Eco-friendly clothing – Towards sustainability

Apr, 2022

6 WAYS TO LIVE MORE SUSTAINABLY

Every day, we make decisions that impact the environment, climate, and other animals. We can do a lot to “choose wild” and lessen our environmental imprint to make more room for wild animals and plants, from what we eat to how many children we have.

Think Before Shopping

“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” may sound like a cliche, but it’s just as relevant today as it was originally coined. Everything we buy has an environmental footprint, from the materials needed to make it to the pollution generated during manufacture to the packaging in landfills. So, before you go out and buy something, consider whether you truly need it. Look for gently used items rather than new ones, and look for minimum packaging and delivery.

Make Sure That Your Investments Have Environmental Benefits

Not everyone has the financial means to exchange their old gas-guzzling junk for the most recent environmentally friendly hybrid vehicle. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing; new car production requires a lot of resources. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, choose a fuel-efficient model to save thousands of dollars on gas and lower your carbon footprint. When shopping for a new refrigerator, washer, or dryer, seek the Energy Star badge to identify the most energy-efficient models. Do you require a new water heater? Consider switching to solar power.

Do Not Use Plastic

Plastic is here to stay. Currently, billions of pounds of it may be found in whirling convergences that cover over 40% of its oceans. Thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals, and other marine creatures are killed after consuming or becoming entangled in plastic. In just a few easy actions, you can start reducing your plastic waste: When shopping, use reusable bags, avoid single-use water bottles, bags, and straws, and avoid anything made of or packaged in plastic as much as possible (e.g., select unwrapped produce at the grocery store, shop local, cut down on online shopping).

Boycott unsustainable products

In the United States, it is unlawful to buy, sell, import, or exchange anything manufactured from endangered species, but even if a plant or animal hasn’t been designated yet, it can still be damaged for profit. Furthermore, certain items imperil endangered species by posing a hazard to their environment, ranging from the destruction of old-growth forests to the depletion of water that riparian animals require to exist. To prevent contributing to the extinction of animals, purchase ethically and search for goods made of sustainable materials such as bamboo.

Water

Leave the bottled water at home. Even though tap water is essentially free and many city water have won quality and taste tests versus name-brand water, bottled water firms strive to discredit it. Furthermore, water extraction and the creation of all those plastic bottles are damaging to people and animals. Water conservation is also vital, especially as our nation’s population grows and we confront severe droughts. Shorter showers, fixing leaky toilets, and low-flow and low-water appliance options are all ways to save water. Consider xeriscaping your yard, which is a landscaping approach that employs native, drought-tolerant plants that require less water and upkeep over time while still providing habitat and food.

Drive less Or Drive Green

Changing your driving habits can help you cut your carbon impact significantly. Whenever feasible, walk, cycle, carpool, or take public transit. Combine errands to save time and money. Participate in or organize car-free days in your neighborhood. Regular tune-ups and tire inflations are vital to maintaining your automobile in good repair. Tune-ups may improve your fuel economy by 4% to 40%, and if every American kept his or her tires properly inflated, gas consumption would drop by 2% countrywide.

It is important to live more sustainably with global warming and climate change; you do not want to contribute any further to the planet’s degradation. In the comments, let us know how you plan to live more sustainably…

Jan, 2022

Your Extensive Guide To Natural And Non-Toxic Period Products

Sustainability is trending right now- everyone is aiming to be more sustainable to save our resources and limit waste. It is a trending topic on social media; actors, activists and influencers are all talking about sustainability, but one aspect is constantly disregarded.

According to statistics, women have an average of 456 periods in their life, which translates to 9,120 tampons used all of them end up in landfills. It is also good to highlight that single-use menstrual products generate more than 200,000 tonnes of waste annually.

There is a lot of misinformation concerning period products, even though they are readily available. On top of this, green-washing is becoming more prominent. If you don’t know about green-washing, it is a marketing strategy used by different companies to make their products seems as if it was sustainable even if it is not.

If you are willing to be more sustainable, you may want to research before buying a product. We have noted some important things that may be useful;

Natural materials; You will want to look for period products with little to no synthetic materials such as plastics. As you may already know, plastics are not biodegradable and can last for hundreds of years. Plastic can be as bad for you as for the environment; period products made of plastics can develop rashes and are uncomfortable compared to cotton.

Non-Toxic; Apart from the primary materials, other things made up period products, for example, phthalates, parabens, dioxins, and PFAS. Your vagina is a sensible part of your body, and when you use any period products, these toxins may enter your body.

Sustainable packaging; Apart from the product, the packaging should be made sustainably. Stay away from plastic, even if it is recyclable. I would recommend you go for paper.

Ethics; Some brands claim to be sustainable but are not, so it is better to choose a completely transparent brand. Be honest and truthful about their supply chain, where they are getting their material from, their workers’ conditions, etc.

Impact; The brand you choose should be only looking to make a profit; of course, it does count a lot, but they should be impacting the world and contributing in their ways. There are a lot of girls in the world that don’t have access to proper sanitary products, which affects their lives as they cannot go to school during this time which is 5-8 days missed. Please choose a brand that contributes to making the world a better place.

Now, different options are more sustainable than the standard pads or tampons seen in supermarkets.

Period Panties

The name describes itself; it is panties used when you have your period. There is no need to use pads or tampons. Different models depending on your flow. The maximum time you can keep them on is 6 hours. If you take good care of it, it can last 6 months.

Menstrual Cup

These menstrual cups, also known as period cups, are made of medical latex, so they should be inserted into the vagina during your menstruation. It does not absorb the blood but instead collects it, and then you should disregard the content every 6 to 12 hours, depending on your flow.

Menstrual cups are made of 4 % plastics but compared to standard pads made with 35 % and tampons 6 % plastic, they are reusable. Studies have shown that menstrual cups have a less environmental impact than pads or tampons.

Reusable Pads

The reusable pads have the same set of instructions as the period panties. Except for this one, you have to attach it to your panties and then wash it when you are done using it, instead of throwing it away as regular panties.

There are a lot of alternatives to standard period products right now, and we should embrace them. Let us know in the comments if you are willing to try these Eco-friendly alternatives…

This Is How the Fashion Industry Will Reduce Its Carbon Footprint

As environmental organizations have recently been looking at the carbon footprint of various industries, let’s see how the fashion industry contributes to the global carbon footprint. In 2018, it was found that the fashion industry produces around 4% of greenhouse gases.

Many industries are striving for sustainability these days as it has become a necessity. Becoming environmentally-conscious forces us to rethink our consumption habits, and consumers are more willing to buy sustainable products. In addition, environmental laws are becoming more severe.

How much does our wardrobe cost the environment?

Closet, Clothes, Blue, Clothing, Wardrobe, Fashion — Reduce Carbon Footprint

It’s easy to calculate the total cost of a shopping spree; you take all the receipts and add up the total price, but did you know some costs go unnoticed? Behind every item of clothing, there is an environmental cost.

More than 3 litres of water are used to make one pair of jeans, equivalent to emitting more than 30 kilograms of carbon dioxide. Annually, the fashion industry uses about 93 billion cubic meters of water, and half a million tons of plastic microfibers are thrown into the ocean, equivalent to 50 billion plastic bottles.

Another major problem the fashion industry is facing is fast fashion. While many of us are happy to buy new clothes every week because they are so affordable, clothing stores are forced to design new garments weekly due to high demand.

In 2000 alone, 50 billion new garments were made, and 21 years later, that number is still increasing. You might think that there is still recycling of clothing, but keep in mind that only 1% of this production is recycled. More than $500 billion of clothes are thrown away, sometimes not even worn or recycled, and they end up directly in landfills.

How should the fashion industry change?

Rolls Of Fabric, Factory, Material, Manufacturing — How Should Fashion Industry Change?

Even though it does a lot of damage to the environment, the fashion industry is one of the industries that create the most jobs after tourism: about 75 million direct employees. Even if there is a pandemic, the only real challenge for the fashion industry is sustainability. The situation will worsen in the next 30 years if no action is taken to solve the problem.

Below we have listed some ways to make the fashion industry more sustainable:

Second-hand Shopping

We’ve seen an increase in secondhand shopping culture, and Millennials are buying more secondhand clothing than ever before. This has prompted brands and retailers to recycle their vintage pieces.

Shoppers are aware of sustainability, which is also an eye-opener for manufacturers. Studies have shown that the secondhand clothing market will be worth more than $50 billion in three years.

Tailored clothing

royalty free tailor photos free download | Piqsels — Tailor-made clothing is one solution to combat mass production.

A new fashion trend is custom-made and on-demand clothing. Who wouldn’t want to have unique and customized outfits?

Manufacturers are now focusing on providing their customers with a tailored fashion experience that reduces mass production and conserves natural resources.

Ethical fashion

The fashion industry has long been known as a tormentor of animals, workers, and, of course, the planet. Some thoughtful manufacturers are now opting for veganism and sustainability. And why? Because consumers are now choosing more eco-friendly brands. So what do brands do when they have environmentally conscious customers? They need to go green with their products.

The five R’s of fashion

Reduce, Repair, Recycle, Reuse and Reinvent. Upcycling fashion aims to be sustainable, using garments worn before or after consumption to create new products. Several brands have taken to repurposing and reinvent old pieces.

We encourage consumers to choose green fashion to make the industry more sustainable. Let us know what you think about sustainable fashion in the comments.

Mar, 2021

How to Wash and Care for Your Organic Clothes? (Part 2)

Despite not being such a fun practice, doing the laundry is indeed indispensable. Believe it or not, this action significantly impacts your economy since washing clothes is wasting electricity, water, and natural resources. You should know that some of the soaps or detergents that you use are likely to be the primary pollutants for our environment. That is why it is crucial to reduce these products’ consumption without affecting the home’s hygiene. To achieve this, we give you some tips that can help you wash your clothes more ecologically. If you haven’t yet read the first part of this blog, check it out now!

Separate and Classify the Clothes

Separate the garments by the washing temperature, by color, or by their composition. If you want your sustainable clothes to last longer, make sure not to mix the colors and turn them over before putting them in the washing machine, which will protect them better. Separate delicate garments and save non-woven items such as zippers, buttons, decoration details. Imagine a garment with a zip along with your delicates. I advise you that this garment goes in a special bag for washing. Also, if you have outfits (pyjamas, underwear, etc.) I recommend that you wash them together to prevent one part from wearing more than the other.

Remove and Treat Stains Before Washing

Put a garment with a stain in the washing machine and remove it stained again. Who has not happened? I recommend that you make sure to remove the stain before putting it to wash for the wash to be really effective. You can try soaking the garment with baking soda, vinegar or applying a few drops of lemon (if it is white clothing).

Wash With Cold Water, 30º or With an Eco Program

Whenever you can, use cold water. Hot water causes fabrics to wear out prematurely, and garments lose color and may shrink. If you wash at a low temperature, you will save energy, and also, the clothes will need less iron.

Use the Right Amount of Detergent

Quantity is not always quality. Use the detergent as recommended by the manufacturer. More detergent does not always equal more cleaning. Excess detergent and fabric softener in garments dry out the fibers, stiffen the fabric, and reduce life. The fabric softener can be easily substituted for apple or white cider vinegar. It does not leave an odor on clothes. There are many ecological and natural detergents, such as Marcella soap or Lagarto soap for the detergent. These use components of plant origin. They are made with biodegradable materials and without chemical elements which do not pollute the environment. If you are trying to dress sustainably and with clothes made with ecological fabrics, why use chemical detergents? Don’t use bleach is very aggressive, especially with organic cotton garments.

Avoid Using the Dryer

Personally, I do not have a dryer, and I have never missed it since the best option is to hang the clothes inside out and in the open air – never directly in the sun. Since on sweltering summer days, the intense sun rays damage the color and the fibers, producing minor burns that are not perceived until the garment is broken. This is especially noticeable in fabrics with elastane, lycra, or elastic bands that lose their elasticity.

Iron Little and Only the Clothes That Need It

Opt for hanging your clothes with hairpins or hooks instead of ironing. If you still have a garment a little wrinkled, a trick is to hang it on a hook in the bathroom while you shower. You will see how the water vapor works miracles. For dress shirts, there is no choice but to iron them. In this case, wait until you have a few items to do it at once. Very wrinkled organic cotton garments sometimes require steam while ironing. In this case, fill the tank of your iron with distilled water. You will avoid filling the garment with lime, and your iron will last longer in perfect condition.

I hope that with these tips you take good care of all your clothes without harming the environment.

Sep, 2020

7 Handy Tips to Slay in Planet-Friendly Apparels

Almost everyone is hooked on cheap and shabby clothes. All thanks to cheap manufacturing in underdeveloped countries and the rapid rise of fashion, clothing has shifted from valuable goods to disposable items that we throw away at the end of the season.

The rate at which our environment is being destroyed by corporations and big business is indeed very alarming. And as consumers, one of the best ways we can help combat this catastrophic issue is by making more eco-conscious choices a part of our daily lives. Simple things, such as switching to environmentally friendly clothing, can significantly influence our planet. For example, producing a single cotton shirt uses 2,700 liters of water.

And let’s face it, we all wear and buy new clothes regularly, so why not ensure your love for fashion also shows your passion for the earth? Keep reading to learn how to find clothing that’s planet-friendly!

#1. Say No To Real Leather

Real leather is not only harmful to animals, but it’s also not environmentally friendly. To make animal skin into leather, it has to go through an extensive process that uses many chemicals and energy (not to mention that animal agriculture as an industry has a large carbon footprint!). Opt for vegan leather when purchasing items.

#2. Choose Sustainable Fabrics

One of the best ways to cultivate an ecological wardrobe is by buying clothing made of sustainable fabrics. As mentioned above, cotton uses a ton of water and also large amounts of pesticides. This has a more considerable impact on the environment than other types of material. Opt for clothing made from linen, hemp, or even bamboo. Linen comes from flax, and besides using far fewer resources to manufacture than traditional cotton, it’s also able to be composted.

Hemp is easy to grow and doesn’t require a lot of pesticides or fertilizer. Hemp is also diverse and can be made into a wide variety of fabrics. Bamboo is great because it also used no pesticides and is fast growing.

#3. Clothing Swaps

Another great way to get your hands on recycled clothing is by hosting a clothing swap. Make a Facebook event and invite all your friends to bring a bag of unwanted clothing. Most of us tend to have lots of clothing lying around that isn’t being worn, and clothing swaps are an excellent way to eliminate these items without throwing them away. Plus, you never know what fabulous clothing you’ll get from your friend to add to your wardrobe. After your clothing swap is over, collect all the remaining items, and consider donating them to a local charity.

#4. Embrace Second Hand

In Macklemore’s words, get ready to pop some tags because thrift shopping is one of the best ways to save the planet and save money. Use these secrets to help you pick fashionable secondhand items. Whether you’re going to a vintage store, consignment shops, or places like Goodwill, you reduce fabric waste if you buy clothing secondhand. Not to mention you’ll likely find excellent clothes for a fraction of what you would pay in a new-retail setting. Every year the average American spends over 70 pounds of textile to the landfill. So by choosing to visit the thrift shop, you are helping to reduce this waste.

#5. Repair Well-Loved Items

The new fashion is being consumed at a rapid rate. And we all have those favorite clothing items that have holes or excess wear and tear from being worn over and over. Instead of tossing these textiles out and looking to buy new things, consider repairing your well-loved items and extending their lives. Not only will this help to reduce your clothing waste, but it will also save you money and allow you to hold on to your most beloved pieces of clothing for longer.

#6. Buy Homemade Or Local

If you have the option to buy handmade or locally made clothing, jewelry, or shoes, this can be a great way to acquire environmentally friendly clothing. Handmade items not only tend to have a smaller impact on the environment since they aren’t mass-produced in a factory but by purchasing them, you are also supporting a local small business.

#7. Do Your Homework

If you are looking to buy new but buy only from eco-friendly brands, there are plenty of options. But like all things, you want to do your homework on these brands and not just go off advertising. Because of the boom in the popularity of sustainable fashion, many brands are hopping on the bandwagon. This is creating “green-washing” between brands and consumers. Where consumers are thinking, they are buying sustainable, but in reality, they aren’t.

The secret to purchasing environmentally friendly clothing lies within the three R’s. By focusing on reducing the clothing you buy, recycling pre-worn clothing, and reusing (or repairing) what you already have, you will significantly reduce your clothing waste. Shopping sustainable clothing is becoming more and more important, so keep these tips in mind next time you are planning to shop

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