Creating more Sustainability in the Fashion Industry
As consumers, our main question when purchasing a new good is “how much will this cost?” As consumers, we often don’t ask the questions “what does it take to make this product or what resources make up this product?” “where was this product made? How was it transported and distributed to this store?”
Consumers often do not pay attention to how the item they are purchasing is produced, or do not pay attention to the materials that are in the product itself. I read a blog post titled “Initiatives in the Fashion Industry,” throughout the blog the author Mendoza discussed the trends of fast fashion happening to consumers in the fashion industry that in turn leave an effect on our environment. Purchasing clothing for a one-time occasion will not make you as a purchaser confident in your purchase considering you have plans to only wear the item of clothing on one occasion. Not only is this a poor economic decision for yourself, this way of thinking is detrimental to our environment.
With every item of clothing purchased by an individual their carbon footprint increases. Clothing that will stay in good condition after being worn on several occurrences is creating a more sustainable environment in the fashion industry. In Mendoza’s blog, she included some questions consumers should ask themselves before purchasing an item of clothes. Two questions I found would be most important to consumers looking to have sustainable clothing items were to ask yourself before you purchase the item, “What material made this piece of clothing? How durable is this product?” As sustainable thinking consumers, we want to be aware of the carbon footprint we are leaving on earth.
By companies sourcing organic and sustainable fabrics consumers can reduce their carbon footprint with more durable long-lasting products. As for us as consumers, we need to be aware of what makes up the item we are purchasing, and take care of the item so we can assure to use the product to its full potential.
Our planet needs our help to creating a sustainable environment. Clean up our oceans and litter from our land, is one of the first steps to creating a more sustainable environment on earth. As we are cleaning the oceans and land we cannot continue to pollute at the extent that has been occurring, this process will turn into a more repetitive process, and eventually earth will not be able to sustain human life if we do not change our actions.
As consumers being aware of what the products you are purchasing are made up of, and assuring that they will last for some time; by taking these factors into account when making a purchase you will be creating a more sustainable environment. These actions will decrease your environment footprint. Along with repurposing old items, recycling, and assuring when purchasing an item that it is durable enough for long time use this will benefit our environment tremendously. More organizations are beginning to create sustainable trends, and this can impose a high impact on our world. Next time you are making a purchase, ask yourself these questions and ask yourself if this product is the most durable and wise purchase for your carbon footprint on earth.
The website listed below is a good toll to help determine if your clothes are economically friendly or not. While shopping and purchasing new clothes this the information discussed in this website are very useful tools for determining how the piece of clothing was made.
https://indiegetup.com/how-to-tell-if-your-clothing-is-ethically-made/Mendoza, A (2020, Oct, 4) Initiatives in the Fashion Industry, https://medium.com/overconsuming-in-a-limited-world/initiatives-in-the-fashion-industry-d95fbd06eb86
