The Importance of Sustainability When Clothes Shopping

September 22, 2019 / 27 Comments
This is contributed content.
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The part of our brains that helps us coordinate our outfits and the part of our brains that contemplates the idea of long-term environmental threats are probably not working in harmony together. Because these compartments are so disconnected, it is difficult for us to even process the idea that being uninformed in choosing which brands to support could be responsible for over one thousand lives lost in the 2019 heatwave in France. And even in our apparent denial, the evidence keeps surfacing which indicates that our industries are negatively impacting our environment and our climate.

While a large amount of people already embracing green initiatives, such as bags for life and other conscientious recycling habits, the unfortunate fact is that the fast fashion industry is still the second worst polluter on the planet. (Only oil companies cause more pollution than the clothing and textile industry.) Slowly but surely, the message is starting to resonate with more and more concerned people as 33% of consumers already say they have switched brands to more sustainable alternatives.

With the raising concern about effects on the environment, these sustainable alternatives are no longer just fringe retailers like small start up companies and brands that are inconvenient and too expensive to purchase from. Larger clothing producers and retailers are becoming more responsible in making their businesses more sustainable. There are major problems in the fashion industry that have had negative impacts on the environment, but there are also new and simpler ways that we can all start making a positive difference.

Problems with the Old Fashion Industry

Making clothes, especially the complex, well-tailored clothes of today, is a complicated business. 

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First, and most importantly, we still have not created mechanical devices or machines that can assemble materials as tricky as fabric with the same precision as human hands. This means that all of our clothes, even the budget brands, are sewn by the hands of skilled workers (mostly women) who have traditionally been paid wages that sit well beneath the poverty level.

Second, factories that produce textiles and apparel have been emitting huge quantities of harmful chemicals that are toxic to our environment. One major concern is the dumping of dyes into rivers which has become a life threatening problem to the wildlife in those river areas as well as for the people who rely on that wildlife for food.

Third, the rise of fast fashion has meant that companies gamble on selling large quantities of cheap products. But when the excess quantities don’t sell, they very often end up in landfills. Of the over 15 million tons of textile waste produced each year in the United States alone, over 10 million tons end up in landfills.

What Can We Do to Help Save the World?

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A recent study by the Pulse of the Fashion Industry has suggested that 40% of manufacturers have still refused to commit to sustainable initiatives. The logic of these companies is understandable from a cost-benefit perspective in that changing the way they produce their products would cut into their profits. But this is really only a short-term effect with the growing awareness about the importance of sustainability in the fashion industry. As more consumers make the shift to purchasing only from companies and brands that are making the necessary efforts toward sustainability and waste reduction, the companies that resist these changes will see their profits decrease exponentially when they lose huge amounts of customers to more sustainable companies.

Choosing to shop only from sustainable companies is important, however, the way we treat the clothes we already own is also a large part of decreasing the amount of clothing waste in the environment. Over the last few generations with the rise of fast fashion and lower price points on clothing and apparel, we have shifted our view to clothing as disposable items. This practice has contributed to the landfill problem as the average American disposes of 70-80 pounds of clothing waste every year. With the advent of modern washing machines which have various settings for every type of garment, we can extend the life of our clothing by washing and drying them more gently and less frequently. Keeping our clothing longer can help reduce the issue of waste.

Another way to help reduce clothing waste is to consider ways to recycle your wardrobe items when you are finished with them. Because we live in such a throw away environment, we often lose interest in our clothing long before it becomes unwearable. So rather than just throwing your unwanted clothing into the garbage, consider donating to charity shops or churches or reselling them at consignment shops or on resale websites.

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Most cities also have clothes recycling programs where you can take clothes that are no longer wearable. These programs will recycle parts such as buttons or zippers in the production of something new and they will often shred unusable fabrics to use as filler in other products. The main goal and most important result of these programs is less clothing and textile waste going to landfills. There are also certain sustainable brands and shops that will dispose of your unwanted items for you in an ethical and environmentally conscientious manner.

So with a focus on the importance of sustainability when clothes shopping, we need to all start thinking about which companies we are purchasing from and if they are supportive of a global mission to reduce the production of waste and other environmental pollutants. There are websites where you can research brands’ environmental records. We also need to strive towards making your clothes last longer and refrain from burying them in the earth. It is a hugely important mission and we can do this!

Do you shop sustainable brands? Do you have any favorite brands with a focus on sustainability you would like to share?

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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