Hello! Ever wondered how your dress wear is capable of impacting the green environment? Step into the world of fashion and learn how we can make a difference by shifting from fast fashion towards conscious closets.
Impact of Fast Fashion
Fast fashion is one of the trendiest low-cost clothing with high speed and large quantities produced by mass-market retailers who react to the latest trends. The seductiveness of this ability to buy cheap but fashionable clothes ironically makes it one of the biggest destroyers of the environment and social good.
Ecological Devastation: Fashion is the second-largest pollutant in the world. Pollution of industrial water in the world is 20% by the Indian textile industry. Similarly, around the world, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all carbon emissions produced by humans. This surpasses the emission from all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
Water usage: You may not be aware, but a single cotton shirt requires about 2,700 liters to make. That happens to be what a person consumes in 2.5 years. It is a huge issue here in India—there is very little available in most regions.
Waste: We are encouraging a 'use and throw' culture under the guise of fast fashion. Where an average Indian buys 10-15 garments a year, this number goes up to 70 in developed countries like the USA! Most of these garments land in landfills, contributing to waste and pollution.
- Underpayment of Labor: Although fast fashion customers are paying low, cheap prices for the items, the money must come from somewhere. Most of the fast fashion brands take their labor share houses from countries like India and Bangladesh. The workers have to work for long hours with very little money going into their pockets and terrible working conditions in which their basic rights are always infringed.
Step-by-Step Guide to a Better Wardrobe
Foreground purchases with green wisdom: Not more if you have, but more of what you need—quality over quantity; be cautious while choosing your clothes with the point in mind of timelessness.
Go in for Natural Fibers: Naturally obtained fiber is more sustainable than synthetically produced fiber. Organic cotton is even better since it is grown without harmful chemicals.
Shop Brands: It is the Indian brands headed towards sustainability that need your help. Seek certifications like "Khadi" or "Handloom" that ensure the eco-friendliness of the product as it helps sustain local artisans.
Shop Secondhand: Charity thrift houses and online websites like OLX and Quikr Scout for used apparel in good condition. Not only will you save your pocket, but you will also have given a second life to the garments.
- Up-cycle, mend: Clothes cannot be dismissed as beyond stitches; one has to attempt to mend them or turn them into usable articles like cushion covers, bags, or even new garments from old sarees, dhotis, and kurtas.
Conclusion
Even if the idea of switching over to sustainable wardrobes seems formidable, every small action does count. Let us show care to this global family by being ethically sensitive in our fashion choices.