Sustainability: Why We Believe Being It Is The Way Of The Future!

Sustainability has become the need of the hour. Most brands are making changes to their supply chain and working towards being transparent, sustainable and taking steps forward towards a better future.

Suddenly, when fast fashion was all the rage a few years back, slowly, the world steered towards conversations on ethical practices and sustainability. There was a massive change in consumer behaviour, and the demand for sustainable products and slowly brands followed suit.

But what exactly is sustainable fashion?

Sustainable fashion brands create fashion in a way which is most considerate of humanity and the environment, reducing their environmental impact wherever possible. The ultimate goal is to have a system which works without leaving a harmful footprint.

True Cost is a documentary which highlights the gruesome reality of the fashion industry and states that the average American throws away 82 pounds of garments, accessories and shoes on an annual basis. This is further increased due to fast fashion.

Fast fashion works on high-volume collections and speedy production. Because production is so fast and the clothing is right on trend, consumers are continuously bombarded with the latest must-have items.

The fashion industry uses harsh chemicals, and an intense amount of water, from the start of the process to even the stages of home washing. For eg: It takes 2,700 litres of water to make one cotton t-shirt.

Knowing what we know, the hard question then is to ask ourselves: How do we change as an industry and going forward what do we do to adapt?

A study from 2015 shows that 97% of what goes into making clothes are new resources, with only 3% of it being recycled materials. This adds up to an annual resource input of 98 million tons – including oil to produce synthetic fibres, fertilisers to grow cotton and an endless list of chemicals needed to dye and finish fabric.

The global fashion industry emits a large amount of greenhouse gases per year, thus contributing aggressively and actively to global warming. One of the reasons is that the vast majority of our clothes are petroleum-based and made from fossil fuels, including polyester, acrylic and nylon.

Sustainable brands, on the other side, often use materials from natural or recycled fabrics that require significantly less chemical treatment, little water, less energy and no fertilisers or pesticides to grow.

Most organic fabrics such as linen, hemp, organic cotton and TENCEL™ Micro Modal fabric (made from sustainable wood pulp) are biodegradable. These environmentally sound fabrics go easy on the planet and are excellent sustainable alternatives.

The Micro-modal fabric used in the making of our underwear is a classic example of us attempting to reduce our carbon footprint.

This may not be news for you, but the fashion industry thrives on animal slaughter for fashion. It’s estimated that the leather industry alone is slaughtering and killing over 430 million animals per year, including exotic animals for their hide and fur.

Sustainable fashion brands have started to embrace the use of cruelty-free alternatives increasingly, and there’s one for nearly every piece of fashion materials - polyester made with trash from the oceans, bags created from recycled seat belts, plant-based compostable sneakers, silk created from yeast, and bio-fabricated vegan wool. But one of the most demanded leather alternatives these days comes from pineapples.

The fabric is produced using the leaves of pineapples in the harvesting process, giving by-product waste a new purpose.

Water is a significant resource for the fashion industry. It is used in the dyeing and finishing process for nearly all clothes. It takes an incredible amount of 2,700 litres of water to produce a single cotton T-shirt. Cotton, in particular, is highly dependent on water but is usually grown in hot and dry areas where water is already a scarce resource.

By contrast, organic cotton reduces water consumption by 91% as opposed to conventional cotton. However, only 1% of global cotton production to date is organic. This is mainly due to the much higher cost of non-GMO seeds, which often require additional investments into materials and machinery, which farmers only use for their organically grown crops.

It's hard to believe, but modern-day slavery does exist. Minimum wages, endless working hours, unacceptable health and safety conditions and the prohibition of worker's unions are the unfortunate reality for most garment workers in the fast fashion sector.

Eco-ethical brands advocate for providing humane working conditions, health care and fair wages for their workers, which are typically above average. We all want to feel great about our clothes, and that includes feeling great about knowing under what conditions they were made.

Fast fashion items often undergo a long and intense chemical process before ending up on hangers. Around 8,000, different synthetic chemicals are used to dye, bleach and wet process garments. These chemicals often cause diseases or even deaths among farmers and inflict severe congenital disabilities on their children.

Some of these chemicals pose a real danger to our health as well, as our skin absorbs anything we put on it. Make sure to always wash new clothes before putting them on for the first time.

Around 170 million children are engaged in some form of garment work according to recent statistics from UNICEF, which is defined as “work for which the child is either too young – work is done below the required minimum age – or work which, because of its detrimental nature or conditions, is altogether considered unacceptable for children and is prohibited”. This is a massive red flag, and the thought that children are sent to factories and conduct work that resembles modern-day slavery to meet the fashion demands of the Western world is simply unacceptable.

Brands that genuinely follow sustainable and ethical practices are transparent about it and provide details on the factory, working conditions and manufacturing process.

It is just so easy to look at a gorgeous, finished piece of clothing in a store and forget that there’s a story and lifecycle behind it. The truth is, we are detached because the industry encourages us to be so. However, being aware of all the downsides of this industry will hopefully lead to more conscious consumerism.

One that is planet, animal and people-friendly.

It’s time to recognise the impact of our buying decisions.

At the end of the day, we can choose if we want to be part of the problem or part of the solution.

Next time you’re shopping, pay more attention and choose wisely. Look out for how the fabric has been sourced etc. Small steps now can go a long way for us.

Don’t you agree?

Read more:

1. Affordable Pricing & Quality - Why XYXX Wins This Game!

2. The Expiry Of An Underwear: Why It Is A Short-Lived Affair

3. Importance Of Sleepwear For Men: Why Do We Need It?