumers more careful with their purchases, but companies and fashion designers have also adopted practises such as recycling and reusing textiles. Stella McCartney is one notable designer who’s changing the fashion scene. Her brand’s ethos revolves around environmental and social sustainability, with a focus on innovative materials. There are also many other young entrepreneurial designers who have made a commitment to ethical and zero waste fashion.
So what exactly can you do? Well, here are a few ways that you, a consumer, can reduce the adverse impact of fashion waste and pollution:
Regularly donating clothes to op-shops
Purchasing clothes from op-shops
Adopting a more minimalist wardrobe and opting out of “fast fashion” as much as possible.
Repair, modify, re-tailor, and look after the clothes you have, to enhance their lifespan. Extending the life of a garment by an extra nine months will reduce its environmental impact by 20-30%.
Clothing swapping through places like Swapstyle.
Renting dresses and suits (Dress Hire AU, Something Borrowed, Ferrari Formalwear)
Encourage your friends to adopt these practices and raise awareness to make more people conscious of the consequences of their purchases.
Consumer activism and encouraging politicians to create sustainability regulations for the fashion industry.
Divest from clothing firms that have unsustainable business practices (Boohoo, Misguided and JD Sports, to name a few, have not signed up to targets set by the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) to reduce carbon, waste and water footprint).
Recycling textiles which can’t be re-worn (visit: recyclingnearyou.com.au/clothing). In particular, fashion houses H&M and Zara have recycling textile stations established at stores worldwide, as part of a global initiative to prevent textiles from going to landfill.
Buying from ‘sustainable’ brands. Some notable Aussie labels include;
Patagonia, an outdoor clothing brand, make their polyester fleeces out of 100% recycled plastic water bottles. Additionally, they recycle down, nylon and wool. They also offer free repairs and recycling to all customers for any purchases.
Vege Threads (uses 100% organic, eco-friendly materials and dyes)
Spell Byron Bay (uses cellulose-based fibres)
Nagnata (all products are recycled)
Tigerlily (first label worldwide to develop its own recycled swimwear lining)
Salt Gypsy (all products made from 100% regenerated nylon yarn)
KITX (uses organic, renewable and recycled fibres).
Saroka (uses predominantly biodegradable linen)
The consequences of climate change can only be reduced if we take collective action to change our behaviours. It’s up to you to decide if the future is worth more than your second pair of sneakers.
Author: Nina Lo | Vice President of Student Engagement