The fashion industry is bad news for our climate, the rawmaterial facts
It seems like the global, multi-billion dollar fashion industry is going through a long overdue sustainability transformation. But despite the acceleration of targets and commitments set by big brands, many have yet to take action.
The next decade will reveal the true trendsetters – and those who will fall out of fashion.
Thinking of ‘carbon emissions’ or ‘pollution’ typically evokes images of smog-filled cities or coal plants – not the clothes you’re wearing.
Yet after agriculture and big oil, fast fashion is, with its many impacts on people and the planet, one of the most polluting industries in the world. It is also a complex business involving long and often obscure supply chains of raw materials, textile manufacturing, production, transport, retail, use and, ultimately, disposal. Greeningline would like to provide an alternative based on education, innovation and access to some of the best suppliers globally. And we invest in education - furthering our own, the workers but also yours, as consumer about sustainability, lasting-design, slow fashion and female health.
So what can you do as consumer?
Organic food, pure water, and natural or organic clothing can work together to enhance your wellbeing and help you live a healthier life. Reducing your toxic load may sometimes seem like an overwhelming task, but just like any other change, make it step by step. Over time, you'll see improvement in your own life and in the world around you. Change in the world begins with you making simple changes in your own life. When you pick out your clothes, you probably don't think about their toxic load on your body and the environment. But most fabrics in our clothes are highly processed with tons of chemicals. Everyday and night we are surrounded by fabrics. From clothing to sheets on our beds to upholstery on furniture or car seats, these are the fabrics of our lives. Fabrics are around us nearly all the time, but did you know that your material choices could either help or harm your health and the environment?
Not that long ago, people stuck to the natural fibers: wool, cashmere, cotton, silk, linen, and hemp. But if you take a look at your clothing labels today, you are likely to find materials like polyester, acrylic, acetate and nylon. And your shirts may be treated to be wrinkle-free or stain resistant.
These technological advances in fabrics may make our lives simpler, but at what cost? Chemically treated natural and synthetic fabrics are a source of toxins that adversely affect your health and the health of the planet.
Detox your life. Cut major sources of stress out of your life. This includes unnecessary spending, clutter, a job you hate, or unhealthy relationships. Opt for natural remedies whenever you can. With the guidance of a holistic health practitioner, herbs, the right foods, and essential oils can be very healing and have fewer dangerous side effects than most pharmaceuticals.
Here's our short list of fabrics to avoid, and the healthy ones to pick instead.
TOP 6 TOXIC FABRICS
Polyester is the worst fabric you can buy. It is made from synthetic polymers that are made from esters of dihydric alcohol and terpthalic acid.
Acrylic fabrics are polycrylonitriles and may cause cancer, according to the EPA.
Rayon is recycled wood pulp that must be treated with chemicals like caustic soda, ammonia, acetone and sulphuric acid to survive regular washing and wearing.
Triacetate are made from wood fibers called cellulose and undergo extensive chemical processing to produce the finished product.
Nylon is made from petroleum and is often given a permanent chemical finish that can be harmful.
Anything static resistant, stain resistant, permanent press, wrinkle-free, stain proof or moth repellant. Many of the stain resistant and wrinkle-free fabrics are treated with perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), like Teflon.O.
Keep it organic.