Fast fashion has a huge impact on the planet. What do you think about when considering a new top? You probably wonder if it really looks good on you, and whether or not you can afford it, before deciding that it's really worth splurging on because you love it so much. We are constantly on the lookout for new clothing that keeps up with the ever-changing trends and fast fashion that characterizes today's clothing industry. But what exactly are the effects of this consumerism on the world around you? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The dictionary definition of a carbon footprint is the total carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by a person, business, or community as a result of its activities. In this case, it would be the fashion carbon footprint, which would be the carbon footprint of the fashion industry and clothing production. According to the New York Post, the fashion industry creates more carbon dioxide than the combined amount of shipping and international flights. When looking at the carbon footprint of this industry, it is almost impossible to calculate it accurately because there are many factors to consider: farming, harvesting, and manufacturing of materials, to name a few. a few. However, there are solutions to reduce this carbon footprint. Sustainable textiles are becoming increasingly popular as many consumers and businesses are now much more aware of their impact on the environment. There are many alternatives to cotton and polyester widely used in the fashion industry. These textiles include hemp, bamboo and linen. There is also a new textile, recycled polyester, made from 100% recycled items, typically drinks bottles used to make high-tech fleece jackets. These jackets can also be recycled themselves, which is again good for the environment. So the next time you're looking at a piece of clothing, ask yourself whether or not you could buy it in a sustainable fabric and help the environment in the process of becoming fashionable. Fast fashion may be a term you're increasingly familiar with, and it means inexpensive designs that move quickly from runways to stores to capture trends and make them available to you, the consumer, at low prices. Because we constantly want to follow trends, we adhere to this fast fashion. These fashion “fads” don’t last very long, and we end up only wearing an item three or four times before throwing it in the back of our closets. Or you prefer to get rid of it because you no longer have any use for it. Due to the constant purchase and disposal of clothing, more and more clothing must be manufactured, which contributes to environmental pollution. Once discarded, clothing typically ends up in landfills, where it takes an extremely long time to decompose if it is organic – or never decomposes if it is not – and can emit dangerous chemicals in the process. process. This all adds up, meaning more space is needed for the disposal of these clothes, and therefore more chemicals are released, which means more global warming and air pollution. So, think about that the next time you make an impulse purchase that you know you won't wear more than two or three times. Fair Trade Mark There is an alternative to purchasingthis fast fashion, and it is ecological fashion, in which the damage is minimal. is inflicted on the environment during the clothing production process. Purchasing this eco-friendly fashion, however, poses some problems. One of the biggest problems is that people are less willing to purchase these items, as they are usually much more expensive than regular clothing, as they are produced from low-impact organic crops, which are not genetically modified and are not grown using pesticides and synthetic fertilizers which means the risk of producing these plants is higher and they also take longer to grow and the price must therefore be increased to cover costs. However, overall, eco-friendly fashion is much better for the environment because it uses less water, produces less carbon dioxide, and takes into account the environment and everyone involved in every step of the process. So try buying eco-friendly fashion in smaller stores instead. quantities, than fast fashion in larger quantities, because you will benefit your environment and the people involved. In the production of textiles and clothing, many ethical and social responsibility factors are involved that you need to consider when deciding to purchase clothing. The first is fair trade. This was established in 2009 and, according to the Fairtrade website, it "serves the interests and rights of South African farmers, workers and producers" and was created to help producers in developing countries. development to obtain better commercial conditions. As a consumer, you can identify your clothing as Fairtrade by seeing whether or not it carries the Fairtrade mark. Next up is the Proudly South African campaign. This campaign addresses the issue of job creation and support for local goods and services by individuals and organizations and encourages people to buy local to improve the South African economy, create more jobs and restore pride of our country. To find out if your clothes are made in South Africa, look to see if they carry the Proudly South African brand, which means "at least 50% of the cost of production must be incurred in South Africa and must be have a “substantial transformation”. imported materials,” according to the organization’s Karamba Jabbie. Proudly South African logo. The last factor that takes into account social and ethical responsibility is organic production. Organic clothing is clothing made from materials grown according to organic farming standards. This also means that the materials are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides that damage the soil and surrounding ecosystem. It can be cotton, silk, ramie, jute, hemp or wool. A fabric is considered organic if it is produced with 95% organic fibers and materials. If you would rather have a positive impact than a negative one by throwing away your perfectly wearable, twice-worn clothes, recycle those clothes. Recycling doesn't necessarily mean sending it off to be taken apart and made into something completely different, it can mean a number of different things. The first thing you can do is resell. If your clothes are still perfectly wearable, it's pretty easy to sell them, either by taking them to a thrift store, or even using social media as a platform to sell to people around you. Another way is through which you can improve the lives of the most disadvantaged people bydonating your clothes to a homeless shelter, organization or your local church where they send them to people in need. You can also recycle your old, torn clothes by cutting them up and turning them into rags to clean your house or car. You can also easily make other clothes using your old clothes and it is very easy to find these ideas all over the internet. However, there is also the option of recycling your clothes, and many places can do this for you. There are great organizations, such as H&M – where you can drop off your clothes at any store in the world and they will be recycled –, Nike – which turns all your old shoes into courts, fields, tracks and playgrounds – or North Face which recycles. your clothes of any brand in their stores. There are also a number of other companies that will recycle your clothes for you. Recycling your clothes is much better than throwing them away! Many celebrities are trying to create awareness for eco-friendly fashion and protect the environment with their clothing purchases. Many people admire these celebrities and so if they promote them, others will also join in. Emma Watson is one of the most prominent celebrities in this eco-fashion movement. She has a site that promotes sustainable fashion and natural beauty, Feel Good Style. She also worked with high-end designer Alberta Ferretti to design an eco-friendly line called Pure Threads in 2011. Stella McCartney is an eco-friendly designer and probably the best known. Her fashion house uses eco-friendly and sustainable business practices such as using organic fabrics and renewable energy, and does not use leather or fur in any of its designs. She shows other designers and players in the fashion industry that it is possible to produce eco-friendly fashion that people will buy, and also promotes other lesser-known, eco-friendly brands. 'environment. Another environmentally conscious celebrity is model Christy Turlington Burns. Although she doesn't have an eco-friendly fashion line, she is raising awareness through a series called "Threading: Driving Fashion Forward," which focuses on the living and working conditions of garment workers and the change that needs to happen . Emma Watson is a leader in eco-responsible fashion. Even if you're not a celebrity and can't influence hundreds of people, there are still ways to make a difference as a consumer. Instead of buying multiple items of clothing, buy fewer, high-quality items that will last a long time – quality over quantity. Also shop for clothes in classic styles, like the little black dress, a blazer, pencil skirt, button-down shirt, or dark jeans. These items will always be in fashion and can easily be combined with several other clothes. This way you will save a lot of money and consume much less. Another way is to shop at eco-friendly clothing stores – even though they are more expensive, buying the classic styles that are often sold there will benefit you and the environment in the long run. Also, don't buy clothes made from cotton, as their production requires a lot of water and is therefore not environmentally friendly. Instead, choose one of the textiles listed earlier in the article. Keep in mind: This is just a sample. Get a custom article now written by our expert writers. Get a trial., 25(1), 94-113.