Sustainable fashion
WHEN consumers hear about fashion, they tend to associate it with new clothes which are trendy and branded therefore, they pop by to their local department stores to check for instore specials on these.
While in stores, a common behaviour consumer subconsciously engage in is impulse buying of clothes, just because they are getting better deals or get enticed by the display.
Little do consumers realise, that clothing industry is one of the largest polluting industries in the world. How is fashion industry a pollutant?
Fashion industry has a disastrous impact on the environment, some of which include:
1. Water pollution
In countries where garments are produced, untreated toxic wastewaters from textile factories are seeped or dumped directly into waterways such as drains, rivers and sea. The wastewater contains toxic substances such as lead, mercury and arsenic, among many others, which are harmful to the marine life. Not only does this impact the aquatic life, but the health of hundreds and thousands of people living by those river banks are also at risk. Similarly, fertilisers used for cotton production is also seen as a major source of water pollution due to runoff waters.
2. Release of Microfibres
When washing synthetic garments such as polyester and nylon (every wash), about 1900 individual microfibres are released into the waterways through the drainage system, making its way to our oceans. While these microfibres are eaten by small aquatic animals which are later eaten by larger aquatic animals, it ends up introducing plastic and microfibres in our daily food chain.
3. Waste Accumulation
With cheaper and a wide selection of clothes available, consumers tend to generate more and more textile waste every year. While only a handful of consumers may think of recycling or donating their clothes, others may throw them away without realising its impacts on the environment. Synthetic fibres, such as polyester and plastic fibres can take up to 20 decades to decompose. Around 70 per cent of these fibres are used to produce our clothing.
4. Greenhouse gas emissions
Fashion industry generates a lot of greenhouse gases due to the energy used during the production, manufacturing and transportation of millions of garments. Synthetic fibres are made from fossil fuel, making production much more energyintensive than with natural fibres. Most of the clothes which consumers purchase are produced in China, Bangladesh or India – countries essentially powered by coal. This is the dirtiest type of energy in terms of carbon emissions. How can we be sustainable fashion consumers? When it comes to sustainable fashion choices, many consumers may not be fully aware on how their choices in clothes can leave a negative impact to the environment around them. Here are a few ways on how consumers can choose fashion in a sustainable manner:
■ When buying clothes, choose ones made in countries with stricter environmental regulations for factories;
■ Choose organic fibres and natural fibres that do not require chemicals to be produced;
■ Buy clothes with fibres with low water consumption such as linen and recycled fibres;
■ Repair your shoes and clothes instead of tossing them out for new ones;
■ Turn old fashion into new fashion by using creative ideas from the internet; and
■ Swap, sell or donate any unwanted clothes.
Consumers with questions or complaints can seek the council's assistance by calling our toll-free helpline number 155 or email us on complaints@consumersfiji.org.