With the rise of the green movement, it is of little surprise that green attention has made its way into the fashion industry. Fashion, in a broad sense, is a social concept that inhabits many areas of thinking and human activity. It refers to the styles that make up a culture. It is a major industry. Fortunately, in such a large and active society, it is encouraging to see the environmental movement making an impact all the way down to the clothes we wear.
Green fashion can encompass a wide variety of approaches. Whether your t-shirt is made from organic cotton, or whether it was made in a sustainable factory or recycled from your best friend, or if it is a fair trade product, or made locally, there are many options available for greening your wardrobe. The green fashion industry is growing quickly making it a much more accessible concept. The big question is: How green do you want to go?
As the Fair Trade movement and the environmental movement began to coincide, a new concept was born: green fashion. Sometimes referred to as sustainable or ethical fashion, green fashion is a part of the growing design philosophy and trend of sustainability, where the goal is to create a system that can be supported indefinitely in terms of environmentalism, economics, and social responsibly. The ultimate goal is to reduce the “carbon footprint” of each piece of clothing, while also being socially conscience of where and how the product is made. This goal can be achieved in different ways and at many different levels. Below is a list of some of those options:
Wear Organic. Organic clothing is made from all-natural materials (no synthetics like polyester or rayon) and there are no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, radiation, or genetically modified organisms used when growing the cotton/hemp/linen, bamboo, etc. Hemp and/or linen can easily replace cotton as a more renewable resource and more of the entire plant can be used. Bamboo is softer than both, and because it grows so fast, it is considered one of the most renewable resources around! Be sure to check for organic certified fibers because chemicals can be used to grow hemp, linen, and bamboo, similarly to conventional cotton. Many companies, even large-scale corporate clothing retailers, are making the switch to organic cotton and other fibers, organic dyes and other ingredients. These organic products can be scarce (organic cotton only be grown 12 countries), but with an increased global demand, the organic certification process and the accessibly of organic products is increasing internationally. To take the organic process one step further, the Organic Trade Association has developed a certification for fiber processing- meaning that clothes certified organic will arrive having been processed, dyed, transported, etc. in the most non-toxic manner possible. A good resource for learning about or purchasing organic clothing is http://organicclothing.blogs.com/.
Buy Fair Trade. Fair Trade is one of the original strategies used to promote green awareness in fashion. It has become an organized social movement with the goal of minimizing global poverty and promoting sustainability. It provides a social and cultural perspective to the green fashion discussion while safeguarding the natural resources used. The accepted definition of fair trade to date is: “a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers – especially in the South. Fair Trade Organizations, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade. Fair Trade products are produced and traded in accordance with these principles – wherever possible verified by credible, independent assurance systems.” Its practices have been in motion for decades, but it hasn’t been until recently that it has really taken flight. Due to an increase in sales over the past ten years, most fair trade products are labeled as such. Many retailers that have traditionally focused on and promoted fair trade products are now also promoting organic and sustainable products, for example: http://www.fairindigo.com/. You can also find resources to the organizations and businesses that promote fair trade at http://www.fairtradefederation.org/.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. This concept probably holds the biggest bang for your buck. It cuts out one of the largest contributors to a garment’s carbon footprint: more manufacturing and more transportation. If you limit the amount of new clothes you buy, there will be less pollution and waste created from manufacturing it, and less energy used to transport it. Reduce the amount that you buy and increase the amount of clothing that you reuse. Buy vintage or used clothing and only wash your clothes when you absolutely need to (this not only preserves the product longer, but also cuts down on the energy used to wash it). When you are finished with an article of clothing, recycle it! Many retailers are making products from recycled clothing and fabric. You can recycle your own clothing or fabric for a variety of different purposes or just donate it when you are done. Organizations like Planet Aid place bins in convenient places for you to recycle your clothing. Check out, http://www.planetaid.org. There may also be recycling centers in your area that you can look for. As an example, in the Bay Area www.sfenvironment.org has a great search tool “ecofindeRRR” for finding recycling providers in the area based on the products you are looking to recycle. To search for recycling stations in your area check out http://www.freecycle.org/.
When you begin to learn about the reality of the clothes you wear, it begins to make more sense to choose green clothing. The average American throws away about 68 pounds of clothing and textiles per year. About 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides in the U.S. are used to grow cotton. It takes almost 1/3 of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just ONE T-shirt. Fortunately, this is not the only solution. Next time you go shopping, whether at a large retailer or at a vintage store, keep your eyes open for the organic and fair trade labels-and look out for any clothes recycling bins to get rid of your old stuff on the way!
