With the recent rise of fast fashion trends, people have been buying more and more – leading to the mass production of clothing and various environmental impacts. This article will discuss how we can choose to be more ethical with our clothing choices – from what we buy to how much we wear.
First off, how does the clothing industry affect our environment?
There is an overconsumption of natural resources – from the water and land used to grow cotton and other fibers in clothing. For just one cotton shirt, around 2700 liters of water is needed, which is equivalent to what one person drinks in 2.5 years. Moreover, the production of clothing pollutes water – around 20% of the globally clean water is polluted due to dyeing. In addition, clothing contributes to microplastics within our food chain from laundry loads. As these microplastics bioaccumulate in organisms like our fish, this problem could be coming back to affect ourselves.
How can we make more ethical choices regarding our clothing?
- When buying a product, ask yourself whether or not you would wear it 30 times. This means you have to consider the versatility of the product – could you wear it with a lot of different items already in your closet?
- Additionally, ask yourself whether or not you could wear it all year round. Depending on the weather where you live, opt for clothing that will be keep you warm or vice versa.
- Once you buy a piece of clothing, try to maintain the longevity of the clothing. Even if you buy high quality pieces, how you maintain them will be essential in the long run.
- Live by the one-in, one-out policy- for every clothing you buy, you have to donate another piece of clothing.
Sources:
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/what-to-wear/a41158/how-to-be-sustainable-fashion/