Air and water pollution, chemical poisoning, species extinction, rainforest destruction, disappearance of wetlands, desertification, starvation, topsoil degeneration, global warming, these are some of the environmental issues we are faced with today. Was this preventable? Yes. Is it too late? Not if we stop what we’re doing right this second. Our current environmental crisis is mainly caused by human overpopulation, mass production, over consumption, agribusiness, and a greed for power and profit that consumes everything in its’ path.
As a consumer it is not always practical and easy for us to ensure that every item of clothing we buy has not had a negative impact on the environment or the people that produced it. But we have to educate ourselves and it is getting easier for us to make an informed choice because there has been a mini revolution in the clothing industry where the consumer has created a demand for clothing and textiles that are environmentally and people friendly. The options are still minimal and at times a bit more price sensitive, but as soon as the demand increase from the consumers, retailers and manufacturers will be under more pressure to offer more products of this nature.
So, if you’re serious about making a difference while shopping for your perfect item, here is a short list of labels to look out for:
GOOD CHOICES :
Certified Organic
These products have been made with organically grown fibres, meaning that harmful chemicals on crops and dangerous dying methods have been eliminated during the entire manufacturing of the garment.
Fair-trade
This way you know that the people that have produced the garments have been fairly treated and paid. They also work in environments that safe. By buying one of these products you know that you have made a small difference.
Recycled
Re-using and recycling are a huge craze, so why not do so with your clothes. Wearing recycled product means that there is less waste and damage to the environment.
Handcrafted Locally
You have helped support local craftsmen, which in turn will create jobs and increase the livelihood of people and families in that area.
Made Locally
Buying locally made products means that you are creating jobs and boosting the economy of that particular area or country.
2nd Hand
You are not contributing to increased waste and landfills. You will also be able to create your own style and pick up vintage or antique pieces that you would have never been able to buy new.
Sweatshop-Free
You can be rest assured that the garment you are wearing has been produced in a safe environment and that the people that produced the product where treated fairly and paid sufficiently.
BAD CHOICES :
Imported goods – Usually have a huge carbon footprint, rather try to source locally.
Animal products (leather, wool, fur) – these products are unsustainable in the long run, they cause incomparable environmental destruction, and results in the immense suffering and death of the animals involved. Every year, the global leather, wool, and fur industries slaughter more than a billion animals. Raising animals whose skins will eventually be used for leather, fur or wool products creates huge amounts of waste and pollution. Massive amounts of fossil fuels are consumed in livestock production. Trees are being cut down to create pastureland, a vast quantity of water is used, and the runoff (excrement etc.) is a major cause of both air and water pollution.
Fur – Hundreds of thousands of dog and cat skins are traded in Europe each year (an estimated 2 million dogs and cats are killed in China to meet the demand), most of which are bought by uninformed consumers, as a result of deliberate mislabeling. These animals suffer the entirety of their short lives mostly trapped in cages and die unimaginably cruel deaths.
Wool – Without human interference, sheep grow just enough wool to protect themselves from temperature extremes. Today, mass breeding for continuous fleece growth is the norm, making it impossible to give individual attention to their needs. In the Australian wool industry for example, which produces 25% of the world’s wool, it is normal for an estimated 6 million sheep to die each season as a result of poor living conditions etc. The most commonly raised sheep are merinos, which are specifically bred with wrinkled skin to produce more wool. The unnatural overload of wool causes the animals to die of heat exhaustion among other things. Flies lay their eggs in the folds of the skin & the hatched maggots can eat the sheep alive. This is as far as I’ll go with the wool issue as the rest is too horrifying to mention here.
Leather - Basically, leather is dead skin, and what happens to dead skin? In nature it decomposes, but unfortunately we have developed a way to preserve these dead skins with a combination of treatments. The majority of these treatments are highly toxic procedures, where workers (usually minimum wage, poor workers & many times children) work with chemicals such as cyanide, formaldehyde, chromium and lead. They would climb into or work around a container filled with a highly toxic substance, sometimes acid. If these substances come into contact with naked skin, it would severely scar or even cripple the user. This happens too often, and many of these poor workers lose their livelihoods as a result of their new disabilities.
Sweatshop Goods - An unacceptable percentage of commercial retail clothing manufactured in developing and even first world countries are produced in sweatshops. Conditions there are horrible, sometimes immigrants and children from the age of 12-15 work 12 hour days for less than minimum wage. Huge brands dictate to the consumer what to wear, what to think, how to live. Gone are those days. Stand up! Demand to know where your clothes come from. The moment you choose to ignore the facts and support a company that continuously violates basic human rights, animal rights or environmental regulations, you are directly responsible for the suffering of those who are exploited. It is your right as a consumer, as a human being, to know where your product originated. If you do not agree with a company’s methods of production or sourcing, vote with your feet.
Do your research, being an informed, conscientious consumer empowers you, and those around you. It enables you to make the right choice, a choice that could influence humans, animals, and the planet for the better. Making conscious choices for the planet is of the utmost importance if we are to survive and evolve to the next level of our existence.
“Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites.”
Other Guides For All:
