Why is Sustainable Fashion Important? 11 Reasons — Sustainably Yours

If you take a look at your closet, how many of those clothes do you wear regularly? I’m guessing that you have a bunch of pieces that you may have only worn a few times and have no intention of wearing again. This is all too common for most people living in North America.

We’re so consumed by fast fashion that we don’t think about the impact it has after we’ve worn and tossed it.

So what’s the alternative to fast fashion? Sustainable fashion.

Why is sustainable fashion important? There’s so many reasons. From helping the planet to protecting animals, there are a variety of reasons why sustainable fashion should be on your radar.

Keep reading to see all reasons that sustainable fashion is important.

Why Is Sustainable Fashion Important?

No Microplastics

If you aren’t familiar with microplastics, they are really really tiny plastic particles. Since plastic doesn’t actually disappear, it breaks down into extremely small pieces. These microplastics end up in our oceans and affect us all.

When you drink tap water, there’s a chance that you’re consuming microplastics. When you eat meat or seafood, there’s a chance that you’re consuming microplastics. That’s because animals will consume it themselves when they drink water.

The fast fashion industry makes up 35% of microplastic that flows into the ocean. Certain fabrics like nylon and polyester contain plastic that will break down when you wash them in your washing machine. They then end up in our water system.

On the other hand, sustainable fashion companies use natural materials to make their clothes. There is no plastic in the clothes so you never have to worry about creating microplastics.

Reduce textile waste

Fast fashion has conditioned us to always have the latest style. Then when the next season comes, you throw the old style out and go for the new one. This habit of throwing out clothes is wasteful.

According to the Ellen McArthur Foundation, humans waste one garbage truck’s worth of clothing every second. And 3 out of 5 garments made in 2018 ended up landfill within a year.

This can be from throwing old clothes into the trash or donating them to charities. Too often, people will donate clothes that are in poor condition that charities can’t even use. Charities end up throwing them in the trash too.

Fast fashion companies also toss out returned clothing, which adds to textile waste. If you return to the store, sometimes they will put it back on the shelves. But if you ship it back, companies throw the clothes out. It costs more for them to make sure the item can be resold than it does to toss the item.

Did you know that clothes take 200 years to decompose in landfill?

200 years.

That means clothes will be around for a lot longer than we will. It’s important that we stop throwing them away.

Sustainable fashion companies are better than this because they make clothes that never go out of style. They focus on basics and timeless pieces. This way you help the environment and save money too.

Reduce transportation emissions

Fast fashion companies source their materials from all over the world. They have to transport the raw materials from different parts of the world to make a single t-shirt. Then they have to transport the finished pieces all over the world.

All this transportation is creating a lot of gas emissions.

Sustainable fashion brands tend to source local materials and use local artisans to make their products. They also make smaller batches of clothing so that they don’t have excess that they throw out.

Save water

Making clothes takes a lot of water. In fact, it can take up to 1800 gallons of water to make a pair of jeans. Just one pair!

That’s a lot of water for one piece of clothing. And if you think about how many clothes are sold in any given fast fashion store, that’s a lot of water.

Sustainable fashion companies use fabrics such as linen, hemp and organic cotton to make their clothes. These are often natural, renewable or recycled materials so they are not harming the planet. They use significantly less water than fast fashion companies.

Less toxic water

And on the topic of water usage, fast fashion companies are creating toxic water. When they dye clothes, they use toxic chemicals.

After they finish dying the clothes, they dump that toxic waste into nearby rivers. Because of this harmful practice, they have killed all the animals that used to inhabit those rivers. Not to mention the plant life in the area is gone too.

This dumping of chemicals also affected the people living in the area. Residents of the area relied on those water streams to survive. Now, without a source of clean water, they have been forced to suffer or move.

Sustainable fashion brands don’t use harsh chemicals to dye their clothes. They use alternative dyeing methods. This helps keep our waters clean, our animals alive and the inhabitants of the area thriving. They would also never do anything that would harm the planet or the people.

No animals are harmed

Buying leather bags, real fur and feather filled jackets come at the cost of animals. Fast fashion companies abuse and torture these animals. All in the name of fashion.

Theses days, there are over 16,000 endangered species. These companies aren’t helping repopulate the species by using them for their own personal gain.

Sustainable companies are committed to cruelty free fashion. They use materials such as bamboo, human made fibers or recycled material to line your clothing.

To know if a company is cruelty free, check for the Leaping Bunny certification. It means that there is no animal testing in any stage of the company’s cycle. It’s a third party certification that you can trust.

Fair wages and ethical working conditions

Companies that don’t support sustainable fashion often don’t pay their employees well. They have them working in inhumane conditions. Oftentimes, they are working in unsafe work environments for long hours. They aren’t given the opportunity to speak up. These companies aren’t opposed to using child labour to make their clothes either.

People have died so that CEO’s from fast fashion companies can pocket a cheque.

Sustainable companies make sure to pay their employees a fair wage. They also support local artisans and pay them fair wages so that they can break the cycle of poverty in their families.

Clothing is high quality so they last longer

Have you ever bought an item of clothing, worn it once then it shrunk in the wash? Or easily ripped so you couldn’t wear it anymore?

That’s because fast fashion companies use cheap material to keep their cost low. It’s also a tactic meant to keep you coming back for more clothes.

Sustainable fashion companies actually care about the products that they put out. That’s why they use good quality material to make your clothing.

Recycled Materials

Fast fashion companies are in the business of making new things. They source raw materials and make clothes that way. Then, those clothes go straight to the landfill.

Some sustainable fashion companies take recycled materials to make their clothes. Wolven uses tossed water bottles. Leze the Label uses fish nets that are no longer used. These companies are finding ways to reuse and upcycle waste that consumers have created.

No pesticides

Fast fashion companies use cotton that is sprayed with pesticide. Lots of research has shown how harmful pesticides are in our food. But what we put on our body is just as important.

If your clothes have pesticides in them and you wear them, those pesticides are still coming in contact with you and affecting you.

Sustainable companies use organic cotton so you don’t have to worry about any harmful chemicals.

Transparency

Fast fashion companies almost never mention anything about how they make their clothing. That’s because they know it’s unethical.

Sustainable fashion companies will tell you everything you want to know. From where they source the material for their clothing to the working conditions for their employees. Transparency is key for sustainable companies.

Final Words

Now that you know all the reasons that sustainable fashion is important, I hope that you are more thoughtful in shopping for clothing.

When you support a company that is paying fair wages, has sustainable practices, plants trees for each purchase and uses sustainable materials, you know you’re doing your part in protecting your planet.

But when you shop from a company that uses child labour, doesn’t pay its employees and ruins the planet every chance it gets, it doesn’t feel good.

You will feel much better when you buy from a company that is helping the planet rather than ruining it.

What are some of your fast fashion brands? Let me know in the comments below!

Originally published at https://sustainably-yours.com on May 3, 2021.