Sustainable fashion: how to consume clothes more consciously

(CNN Spanish) – Being fashionable has its cost. Not only economical, but also environmental. The textile industry is the second most polluting in the world, according to the United Nations (UN).

Although the expectation is to keep up with the ever-changing trends, by renovating our wardrobe every few weeks or months, buying less clothes would help the environment.

Collectively, the global fashion industry produces nearly 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, or 8.1% of the world’s total, according to Quantis, a climate consultancy that analyzes the environmental impact of the fashion industry. That calculation includes the seven stages of the life of a garment, starting with the creation of the fibers used to make it, for example, growing cotton, to assembling the clothes and, finally, transporting and selling them.

Here we present a series of proposals that will help you to be more conscious when dressing:

Reduce consumption

This is, without a doubt, the most important point to take into account when thinking about strategies that take care of the planet. Reduce consumption in the face of a market that is constantly producing new collections to satisfy demand, not only at the cost of the environment, but also of unsafe working conditions and that violate human rights.

Data of the UN Conference on Trade and Development demonstrate that the industry uses excessive amounts of water to make garments, produces carbon emissions higher than all international flights and ocean shipments, and dumps half a million tons of microfiber into the sea each year.

Used clothing, a popular alternative

There are several alternatives to reuse garments ranging from swapping clothes with friends to shopping vintage or second hand. The latter is an increasingly popular trend. So much so that in 2030 the used fashion market will have an approximate value of US $ 77,000 million, according to the annual report of ThredUP, one of the largest companies specialized in the online sale of used clothing and accessories.

It vintage it has gone from being an economic necessity to having an aesthetic value, to end as an ethical response. And there are different places such as boutiques, fairs or bazaars specialized in second-hand clothes where you can find different unique options that suit your style.

Give your clothes a second life

Did you know that the amount of clothing, footwear and accessories that we accumulate ends up constantly incinerated or in landfills? Every second an amount of textiles equivalent to a garbage truck is buried or burned, according to the UN.

So if you want to contribute to curbing the waste of clothes, you can bet on giving it a second life. Donate it to an organization that collects clothing, sell it at a thrift store, gift it to someone you know will use it. Or swap clothes with your friends to add a fresh touch to your wardrobe. You can even give it a spin and use your imagination to turn it into another garment that you can also wear.

Buy and sell on online platforms

Your clothes can have unsuspected reaches and not necessarily in the garbage or the sea. Used clothing buying and selling applications are a very effective tool to boost circular consumption. In many of them you can sell clothes, footwear or accessories that you no longer use to people around the world and, at the same time, you can buy from someone everything that they no longer need.

Rent your clothes

Renting is a very convenient option when you are looking for a garment that you will use once or twice or that you know is something that will go out of style the following season.

For the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which works to improve the industry’s sustainability record, is “a compelling value proposition, especially when considering changing customer needs; examples include short-term use, practical requirements, or preferences rapidly evolving fashion “.

Recycle

When it comes to recycling our waste, we generally think of plastic bottles or other food and beverage packaging. Garments are often not considered recyclable items and, as we have already seen, they are generally thrown away.

Although the textile industry relies primarily on non-renewable resources – oil to produce synthetic fabrics, fertilizers to grow cotton, and chemicals to produce fiber and textile dyes and finishes – its immense footprint extends beyond the use of raw materials, notes the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

“Its low usage rates and low recycling levels, the current wasteful linear system is the root cause of this massive and ever-expanding pressure on resources,” he adds.

In response to all this waste that has negative impacts on the environment, some fashion department stores have launched recycling initiatives in recent years that you can participate in. These are containers located in their stores almost all over the world where customers can deposit the clothes they no longer want. According to the Swedish multinational H&M, The idea is to increase textile collection and recycling rates, and reduce unnecessary waste to landfills.

It is worth noting that H&M was accused of doing “greenwashing“to consumers by being vague about the sustainability credentials of their Conscious Collection launched in 2010.