Clothing the Environment

By Terri Chu

The beautiful colours on display during Fashion Week inspired me to add a few new pieces to my drab wardrobe. Sadly, fashion is so fickle that I have a hard time finding pieces that are meant to last more than a few months, and most won’t withstand more than several washes. I can’t help but wonder why, when we’ve made progress toward a healthier environment in so many industries, we as consumers aren’t demanding that fashion become more sustainable.

From my brief experience in the garment manufacturing business, I have witnessed many wasteful practices that made the engineer inside of me weep. Labour and resources are so inexpensive that garments are mass-produced without the care and quality given by traditional tailors. In a mass production environment, there is no time to inspect the material for flaws. The garment gets produced only to be thrown out further down the line during the inspection stage – after the energy required to cut, sew, and assemble it has already been expended. 

To put it into perspective, engineers estimate that the production of each T-shirt typically emits about 4kg of CO2, or roughly the emissions produced by driving 40km in a Smart Car. That’s without accounting for the wasted products that don’t make it to store shelves. If people tried to offset the carbon output of clothing purchases by driving less, many would have to give up driving altogether. Considering the carbon output it took to make that newly purchased dress, the number of dresses that were made and rejected during inspection, the amount of carbon required for shipping and packaging, people can drive a lot more kilometers than the average daily commute to equal the same carbon output.

Some people might argue that the fashion industry has done its share of environmental stewardship. I would argue that the industry has done more “greenwashing” than “greening.” Bamboo fibres, for example, were touted as “green,” mostly because of the sustainable growing practices of bamboo. The “eco-friendly” claims ignore the chemical process that it takes to transform hard, fibrous bamboo into silky, soft rayon. Lack of regulation over “eco-friendly” marketing has consumers confused, and in many cases deceived.

When thinking about reducing environmental impact, I generally think about turning off lights, flying less, and biking instead of driving. However, it is equally important to think about the things people buy that don’t actively emit carbon dioxide. Women are responsible for the lion’s share of clothing purchases. While their carbon footprint may be out of sight and out of mind, the manufacturing process does affect our environment. Demanding high quality clothing that withstands more washes, refusing to purchase disposable garments, and choosing pieces that will stay fashionable for longer will have dramatic, positive environmental effects.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle. There is no reason fashion choices should not reflect one of society’s most powerful maxims to live by.