Nevada RNformation - March 2011

Page 10 • Nevada RNformation March, April, May 2021
NNA Environmental Health Committee
Sustainable Fashion: moving from disposable fashion consumption to
ecological conservation and ethical labor practices
The fashion industry has one of the highest
environmental impacts of a commercial business on
the planet. The production of clothing results in the
use of agricultural fertilizers, pesticides, and fresh water
sources to grow the crops for fibers, along with toxic
chemicals used in dyeing and fabric preparation.
Did you know that Americans toss ~14 million tons
of clothing each year, or an astounding 80 pounds per
person (Miller, 2016; Council for Textile Recycling)? This
fabric waste and the eventual disposal of clothing through
incineration or landfill deposits are hazardous to the
environment. Incineration of clothing releases airborne
pollution from the chemical dyes or fibers, and degrading
cloth in a landfill releases methane gas and chemicals into
the water shed. Therefore, efforts are needed to reduce
environmental contamination from the fashion industry.
Keys to reducing these adverse impacts include (a) limiting
the amount of clothing produced to what is actually
needed by the population, (b) reusing or recycling existing
clothing and fabrics, (c) sustaining the life of a garment,
and (d) manufacturing garments from eco-friendly fiber
sources. All these actions can lower the carbon footprint
from the industry. To bring these actions to fruition, it is
first important to understand the barriers faced to making
a change to a more sustainable clothing industry.
Temporal Aspects of Fashion
Historically, seasonal changes in fashion were
driven by top designers and released to the industry
through the infamous “runway’ fashion shows. These
new “high end” style releases were made far ahead
of time and the subsequent copycats needed months
to manufacture cheaper replicas and get them on
the racks in retail stores. “Slow fashion” reflected the
significant time lag that occurred. Fashion was seasonal
and challenged the consumer with spending more each
year to stay in style.
Nowadays, the speed of changes in fashion has
accelerated across the whole industry – from highend
to inexpensive in-style clothing. “Fast fashion” is
manufacturing replicas of high-end style clothes that
are cheaply produced and cheaply priced. These clothes
are sourced through global production chains then
sold through store chains to consumers. The result is
excessive fabric waste that causes global toxic pollution.
Ethics of Labor Practices in Fashion Manufacturing
Every piece of clothing requires someone to sew
it, even putting in a zipper. There are no automated
machines that make garments. So, basically all
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garments are handmade or sewn on machines by
factory workers. Despite the value of the skilled
seamstress for the industry, they are often poorly
compensated. For example, a $4 t-shirt is offered at a
retail store. How much is the worker being paid that
sewed it together? Consider the pay out to the chain
of manufacturing from the farmer who grows the
crop, the production of the fiber into cloth, the fashion
designer, the seamstress who makes the garment, the
transportation crew, and finally the salesperson. Do the
math, it’s not much profit to go around.
Developing countries aim to become a part of the
world's “fast fashion” apparel market despite poor
working conditions and low pay to their workers.
Countries such as China, Honduras, Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka, and Indonesia export large amounts of clothing
into the United States every year. Look at the tags on
your garments for their origin. The incentive to the
American consumer is to buy more due to the low
price. In honest, more clothing is bought by Americans
than what is really needed.
Despite the publicity decades ago, many popular
fashion brands are still using sweatshops to
manufacture and sew their clothing (see Resources
for a list). In 2021, child labor and modern slavery
still occurs in clothing factories. Sweatshops are
known to have poor working conditions, unfair
wages, unreasonable hours, child labor, and a lack of
benefits for the workers. To protect these workers,
clothing companies can become Fair Trade USA
Apparel and Home Goods Factory certified. This
nonprofit organization offers the trusted Fair Trade
Certified seal on a product, which signifies that it was
made according to rigorous standards that promote
sustainable livelihoods and safe working conditions,
protection of the environment, and strong, transparent
supply chains. Nonetheless, until the consumption
of “fast fashion” declines, there is no incentive for
change. Consumers drive fashion production; therefore,
consumers can influence the transformation to
sustainable fashion trends.
The Principals of Sustainable Fashion
A transformation of the fashion industry is now
underway because of increased ecological awareness
and stewardship of the environment by the public.
Consumers and companies alike want industries that
respect human living conditions, protect biological life
and the environment, support cultural diversity, and
appropriately use scarce global resources. The principles
of 'green' or 'eco fashion’ consider what garments
are made of and how long the garment is used. This
fashion shift strives for garments that are seasonless
and aesthetic in style and can last a long time.
Therefore, more ”slow fashion” is making a comeback
in a new way.
The foundational concepts for sustainable fashion
are to reuse, reform or reprocess fibers from existing
garments or leftover fabrics.
• Recycled or reclaimed fibers are recovered
from either pre- or post-consumer sources.
Pre-consumer sources are unworn and
unused textile wastes from different stages
of manufacturing. For example, bundles of a
certain fabric are ordered for a dress but cutting
the pattern leaves scrapes of leftover fabric
unused. Instead of throwing it out, it can be
reprocessed. Post-consumer textiles are any
garment that has been worn and then donated
to charities to sell as bulk fabric or returned to
companies for recycling. An example is a jacket
returned to the outdoor clothing company
Patagonia.
• “Upcycling” in fashion is the process of reusing
these unwanted and discarded materials that are
made into new materials or products without
compromising the value and the quality of the
used material.
• “Closed-loop technology” is where a product is
recycled back into almost the same product, such
as an outdoor jacket’s fibers reprocessed into a
new outdoor jacket of similar style. Technology
exists to chemically reprocess polyester into its
core components and then spin it back into
polyester thread to make new garments. In
addition, plastic bottles can now be recycled into
synthetic polyester fiber used for clothing.
Extending the lifespan of garments is also
foundational to sustainable fashion. Donations of
clothing to thrift shops allow consumers to re-wear a
garment. Yet, about 70% of what is donated never
makes it to the rack. Instead, it is sold as bulk fabric
or made into rags and cleaning cloths. In addition,
lengthening the lifespan can include re-waxing of
outdoor jackets, replacing a zipper, or repairing
expensive handbags. It’s not waste until it is wasted!
COVID-19’s Impact on the Fashion Industry
The onset of the pandemic literally shut down the
fashion industry. Orders for garments by fashion chains
were abruptly cancelled. Fashion shows were conducted
virtually across the Web. The resulting economic impact
of the pandemic forced consumers to rethink their
purchases and thereby realize they did not need as much
clothing as they use to buy. Designers and manufacturers
together were forced to reevaluate the fashion culture
and manufacturing processes of the industry. Therefore,
the pandemic helped the industry rethink “slow fashion”
with a transformation towards sustainability.
Today, many people want to wear their clothing
over time and have smaller collections that express
their personality. Designers are moving towards
green fashion and are using fibers such as hemp and
bamboo, which are softer than cotton, retain dyes
longer and are more durable for a garment’s lifetime.
Additionally, consumers have the opportunity to
support ethical practices within the fashion industry by
being thoughtful and practical in their spending.
Becoming a Sustainable Clothing Role-Model
There are many ways you can improve the
sustainability rating of your own wardrobe:
1. Rediscover your own personal style. Assess your
wardrobe and keep what you like and need and
donate the rest. Never throw fabrics out in the
trash, instead repurpose, or recycle them.
2. Wear your clothes for a long time. Embrace and
care for them.
3. When you need to, only invest in buying new
“sustainable” clothes and fabrics. Think about
where you buy from and the “Made in …” tag.
4. Research ahead of time and buy from fashion
companies that are more thoughtful on fabric
choices and support fair worker’s conditions.
5. Buy used clothing. Respectable charity thrift
stores support their organization’s mission and
clients in need, but they need your money and
support.
6. Repair your clothing instead of throwing it away.
Yes, you can sew up the holes and tears or take
it to a seamstress. Zippers can be replaced.
7. Use old, non-donatable clothing as rags for
household and car cleaning.
8. Wash clothes on Quick cycles and use cooler
water settings to decrease your carbon footprint.
References & Resources
• Environmental impact of the textile and clothing
industry: What consumers need to know https://
www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/
BRIE/2019/633143/EPRS_BRI(2019)633143_
EN.pdf
• Fair Trade Certification: https://www.
fairtradecertified.org/
• 13 fashion brands that still use sweatshops in
2021. Written by Alex Assoune. https://www.
panaprium.com/blogs/i/fashion-brands-that-stilluse-sweatshops
• The Council for Textile Recycling: http://www.
weardonaterecycle.org/
• Top 13 Sustainable Fashion Designers Making
a Change in 2020: https://motif.org/news/topsustainable-fashion-designers/
• The World Counts: https://www.
theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-andpoverty/slavery-and-sweatshops