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Adopting a sustainable lifestyle for the planet is really no different than adopting a healthy lifestyle for your body. Just like there are benefits to swapping out junk food for fresh fruits and vegetables, there are benefits to trading in your fast fashion habits for eco-friendly and ethical brands. If we want fresh air and clear water, we have to stop feeding our planet junk. Volunteering is like exercise for the body. When we actively use our muscles to clean up the trash that is polluting our waterways or plant trees we are bringing about the physical changes that we want to see. And, just like a good doctor will tell you, it’s these small consistent changes that will make a lasting change. Living a sustainable lifestyle is about making our planet healthy and most likely you’ve already made small changes that are already strengthening and rebuilding our planet.
You Swap Fast-Fashion For Ethical Brands…
And Improve Someone’s Life
Do you know the cost of a $5 t-shirt? Let’s look at fast-fashion brands like Fashion Nova and Forever 21 that put out around 20+ collections each year. The reason why they can do that so cheaply is partly due to cheap labor. And, by ‘cheap’ we mean ‘near starvation’ with 100 work weeks that barely cover minimum expenses like shelter and food. On top of the exploitative wages the factories are poorly ventilated and cramped. If you think this is only happening in Bangladesh or India, know that this Fashion Nova recently came under fire by The New York Times for their sweatshops in downtown Los Angeles that paid workers $2.77/ hour.
Choosing an ethical means that you’re saying ‘yes’ to a brand that is paying their workers a livable wage. That brand is being transparent about where their factories are located so that you’ll know who is making their clothing and can hold them accountable to ensure that safe environments, reasonable hours, and benefits are also ensured for all factory employees.
You Say ‘Goodbye’ To Synthetic Materials…
And Minimize Carbon Emissions & Ocean Pollution
Scroll through a fast fashion site and you might notice that a lot of those pieces will be made from polyester or nylon. These are universally adaptable and cheap fabrics. The downside is that they’re plastic and producing them releases nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. These synthetic materials are also non-biodegradable meaning that they can take hundreds of years to decompose. Which is unfortunate, because every time we put them through the wash they release micro-plastics – tiny shards of plastic that are polluting our water sources and marine life.
When you help fashion break up with its toxic relationship with plastic by choosing clothing made from organic fabric, you’ll helping to protect our oceans and air quality. Producing cotton, linen and other natural fibers releases 2 to 3 times fewer greenhouse gases than polyester or nylon. Additionally, natural fabrics (that are also dyed and treated naturally) are biodegradable. If composted they can break down within a week otherwise they can take several months.
You Shop Pre-Loved Instead Of New…
And Minimize Landfills
Do you know that in the U.S we generate about 15 million tons of textile waste each year? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) only 2 million tons of that is recycled with the rest either combusted or dumped into landfills. Part of this is because as consumers we’ve purchased 60% more clothing than we did a 15 years ago, but keep the average piece of clothing for fewer wears.
Ditch The Landfill. This Brand Will Recycle Old Clothes For You.
It’s estimated that you and I will throw out 60 to 80 pounds of clothing this year. But, if we held onto a few of those items, gave them away to someone who could use them or even sell them, those small sustainable lifestyle changes could significantly reduce the size of landfills.
You Don’t Use Plastic Bags…
And Protect Our Wildlife
Out of the 1 trillion plastic bags that are used globally each year less than 5% of them will be recycled. In the U.S we use about 380 billion plastic bags annually, and according to the EPA it costs us 12 million barrels of oil to create these bags. Many of them land onto our shores and into our oceans. Once in the water they can be mistaken for food like jelly fish. Studies have shown that 50% of turtles have plastic bags in their stomachs. This creates blockages that causes them to die from starvation. Turtles aren’t the only species swallowing plastic bags. Whales, pelicans, and even platypuses are other animals accidentally ingesting and being harmed by plastic bags.
When you shop from a retailer and use your shopping tote instead of the store’s plastic bag, you’re letting the retailer know that their customers don’t support the use of plastic bags. And, brands take notice. While they’re not fashion brands, companies like Whole Foods and IKEA have banned single-use plastic bags.
Did you know that it could cost your city $1 million annually to remove litter including plastic bag waste?