Sustainable Clothes

Sustainability is an important issue in the fashion industry, where non-renewable oil is used to make plastic packaging, polyester threads, and polyurethane shoes. Sadly, most of these products will end up in landfills in only a few months or years, and some products will even remain there for 500 to 1,000 years. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 85% of all textiles end up in landfills each year, with one garbage truck filling up with clothes every second.

Eco-friendly materials

One of the best ways to make your wardrobe more sustainable is to choose a material that is both biodegradable and breathable. Tencel is one of the most popular choices, as it is produced through the dissolving of wood pulp. Compared to cotton, Tencel is 50% more absorbent and requires less water and energy to produce. It is also made from closed-loop chemicals, reducing harmful waste.

Organic cotton is a better option, as it is grown without the use of pesticides. Industrial hemp is a rapidly renewable plant that requires little pesticides. And recycled polyester is made from cast-off polyester fabric and soda bottles. It has a lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester. Similarly, many clothing companies use chemicals in the process of finishing fabrics. In addition, petroleum-based polyester has a high carbon footprint. Soy cashmere/silk, for instance, requires a toxic chemcial soup to convert wood pulp into fabric.

Biodegradable packaging

Biodegradable packaging is a must-have for sustainable clothing. Its material should be 100% biodegradable and contain a significant percentage of recycled materials. Packaging made of recycled cardboard or FSC-certified paper will also be eco-friendly. Another great idea for sustainable clothing packaging is paper foam, which is both biodegradable and low-carbon. It’s also a popular choice for kids’ packaging. But unlike other packaging materials, bubble wrap isn’t very eco-friendly. It’s mostly made of plastic and cannot be recycled, which means that it often ends up in waterways where it affects marine life. Know more about Sustainable fashion brands here.

Another green packaging option for apparel is Glassine, a material that is both reusable and biodegradable. Glassine allows for a number of branding options, without sacrificing brand integrity or functionality. In addition to clothing packaging, Glassine also works well in the filling process. You can customize glassine envelopes for manuals, receipts, or subscriptions. These eco-friendly packaging materials come in a variety of paper textures and can be printed in four-color process. Printed materials can also reinforce your brand identity.

Recycling

Despite the popularity of fast fashion, we can’t always resist the urge to buy more clothes. Each year, over 140 million pounds of clothing ends up in landfill. Recycling textiles not only reduces landfill and cuts greenhouse gas emissions, it can also help local communities with the economic benefits. Moreover, we can help the environment by avoiding the chemicals that end up in our waterways. So, if you buy a new pair of jeans, it may be the best option to recycle it.

Despite its name, recycling is not that easy. Most clothing is made from plastic, which is unable to break down, and has a high carbon footprint. Globally, waste from clothing production amounts to 2.1 billion tons every year. Although some textiles are recycled, most clothing doesn’t, and ends up in landfill sites, taking hundreds of years to biodegrade and releasing microplastics into the environment. But it is possible to recycle a dress – but you need to know what you’re doing before you start.

Fair trade

The Fair Trade movement has made it easy for consumers to shop for ethical clothing. The movement allows people to choose products that are made from recycled materials, which create a whole new realm of profit for the producers. Not only does sustainable clothing increase the profits of local communities, it also helps the environment by reducing the use of virgin resources and raw materials. The concept of source reduction, or reducing the carbon footprint of clothing products, prevents the unsustainable use of Earth’s resources.

The global fashion industry has long been responsible for environmental pollution and global warming. Approximately ten percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are released by the fashion industry. Nearly 20 percent of the world’s wastewater is derived from the clothing industry. Fair trade advocates hope to change this and increase the amount of clothing that is used without harming the environment. The industry continues to generate billions of dollars each year, but it has not stopped there.