Consider Buying Sustainable Ethical Clothing

As people become more aware of the damage done to the environment of the ongoing production of cheap clothing, Spanish online group Ecoticias has come up with some tips for sustainable fashion.

Although there is less clothing being thrown away after a couple of wears and there is a growth in selling or donating second hand clothes, this doesn’t alter the fact that the buyers should be checking whether new clothes are environmentally and socially friendly.

It is important that when thinking of purchasing a new outfit that you should try to check the origin of the garment, the material used, where it has been made and the distance that it has travelled.

Consider the material

Ideally, the item should be made from natural material without any impact from chemically produced material such as nylon or polyester and if aiming for a vegan material then no animal products should be included in the make-up either.

It’s also about what happens at the end of the life of the clothing so that if the material is natural such as silk, cotton, wool or even leather that has not been subject to chemical additions then it will be biodegradable and won’t harm the environment when left to decompose.

Organic certificate

Many garments are now offered with an organic certification as well as a confirmation of ethical production and make sure that this isn’t just a form of ‘greenwashing’ intended to persuade the buyer that the garment is environmentally friendly.

Dyes are important

If you are determined to do the right thing, even consider the dyes that are used to colour the material so keep an eye open for labels that confirm that the dyes are eco-friendly or digitally printed made from plants, are non-toxic and used less water in production.

Carbon footprint

Last but not least, consider the place of manufacture as for years low cost garments have been made in ‘sweat shops’ around the world often by very young children or women involved who received little in the way of payment. And have no basic worker’s rights.

Better to buy items that have been made as near as possible to where you live in order to reduce the carbon footprint however some argue that no matter how poor the wages of those who are certainly being taken advantage of, if they no longer have any work, then their plight could get even worse.