Resilience through Innovation & Sustainability
Sustainable fashion is a term describing products, processes, activities, and actors (policymakers, brands, enterprises, consumers) aiming to achieve a carbon-neutral fashion industry, built on equality, social justice, animal welfare, and ecological integrity. Sustainable fashion concerns more than addressing fashion textiles or products.
Have you ever thought about the effect your fashion choices and purchases have on the environment?
The fashion industry is currently the second-biggest polluter on the planet after oil, and its disastrous negative impact is increasing by the day.
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
The number sold in Europe has doubled since the turn of the millennium. So, with the downgrade of the environment we have an upgrade on the 2nd most polluted industry!! Oxymoron!
An estimated 56 million tonnes are sold annually, four million tons of textiles end up in the trash in Europe, while under 1 percent of our clothes are recyclable.
Some of the ways in which the industry damages the environment are producing greenhouse gasses, deforestation, water pollution, soil degradation, high water usage and waste accumulation.
The average family disposes of 30 kilograms of clothing annually and only approximately 15 percent of these get donated or recycled, the rest ending up in landfills.
From the manufacturers of fabrics to the consumer, there is a responsibility to think about how you buy them, how you dispose of them and how you make them.
RTIS Network strongly recommends that it’s about time for people to take responsibility in their own hands. If we could all make little changes, it really will make a massive impact on the planet, we may even survive for another century or so…
5 Steps for Sustainable Fashion
- Get informed about sustainable fashion brands
“Sustainable fashion” is a developing trend in clothes consumption. The manufacturing procedure for these clothing goods takes into account their ethical and environmental effects. Many companies have been making efforts over the past few years to cut waste and provide customers with more sustainable product options.
- Repair your clothing to make it last longer
Increasing the life of your clothing is one of the most crucial parts of having a sustainable wardrobe. Repairing clothing keeps it out of landfills and is far less expensive than purchasing new fashions.
- Choose sustainable fabrics
Choosing materials made of organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, wool, recycled polyester, or recycled nylon is the first step to creating a sustainable closet.
- Donate your unwanted clothes
Instead of keeping them hanging in your closet, donate your old clothes to a worthy cause to assist others in living more sustainably.
- Look after your clothes so they last longer
Although it seems obvious, it is extremely crucial. Of course, if you purchase better-quality clothing, it will probably last longer (and you’ll probably treat it better because it costs more), but this is true of all the items hanging in your closet. If you take good care of them, you won’t need to replace things as frequently.