What is eco-sustainable? Alternatives to polyester 48–51

What is eco-sustainable?

The word eco-sustainable is a popular word that is being used a lot nowadays by people and fashion brands but does the average customer know the true meaning behind the word. According to the article What is Sustainable and Ethical Fashion it means that the approach to sourcing the required resources, manufacturing, and making clothes that both benefit the industry and society but at the same time has a low impact on the environment. Finding a middle ground to where the industry can cultivate profits but at the same time protect the environment is very important. Being eco-sustainable also means that clothes are “created and consumed in a way that can be, quite literally, sustained, while protecting both the environment and those producing garments.”, (Chan) and it includes textile and garment factory workers too. Consumers need to educate themselves on what it means to be eco-sustainable. Being educated in what being eco-sustainable means will help consumers make smarter and more eco-conscious buying choices. Big fashion brands switching to biodegradable plant-based fabrics is one great solution to putting a stop to micro-plastic pollution. The main benefit of biodegradable fabrics is that they break down into harmless substances that do not pollute the environment, unlike oil-based plastic.

Alternatives to polyester

Biodegradable is the ability to break down things through decomposition using bacteria or fungi. Fabrics made of hemp, abaca, bamboo, lyocell are biodegradable and can be used as an alternative to polyester. These alternative fabrics are made from natural resources and can decompose within a normal time range. Polyester takes a long time to decompose and in the meantime the pollution of plastic waste is building up in the environment. Hemp fabric is a natural fabric created from the cannabis plant. Hemp fabric is said to be “stronger, more absorbent, more durable, and better insulating than cotton.”, (“Hemp Rope”) and it’s said to become “softer overtime, making it even easier to biodegrade.”, (Hirsh) which makes it easier to decompose back into the environment. Cotton is another great choice that is already being heavily used in the fashion industry and there are “more than 220,000 organic cotton farms around the world, with at least 60 of those producing cotton in the U.S.”, (Hirsh), and is considered good for the environment because it can decompose quickly. Abaca is another organic and sustainable fabric that is made of leaf fiber that comes from the Abaca plant. This plant is found in the Philippines and the fabrics “is as strong as polyester”, (Hirsh) but can decompose in two months, unlike polyester which takes hundreds of years. The fashion brands that are becoming more eco-friendly include Tom’s shoes, Levi’s, Patagonia, and Adidas to name a few. These brands are using recycled materials in the production of their products. Part of the switch to these sustainable practices has to do with the customers becoming more social activist and is aware of what’s going on in the world thanks to the internet and social media.

Patagonia materials are “87% recycled in their most recent clothing line”, ( Berry) which is a big milestone for a fashion brand and Patagonia is an industry leader when it comes to winter and mountain outerwear. Levi’s is another big fashion brand that has committed to being ecosustainable. The company is committed to sustainability-created jeans by reducing their use of water by 80 percent.

25%

of all chemical pesticides used in American crops is used for growing cotton

(Hemp Rope)

Making jeans takes a lot of water to do because to create the different washes the jeans are put into washers to give them a faded and rustic look to them. Levi’s has become the industry leader in creating jeans that consume less water. A lot of fashion brands are pledging to be more Eco-sustainable. There are a lot of things that can be done to stop the damage to the environment, the violation of humanitarian and worker rights. Many things are being done to stop the negative actions in the fashion industry. The environment is being polluted by greenhouse emissions, wastewater entering rivers and oceans. Advocacy groups exist that support secondhand clothing shopping, and eco-sustainable manufacturing of clothes. The movement is growing, and more people are supporting eco-friendly causes, fashion brands that

20%

of waste water worldwide comes from fabric dying

(How much do our clothes cost) practice sustainable clothing manufacturing, and fair treatment of factory workers. Everyone must play their part and that includes both consumers and the producers such as factory owners and fashion brands. The fashion industry can grow and at the same time protect the environment and put a stop to pollution. More advocacy needs to happen to make a change and customers have the power to spend their money with Eco-sustainable fashion brands.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

SOURCES

Le, Ngan. “The Impact of Fast Fashion on the Environment - PSCI.” Princeton University, The Trustees of Princeton University, 20 July 2020, https://psci.princeton. edu/tips/2020/7/20/the-impact-of-fast-fashion-on-the-environment “V&A · Pollution: The Dark Side of Fashion.” Victoria and Albert Museum, https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/pollution-the-dark-side-of-fashion/ Europe, Jan Huitema (Renew. “The Impact of Textile Production and Waste on the Environment (Infographic): News: European Parliament.” The Impact of Textile Production and Waste on the Environment (Infographic) | News | European Parliament, European Parliament, 3 Mar. 2021, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20201208STO93327/ the-impact-of-textile-production-and-waste-on-the-environment-infographic/ “Sweatshop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, 29 Mar 2022, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweatshop Portela, Valentina. “The Fashion Industry Waste Is Drastically Contributing to Climate Change.” CALPIRG, Calpirg, 9 Mar. 2021, https://calpirg.org/blogs/blog/ cap/fashion-industry-waste-drastically-contributing-climate-change/ McFall-Johnsen, Morgan “These Facts Show How Unsustainable the Fashion Industry Is.” World Economic Forum, World Economic Forum, 31 Jan. 2020, www.weforum.org/ agenda/2020/01/fashion-industry-carbon-unsustainable-environment-pollution/

“Exploitation or Emancipation? Women Workers in the Garment Industry.” Fashion Revolution, Fashion Revolution, 26 Mar. 2015, https://www.fashionrevolution.org/ exploitation-or-emancipation-women-workers-in-the-garment-industry/ “Gender: Women Workers Mistreated.” Clean Clothes Campaign, Clean Clothes Campaign, 29 Apr. 2013, https://cleanclothes.org/issues/gender#:~:text=Compulsory%20testing%20 during%20the%20recruitment,defects%20and%20other%20childcare%20issues.com Yardley, Jim. “Report on Deadly Factory Collapse in Bangladesh Finds Widespread Blame.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 May 2013, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/ world/asia/report-on-bangladesh-building-collapse-finds-widespread-blame Baruta, Chiara. “The Detrimental Effects of Fast-Fashion on Children’s Rights.” Humanium, Humanium, 21 Sept. 2021, https://www.humanium.org/ en/the-detrimental-effects-of-fast-fashion-on-childrens-rights/ Lissaman, Claire. “Fashion’s Impact on the World’s Oceans.” Common Objective, Common Objective, 14 Nov. 2021, https://www.commonobjective.co/article/ microfibres-what-to-know-and-do-beatplasticpollution#:~:text=The%20fashion%20 industry%20is%20a,oceans%20are%20from%20synthetic%20textiles. Ro, Christine. “Can Fashion Ever Be Sustainable?” BBC Future, BBC, 29 Mar. 2022, https://www. bbc.com/future/article/20200310-sustainable-fashion-how-to-buy-clothes-good-for-the-climate “India: How our clothes cause water pollution.” YouTube, uploaded by DW Planet A, 2 April 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaHmxZhea3M Regan, Helen. “Asian Rivers Are Turning Black. and Our Colorful Closets Are to Blame .” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 Sept. 2020, https://www.cnn.com/ style/article/dyeing-pollution-fashion-intl-hnk-dst-sept/index.html Lopez, Manuel. “FASHION’S PROBLEM WITH OVERPRODUCTION.” You Are Being Redirected..., Fashion Innovation, 16 Oct. 2021, https://fashinnovation.nyc/ fashion-overproduction/#:~:text=It’s%20overproduction.&text=On%20the%20 contrary%2C%20it’s%20about,as%20well%20as%20financial%20gain.com Cernansky, Rachel. “Why Destroying Products Is Still an ‘Everest of a Problem’ for Fashion.” Vogue Business, Vogue Business, 18 Oct. 2021, https://www.voguebusiness.com/ sustainability/why-destroying-products-is-still-an-everest-of-a-problem-for-fashion/ Weinberg, Lindsay. “Burberry Receives Backlash for Burning $38 Million of Unsold Products.” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 July 2018, https://www.hollywoodreporter. com/lifestyle/style/burberry-receives-backlash-burning-38-million-unsold-products-1129922/ “The true cost of fast fashion | The Economist.” Youtube, uploaded by The Economist, 29 November 2018, www.youtube.com /watch?v=tLfNUD0-8ts&t=112s. World Economic Forum. “Here are 7 eye-opening facts about how fashion harms the environment.” Uploaded by facebook.com, 30 April 2019, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=798634890510096

“UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion Addresses Damage of ‘Fast Fashion’.” UN Environment, UN Environment Programme, 14 Mar. 2019, https://www.unep.org/newsand-stories/press-release/un-alliance-sustainable-fashion-addresses-damage-fastfashion#:~:text=UN%20Alliance%20For%20Sustainable%20Fashion%20addresses%20 damage%20of%20’fast%20fashion’,-UNEP%2FCYRIL%20VILLEMAIN&text=Launched%20 today%20at%20the%20UN,socially%20destructive%20practices%20of%20fashion. “What Is Sustainable and Ethical Fashion?” Sustainable Jungle, Sustainable Jungle, 12 Apr. 2022, https://www.sustainablejungle.com/sustainable-living/ethical-sustainable-fashion/. Chan, Emily. “What Does Sustainable Fashion Actually Mean?” Vogue India, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2021, https://www.vogue.in/fashion/content/vogues-ultimateguide-to-sustainable-fashion#:~:text=In%20short%2C%20it’s%20an%20 umbrella,environment%20and%20those%20producing%20garments. “Hemp Rope vs Cotton Ropes.” Ravenox, Ravenox, https://www. ravenox.com/blogs/news/hemp-rope-vs-cotton-ropes/ Krosofsky, Andrew. “Which Fabrics Are Biodegradable? You Can Compost These All-Natural Materials.” Green Matters, Green Matters, 4 Jan. 2021, https://www.greenmatters.com/p/what-fabrics-are-biodegradable/ Hirsh, Sophie. “These Face Masks Made from Abaca Leaf Fibers Could Replace Synthetic Surgical Masks.” Green Matters, Green Matters, 7 Aug. 2020, https://www.greenmatters.com/p/abaca-face-masks/ Berry, India. “Top 10 Sustainable Clothing Brands.” Sustainability Magazine, Sustainability. , 27 Sept. 2021, https://sustainabilitymag.com/top10/top-10-sustainable-clothing-brands/ “How Much Do Our Wardrobes Cost to the Environment?” World Bank, World Bank Group, 8 Oct. 2019, https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/09/23/costo-moda-medio-ambiente. “About the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP).” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/ about-office-chemical-safety-and-pollution-prevention-ocspp “Sold in America: The Human Cost of Fashion.” Sold In America: The Human Cost Of Fashion | Here & Now, WBUR, 24 Dec. 2019, https://www. wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/12/24/us-clothes-made-overseas. Beall, Abigail. “Why Clothes Are so Hard to Recycle.” BBC Future, BBC, 12 July 2020, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200710-why-clothes-are-so-hard-to-recycle. “About OSHA.” About OSHA | Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor, https://www.osha.gov/aboutosha.

THE COST OF FASHION

By Jonathan Menendez

Today the fashion industry relies heavily on cheap overseas manufacturing and labor to produce its products. The increased demand for cheap stylish clothes has the made the situation even worse. Human rights are being violated and the environment is being damaged and neglected by pollution. Explore the bad side of the fashion industry and discover what is wrong with it.