A Fashionable Problem

It takes 3,781 liters of water to make a pair of jeans, from the production of the cotton to the delivery of the final product to the store. There is a cost behind each dress, pair of jeans, shirt, and sock that goes unnoticed by most people: the cost to the environment. If that is for just one pair of jeans, imagine the environmental cost for everything in our wardrobes.   

Annually, the textile industry emits 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions and relies on 98 million tons of non-renewable resources and extensive chemical use2. The environmentally flawed ‘fast-fashion’ model pollutes and degrades the environment at every phase of its products’ lifecycle. 

To make the garment industry more sustainable, all must get involved, from designers to manufacturers, critics, and consumers. 

Without consumers making a change, the efforts are in vain. They must become aware of what they buy. How? Taking these small steps can help: 

• Before buying, ask if the manufacturers used sustainable criteria to make the clothing. 
• Be creative in combining garments and recycle them after they wear out. 
• Repair clothing. 
• Donate what you no longer use. 
• Buy only what you need. In some countries, 40% of purchased clothing is never used. 
• Consider quality over quantity. Every additional year a garment is worn means less pollution. Cheap clothing often doesn't survive the wash cycle, meaning that in the long run you don’t save money compared with buying better quality garments. 
• Buy second-hand clothing. 
• Be a smart laundry manager — wash full loads and use non-abrasive detergents, for example. 

At The EcoFairy, our goal is to help you build a more sustainable life by offering you a line of reusable products. We offer products that last and that will help you reduce the amount of plastic you use.    

More info on our website: https://www.theecofairy.com