In the last few days we have all been trying to keep hydrated among the scorching heatwaves and record temperatures set not just in the UK, but all over Europe too. It is apparent that the change of climate is showing it’s affects on our day to day lives through these extreme weather events. One of the biggest contributors to climate change has been the clothing industry. It is actually the second most polluting industry in the world.
As climate change shows more of its affects on our day to day lives through baking the country and causing fires across grasslands, fashion brands and clothing manufacturers are now vying to be more “sustainable” in their production to reduce their carbon footprint, by using less harmful chemicals and more organic materials.
Photo: Ecologie by AWDis.
What does sustainable actually mean? And how are organic materials different?
A sustainable clothing production means that the clothes are manufactured with methods that do not affect the environment. Traditional cotton and fabrics are farmed using harmful chemicals to the environment. Cotton traditionally has been referred to as the worlds “Dirtiest Crop”.
Organic materials such as organic cotton is farmed with 100% natural seeds, without pesticides or harmful chemicals to the environment. At Heritage we believe this is the direction where more innovation in the supply chain and production of clothing needs to be directed towards.
Photo: Honestly Made by Regatta
How The Sustainable Fashion Supply Chain Works
For a brand to be able to claim they have a sustainable fashion production, they have to live up to certain criteria regarding the use of material, working conditions, and impact on the environment.
Before the production, fabrics are chosen by a design team. The designers have to choose the fabrics that become the clothes you see in the shops, but the choice of material has to live up to certain standards. The material used in sustainable clothing productions shouldn’t affect the environment in a negative way. This means that the growth of textiles used in clothes such as cotton has to be organic.
The production should also be free of unnatural and harsh chemicals and materials that aren’t vegan such as leather and fur, as they are not sustainable either and contribute to harming animals. Instead, the designers and the production team have to be creative when choosing materials for sustainable collections of clothing.
Video: Bella + Canvas
Ethical Working Conditions
Sustainability is not only about protecting the earth, but also the people on it. An important part of sustainable fashion production is, therefore, the people producing the clothes.
Sustainable fashion brands and manufacturers want to end this reputation. Ethical fashion is about creating fair working conditions and giving the workers fair wages. But for a fashion production to be sustainable, working conditions also have to be taken into account. Both safety and hygiene need to be good and the workers treated fairly in all ways and paid a fair living wage.
Reducing Transportation
Sustainable fashion brands have to make transporting goods as little polluting as possible. It is important that the process of getting the clothes “home” is happening in a CO2 neutral way as possible. This has also led many brands and fashion companies to replace their production factories or parts of them closer to home in the UK or Europe because the emissions of CO2, therefore, will be lowered significantly.
How can I be more sustainable?
The choice of clothes you wear may seem like small decisions, but have a long term and big impact. We have strived to offer sustainable alternatives to your current clothing.
Over 25 of the brands we provide to customers have sustainable products available.
We recommend choosing sustainable clothing lines from leading brands such as Regatta’s Honestly Made and Craghoppers, which both provide recyclable garments with exceptional output of quality and comfort. The Ecologie Range by AWDis has established itself as a leading collection for completely 100% organic cotton, with a strong fashion approach.
Other brands we have collaborated with such as Westford Mill, Kariban, Adidas, Jack Wolfskin and Nike also have sustainable collection lines right here on our website for you to see. Sustainable Products range from fashion and sportswear, through to workwear and outdoor-wear.
It isn’t the clothing itself that will make a difference, but the people who wear them will. You’re choice matters to the future of the environment on Earth. Check out our dedicated Sustainable and Organic Collection to explore the latest clothing products available for a better future.
