These days we are more switched on than ever before to the harm that our spending habits can have on the environment. We understand that the things we buy have an environmental cost, and therefore most people these days are looking for alternatives that are more ethical and environmentally friendly.
One of the very worst industries in terms of its environmental impact is the fast fashion industry. Our desire for cheap, fashionable clothing has untold environmental impacts including land, water, and air pollution. Fast fashion is also associated with unethical manufacturing processes such as the use of sweatshops and child labour.
Some of the most vulnerable and underprivileged communities in the world bear the costs of our need for cheap clothing, and with time, this is becoming less and less acceptable for people living in more developed nations. It is natural that people will want to do their part to minimise the suffering and environmental damage caused by the fashion industry, and there are several things that you can do as somebody living in the UK to minimise your impact.
The fact of the matter is that ethical clothing does tend to cost more, and this is because the communities that make the clothing are paid more fairly, and the manufacturing processes used to create ethical clothing are more costly. If you are in a position that allows you to spend a little more on your clothing, you should, where possible, choose clothing that is made ethically and sustainably.
Sustainable clothing choices
Some materials are considered much more sustainable than others and where possible you should look out for clothing made from these materials. Hemp and bamboo are some of the less resource intensive materials to grow and produce clothing from, and some kinds of cotton are also more sustainable than others, especially when they are growing using methods that conserve water.
If you are interested in finding sustainable clothing in the UK you will be pleased to know that much of the ethical and sustainable clothing will be listed as such. Most companies that are engaging with the sustainable fashion movements want you to know their credentials, and will advertise the methods they are using to make their clothing more sustainable.
Having said this you need to be aware that greenwashing is rampant in the fashion industry. Greenwashing is the name for companies that use marketing to over inflate their ethical and sustainable credentials. If you want to choose brands that are truly ethical and sustainable, you may have to do some research into which manufacturing processes are better for the environment and for the Communities that make the clothing.
Look out for clothing that is made from low impact materials, or even from recycled materials. The best companies to buy your ethical clothing from will take part in the circular economy to a degree, which means they are making use of waste materials and recycling them into something that can be used again. Often these companies will also have Take Back schemes, beans that once your clothing has reached the end of its life span you will be able to send it back to the company you bought it from for further recycling and reprocessing.
As mentioned previously, the sustainable manufacture of clothing does increase the cost per piece so not everybody will be able to buy sustainable clothing at all times. What really matters is that you make the clothing you do buy last as long as possible, and that you focus on getting plenty of wear out of the things you own. Avoid buying clothes that you only intend to wear once. Instead, choose your clothes carefully and look for items that can be mixed and matched as part of a capsule wardrobe.
Millions of tons of unwanted, unworn and unsold clothing is sent to landfills every year which represents a huge financial and environmental cost. While it is corporations that are largely responsible for this waste, you do have certain responsibilities and powers as a consumer. Just make sure you are doing everything you can to minimise your impact by reducing the amount of stuff you buy, making proper use of what you do buy, and disposing of your products properly when you are done with them.
Resources:
Ethical Clothing UK - Buy Me a Coffee
Sustainable Sportswear UK - Glitch
Ethical Sportswear - Hashnode
Ethical Activewear - TechPlanet
Ethical Activewear - Zoho Writer