Dress yourself sustainably
Well dressed?
We all like to be seen wearing the right thing, whether we follow the 80's chic or office geek style. But do we know what we're really wearing?
When you look into the throwaway culture of 'fast fashion' that has hit our streets, it's clear that we're bearing a lot more on our shoulders than just our latest shrug. Make the pledge to join the fashion revolution, dressing yourself in a way that doesn't come at a cost to people and planet
People
We've all heard of sweatshops. You may not have seen one, but chances are you've worn their produce. With stylishly embroidered tops costing as little as £6, there’s little chance of a fair wage being earned by all involved in its making.
Child labour and worker rights have been the focus of campaigns for decades, and thankfully they're beginning to pay off. The tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh in 2013 helped to re-ignite this discussion. But it's pretty difficult for retailers to monitor a chain of subcontractors and suppliers all around the world, so we need to keep the pressure on as both consumers and campaigners.
Garment workers typically earn between 1-3% of the retail price of an item of clothing, so doubling their wages would only add a few pence to the final price of your shirt.8
7 times
Landfill
Landfill space is in short supply, they're filling up fast and none of us wants a new one on our doorstep. The advent of 'fast fashion' has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of clothes sent to the landfill – on average, each of us now throws 36kg of clothes in the bin each year 9 – the same as 260 t-shirts.
Charities sell un-wearable clothes as stuffing and rags, so even if that t-shirt has faded, stained and ripped, it’s still got life before landfill.
Climate change
Energy is used in every stage of clothes production, from farming the cotton to transporting the clothes to your wardrobe – with dying, cutting, sewing and packaging in between. As a result, the fashion industry was responsible for 1,715 million tons of CO2 emissions in 2015, about 5.4% of global emissions.6
A polyester shirt has almost double the carbon footprint of a cotton shirt - so buy natural (and organic) where you can.
7:1
285
Water
The textile industry uses huge amounts of water. It takes up to 2,720 litres of water to produce one cotton t-shirt2 – that's about the amount of water that an average person drinks over 3 years!
Increasing demand for virgin clothes caused by our 'throwaway fashion' culture has added pressure to the pressing issue of water scarcity. Intensive cotton farming in Kazakhstan has reduced the Aral Sea to one-tenth of its original volume in just a few decades.3
Pollution
Wildlife and ecosystems don’t escape the adverse effects of the industry either; the synthetic fibre industry and the intensive use of pesticides and insecticides in cotton farming mean that toxic compounds find their way into the water systems.
The apparel industry doesn’t only impact water systems, but the atmosphere as well. The textile industry is now ranked as the fifth most polluting industry.5
Money
The average Brit spends £780 a year on clothes.5 By buying better-made, longer-lasting clothes you could save yourself a lot of money - even if it means spending a little more upfront.
Global Goals
In September 2017, an historic agreement was signed by UN member nations agreeing to work towards 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development by 2030, otherwise known as the SDGs.
Achieving these ambitious goals will require action from governments, businesses, NGOs, and individuals alike. We can - and must - all play our part.
By making the 'Passion fashion' pledge, you are contributing in your own small way to the following SDG targets:
8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
12.8: By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
Success Stories
967
Pledges
in total
27,821kg
CO2
pledged
References
- Berners-Lee, M (2010) How Bad Are Bananas?
- Water and Cotton - Environmental Justice Foundation
- Aral Sea Story - National Geographic
- Are We Well Dressed?, 2006, Institute of Manufacturing, University of Cambridge
- The Guardian
- Global Fashion Agenda & The Boston Consulting Group
- Global Fashion Exchange
- Labour Behind the Label
- EPA