Why You Should Change Your Wardrobe into Sustainable Fashion
If you are like most people, you wear clothes every day. But how much do you know about the materials used in your wardrobe? And what can be done to make sure that those materials are sustainable and ethical?
Many people believe that changing the way they dress can’t make much of an impact on the world, but in fact, it can! This doesn’t mean following the latest trends; it means shopping smartly and using items long after they’ve fallen out of fashion. If you are into sustainable clothing, you might want to check out this website https://www.stridestore.com.au/.
Here is a list of eight reasons why it is important to consider changing your wardrobe to sustainable fashion.
The World’s Consumption of Clothing is Getting Higher
The average person in America buys sixty-eight latest items of clothing every year. That is a lot, and if you are like me, it can be hard to choose what to wear each day. But there are ways that we can help reduce our impact on the environment by making sustainable clothing choices:
You can look at your closet and determine which pieces have been worn so much that they no longer fit well or look good on you anymore (or even ever). If these items do not get donated or recycled, then consider donating them instead!
More than 85% of all Textiles go to the Landfill
Textiles are the second most common type of waste in the world. They come in different forms, such as clothing, bedding, and shoes but they are all made from natural fibers like cotton or wool. These fabrics can then be used to make many things including clothes, shoes, and carpets that we use every day.
Textile production is one of the largest industries worldwide with an annual turnover of over $2 trillion per year (US government). The textile industry has been responsible for creating more than 85% of total solid municipal waste generated by consumers around the globe!
Many Chemicals, Many Problems
Many chemicals are used in the production of fabrics, dyes, and finishes. These include:
- Chemicals to make fabrics (such as petroleum-based products)
- Chemicals to make dyes (such as ammonia)
- Chemicals to treat surfaces before they become finished (like silicone or wax)
The use of these products can have profound consequences for our health and the environment. They may be harmful or even carcinogenic if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through skin contact.
They also contain many toxic substances such as heavy metals like mercury that could affect your health over time if you are exposed repeatedly throughout your lifetime; so, you might want to reconsider your wardrobe choices too!
We are Running Out of Water Too
According to The World Bank, the global population is set to grow from seven billion people today to 9.6 billion by 2050. And while we may have plenty of food and water in our bellies, what about the clothes we wear?
Wearing sustainable fashion means making choices that will not impact our environment negatively and that includes using fewer resources when it comes time for us to wash those clothes. There are many ways you can reduce your impact on water systems:
- Dyeing: If you dye your clothing locally (or even at home), then that saves resources used for transportation and processing overseas.
- Cleaning: Using less detergent will help save both money and natural resources like water!
Material Sourcing and Extraction Causes Major Deforestation
A major reason you should change your wardrobe is because of the impact that clothing production has on the environment. Clothing production causes deforestation, which leads to loss of habitat and biodiversity, as well as climate change.
It also leads to soil erosion, freshwater loss, and natural resource depletion. In addition to this, it also destroys cultural heritage sites such as villages or monuments that have been preserved for thousands of years.
The livelihoods of people who depend on these areas are also at risk when they are destroyed by land clearance for factories or mines for raw materials for making clothes that will leave them jobless once again as well!
Worker Exploitation is Rampant in the Garment Industry
The garment industry is notorious for exploiting workers. Child labor forced labor and human trafficking are all common practices in sweatshops across the globe. Women make up 80% of all sweatshop workers, who are often subject to sexual harassment and abuse and some are even forced into prostitution as well!
Migrant workers also experience exploitation daily. While many people think that migrant workers come from developing countries like China or Bangladesh because they can earn higher wages than those living there.
This isn’t always true, most factories are located outside their home country because it’s cheaper to employ them abroad than at home due to lower wages and other benefits available at these sites such as transportation costs being lower than those found elsewhere in their region.
Fast Fashion is Unethical and Wasteful
Fast fashion is a major driver of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. It is also one of the most wasteful industries around. By choosing to buy clothes made in non-sustainable ways, you can help prevent these issues from happening in the first place.
If we look at just one aspect of fast fashion (waste), an estimated twelve million tons of plastic get thrown away each year! That is one million tons more than what humans currently produce annually! And if we consider water use alone which accounts for over 90% of all clothing production it becomes clear that this industry is not just unsustainable but also grossly irresponsible when it comes to our planet’s resources.
Ethical fashion can be better for you and our planet.
Ethical fashion is better for you and our planet. It is also better for the people who make it, the people who wear it, the people who buy it and sell it, as well as those who use it.
Ethical fashion has a positive impact on both humans and animals by reducing waste by using fewer materials in production; reusing clothes instead of throwing them away; reducing pollution caused by paper printing processes; supporting fair trade practices that allow workers to earn a living wage rather than being exploited or abused in their workplace.
Providing safe working conditions with adequate health insurance coverage; providing transparency about where your clothes come from so consumers know what they are buying before purchasing them.
Conclusion
With these realities in mind, it is time to make some changes. We cannot afford to keep buying new clothes and keep throwing them away, especially when there are so many alternatives out there that are more sustainable and ethical.