How Sustainability is Good For The Fashion Industry

The fashion industry witnesses large amounts of wastage happening every year across the globe. These wastes include unused fabrics, inventory, apparel, and raw materials, etc.

This wastage has become one of the major contributors of carbon emission in today’s world. This is where sustainability comes into play. A lot of people are confused about what sustainability can mean for the fashion industry.

Every industry needs to move towards sustainability, and the fashion industry is not an exception. When we think of trends and fashion, we rarely correlate it to words like sustainability.

This needs to change, as the environment and our planet are bearing the brunt of such industries. 

Looking good should not be the only aim of fashion. Fashion should also be about feeling and doing good.

The sustainable fashion movement aims to bring change to the fashion industry by moving towards ecological integrity and social responsibility.

This change impacts all the interdependent systems like financial systems, social and cultural systems. Sustainable fashion has gained tremendous momentum in the last few years that have added surplus fashion brands 

Ethical and sustainable fashion not only benefits the fashion industry but also the society at large by minimizing the harmful impact on the environment.

By ethical, we mean something that is morally acceptable and right. Most manufactured clothes do not follow ethical and sustainable fashion protocols.

For example, cotton farming cannot be considered sustainable at all, as a lot of harmful pesticides are being used. Conventional cotton clothes start in the cotton fields and end up with the consumer. 

It is possible for brands to be responsive to consumer needs and be ethical at the same time. Sustainability in fashion should be wholesome, starting from production to manufacturing.

This means that the relationship between consumers and retailers needs to be different. Here are some reasons why you should switch to sustainable fashion choices:

• The first and most important reason is that it is good for the planet and the environment. Cotton farming uses harmful chemicals and pesticides which have a huge impact on the environment. By opting for organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and other sustainable materials, the harmful impact on the environment can be minimized. This reduces the amount of carbon emission and chemical disposal in the environment.
• The second reason is that sustainable fashion supports workers. When you purchase clothes that are produced ethically and sustainably, you can be sure that the clothes have been produced under fair working conditions and the workers are paid well.
• The third reason is that sustainable fashion is kind to animals. Sustainable clothing does not use fur and other materials that are obtained from cruelty to animals. By saying no to leather and fur apparel you are saving animals from getting killed. 

You can contribute to the sustainability of fashion as well. Some good ways to do this are as follows:

• Do not follow trends: As we know, trends come and go. In order to save yourself from falling into the trend trap, you can invest in pieces that are classic and chic, pieces that would always stay in fashion. This helps you avoid throwing away clothes when they do not fit in the trend anymore.
• Take care of your clothes: The more care you take of your clothes, the longer they would last. This decreases wastage as well. You can further contribute to the betterment of the environment by washing your clothes in cold water as opposed to warm water.