| What is sustainable clothing? | | | | To be considered sustainable, clothing should be: |
| Sustainability means conserving an ecological balance | | | | - Safe for humans and the environment in all stages of |
| by avoiding depletion of natural resources. Each step in | | | | its life cycle. |
| creating sustainable clothing from growing the raw | | | | - Use energy, materials and processes that come |
| materials to manufacturing the finished product and | | | | from renewable or recycled sources, such as biomass |
| transporting it to market must be environmentally | | | | or wind energy or organic cotton, hemp, wool, linen or |
| friendly and protect the health of humans and | | | | lyocell (trade name Tencel). |
| ecological systems. | | | | - Capable of being returned safely to either natural or |
| Not all natural clothing is sustainable clothing. | | | | industrial systems. |
| For example, conventionally grown cotton is natural but | | | | - Made to last and able to be reused or recycled. |
| is not considered sustainable because large amounts | | | | - Be created by workers who receive fair wages and |
| of pesticides and herbicides are used to grow it. | | | | have healthy working conditions. |
| Conventionally grown cotton uses 25% of the world's | | | | - It's tough for consumers to know what happens in |
| insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides | | | | every step of the production process, so there is a |
| (including herbicides, insecticides, and defoliants) | | | | cultural component in making sustainable clothing the |
| according to the Organic Trade Association and | | | | norm. Better designs and more availability together with |
| others. The Organic Consumers Association estimates | | | | increasingly informed consumers who demand |
| that in the US, 1/3 pound of agricultural chemicals is | | | | sustainable clothing have the potential to transform the |
| typically used to make one tee shirt. | | | | clothing industry. |
| Though natural dyes may be obtained from vegetable | | | | Steps you can take to improve the environment |
| or animal sources without chemical processing, many | | | | While awareness and transparency about sustainable |
| of the setting agents (mordants) pose environmental | | | | clothing grow, consumers can exert their influence by |
| hazards. Products using toxic mordants are not | | | | - becoming informed about sustainability issues |
| considered sustainable. | | | | - buying clothing that uses durable fabrics and timeless |
| Organic clothing produced abroad is not the most | | | | styles |
| sustainable clothing. | | | | - repairing and re-using clothing |
| Because it travels thousands of miles before reaching | | | | - buying second-hand clothing |
| market, organic clothing produced abroad has a larger | | | | - choosing products made with genuine environmental |
| ecological footprint than organic clothing produced in | | | | concern |
| the USA. | | | | - washing clothes less often, at lower temperatures, |
| Though a US-based company may use fabric that is | | | | using eco-detergents |
| imported (very little fabric is currently made here), if | | | | - avoiding purchases of "dry clean only" garments. |
| designing, grading, sampling, cutting and sewing is done | | | | When dry cleaning is the only option, using "wet |
| in the USA, it will have a smaller carbon footprint and | | | | cleaning" instead of conventional dry cleaning. |
| be a more sustainable product. | | | | |