Many people are unaware of the level of pollution the fashion industry contributes on a daily basis. You may be consciously living the sustainable lifestyle but so long as you patronize the fashion industry. You also participate in its pollution activities. Which is why sustainable fashion is the topic of today.
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world after the oil and gas sector. It’s hard to believe as no one would have suspected that clothes and accessories could be such an environmental hazard.
How Does Fashion Affect the Environment?
Pollution from the fashion industry is a result of processing the raw materials to turn them into the clothes we buy from the stores. For example, a lot of dye is used to produce denim. Some of the processing plants are located near water bodies and the dye gets washed into the water. This makes the water unfit for drinking and for water life. The fish die or get infected. In the long run, as the end consumers in the food chain, we get affected too.
The harsh chemicals used to process leather and denim is the cause of medical challenges for workers in those factories. These workers are in direct contact with the chemicals and bear the brunt of the prolonged exposure to the chemicals at the expense of their lives.
As bad as this may sound manufacturers are not the only ones who are guilty of pollution in the fashion industry. Research has shown that an average person uses a clothing item 7 times before it’s thrown away. Can you image that? Those who are diligently into recycling don’t think of recycling clothing.
Sustainable fashion not only helps to protect the environment but also helps to protect the lives of those who take part in processing it. It requires a conscious and collective effort to completely eliminate or reduce the harm the fashion industry can cause to the ecosystem. It is important to get involved because at the end of the day we all get affected.
The good news is that eco-friendly textile are being produced and developed to make clothes that are safe and sustainable. They are making a god alternative to their destructive counterparts.
What Role Can You Play to Support Sustainable Fashion?
There is a lot you can do to support sustainable fashion. Don’t throw away clothes that you no longer use. You can donate, sell or recycle those clothes instead. Another way is to repurpose those clothing items. Some people have been able to convert their old jeans to cute tote bags and old shirts to trendy tops. Patronize eco-friendly brands. Do a bit of research on which brands are engaging in sustainable practices.
The negative effects the fashion industry has to the ecosystem may sound surprising and even frightening. But this should not be the reason why you should throw all your clothes, shoes and bags away. If you want to support sustainable fashion, transition into a sustainable lifestyle gradually.
Take baby steps like recycling clothes, purchasing one eco-friendly clothing item at a time, or be more creative with your old clothes. Whatever you choose to do to help make this transition is a step in the right direction.
What do you think of sustainable fashion? Please sound off in the comments section below. Let’s chat.
Thanks for reading.
Really informative post, a lot learned that I did not know about in terms of pollutants. An eye opener.
Thank you.
This is a big issue that most people just don’t want to talk about. I have worked in fashion for years and some of the things I have seen made me so sad. When I started my own company I wanted to make sure it was focused on being as clean as possible.
Oh good you are doing that with your company. That is really good.
This is an informative post. I support companies who are environment friendly.
Me too.
This is such an important topic, so thank you for discussing it! I am engaged in sustainable fashion by wearing my clothes until they wear out completely, and then re-purposing the material at the end of it’s life cycle.
Good you are. Thanks for reading.
It matters SO much. We don’t realize how fast fashion hurts other countries and causes waste. I’m glad you are bringing awareness to sustainable fashion, too.
Yes many of us have no clue.
Great post!
Thanks.
Thank you for sharing this and how we can utilize our clothes by other methods. Very inspiring
Thanks for reading 😊
Very informative post and certainly gives food for thought. This is a great post for raising awareness and great post 🙂
Glad you like the post. Thanks for stopping by Lisa.
It is amazing the impact our clothes have on the environment, and one that is usually overlooked! I always buy my clothes secondhand – from charity shops or from friends! Small changed can lead to big differences. 🙂
Exactly. Every little change helps. Thanks for stopping by.
Great post. Slow fashion is an answer to all the damages fashion industry have done ecologically, Socially, Culturally and economically. I recently posted a blog post on sustainable fashion on my blog as well and I would love to hear your opinion on that. Thank you.
Thanks. I will have a read.
This is a really great post! I totally agree with what you are sharing and your tips to start small are so critical because I think people get passionate, try to dive in and realize it’s harder then it seems! I’m always tying to improve sustainability especially through fashion as well
Glad you like the post. Thanks for reading.
Great to hear more people talking about sustainable fashion. The more voices we get the closer the change will be. If you want to learn more about the different problems the fashion industry is creating with pollution and their other practices you can check my post would love to hear your thoughts on it 🙂
Thanks. I will check your post.
I think the most important thing we can do in terms of sustainability is to actually use and wear what we already have instead of constantly buying new things.
Very true. I try to get the most out of my pieces before replacing them.
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