Journal
Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental threats of the 21st century. We are only now finding out about the impact of our widespread use of plastic and unsustainable synthetic fibres in nearly every aspect of our lives – and the information is worrying, to say the least.
Besides visible plastic pollution, such as plastic straws, fishing nets or water bottles, our ocean is being contaminated with microscopic plastic pollution too – microplastics – which may be even more dangerous.
The sourcing of cotton, in particular, is riddled with many ethical issues, which create an unsafe working environment, where workers aren't often paid fair wages and deprived of the essential benefits such as healthcare and job protection.
Here, we discuss a few aspects of how sustainable fashion helps farmers and factory workers.
Change is always driven by the young – and the fashion industry is no exception. Every time we open Instagram or TikTok, there’s a new fashion trend or must-have item that appears out of nowhere. Rising consumerism and the impact of social media has fundamentally changed how we shop. To keep up with growing demand, brands are turning to cheaper production methods and environmentally damaging methods to keep their prices low. Yet not everyone is on board with ‘fast fashion’.
The 21st century’s fashion industry isn’t exactly known for being particularly sustainable, but did you know that one of its biggest issues is the sheer amount of waste it produces?
According to a report released in 2017 by the Ellen McArthur Foundation, the equivalent of one garbage truck full of textiles goes to waste every second. The majority of this textile waste is sent to landfill and the rest is usually incinerated.
We’ve all heard of ‘slow fashion’, but have you heard of ‘ethical fashion’? Often, we focus on what our clothes are made of instead of considering ‘WHO’ makes them. You might think that machines make your clothing – taking a few presses of a button. In reality, most of our apparel is made by employees who are often exploited in the name of fast fashion.