Sometimes it is hard to see how our choices affect our world. This statement is especially true of our addiction to fashion. How can we justify overflowing landfills and polluted air? How do we disregard sweatshops and child labor? Clothing has been produced for ages in ways that we would rather not mention, but we claim to know no better.
A huge proponent of sustainable fashion, the organization Earth Pledge notes: "Fashion uses more water than any industry other than agriculture. At least 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles and 25 percent of the world's pesticides are used to grow non-organic cotton. This causes irreversible damage to people and the environment, and still two thirds of a garment's carbon footprint will occur after it is purchased."
However, the movement toward affordable and responsibly-produced clothing is already visible in fashion today. Consumers have begun to seek greener options and the fashion industry has no choice but to deliver. On one hand, this increased demand forces supply to inevitably follow. On the other hand, the rate and price at which the supply can actually be delivered is debatable. The issue is complicated, but more discussion leads to more interest, which leads to new and improved methods of fashion production. No one can say we have found the optimal system yet, but it is apparent that green fashion doesn't have to be a contradiction.
Many myths have been distributed on the topic of green fashion, either by the industry itself or by misunderstood fashion forecasting. Meanwhile, not enough information has been publicized on the environmental woes within the industry. Even if the world sometimes feels saturated with information on the environment, the terms used to describe eco-friendly options are easily skewed and twisted.
Therefore, I think it is best to define a few things from the beginning.
Green fashion strives to have the smallest environmental impact it can. Additionally, green fashion implies respect for basic human and animal rights. The industry uses responsible methods of production and distribution, and encourages the use of materials that are naturally grown and reusable. Proper methods of material growth form the foundation of the movement, taking bleach, methyl bromide, chlorine dioxide and other harmful chemicals out of the mix. Green fashion does not exploit employees or in any way put them in danger of being exposed to harmful substances that can cause nerve damage, cancer and respiratory disease, according to the US EPA
In a world where fashion is such a huge part of our culture, mindset is everything. We are what we wear, how it is made and how long it can be worn.
The best way to see your impact is right in your closet. My challenge to you is to divide your clothes, shoes and accessories into three piles: one for items made with what you believe to be green methods, one for items made with non-green methods, and one for the items you aren't sure about. My guess is that the "I Don't Know" and "Non-Green" piles will be much larger than the "Green" pile. Then, you can decide what changes you might want to make, whether they include checking for harmful dyes or buying less from corporate conglomerates that aren't regulating production.
Once we begin to explore what's out there, we will realize we have many green fashion options. It doesn't take a grand individual stance to change things. If everyone responsibly uses the resources at hand, the fashion industry could rapidly become a powerful model, making it clear that environmental and socially just change is possible.
