Go Green with your Clothing, Part 1
by Ava De Luca
The world is a blaze with talk about going green, so I wanted to see how all this eco-friendly talk could impact the fashion industry. Well, I found that there is quite a bit to talk about, so I’m going to divide my thoughts into a few articles to cover everything. Going green or being eco-friendly are terms that relate to products and/ or lifestyles that are environmentally friendly. This can mean consuming less natural resources, using sustainable resources, using organic products, recycling, creating less waste, and much more. The more septs in the production process that are eco-friendly, the greener the end product. In the fashion world, there is a very basic way to be more green- just buy less stuff. If that’s not an option for you, then consider purchasing items from thrift stores, eBay or local garage sales. Essentially, this eliminates more junk going to landfills, because manufactures don’t have to make as much stuff. Pretty simple, really. Another good way is to Freecycle! A great way to get and give clothing locally. The average American throws away almost 70 pounds of textiles and clothing EACH YEAR! With a little change in behavior, you can really see the environmental impact this would have. Sure, these are great options, but most people like me love to shop, love shoes, clothes and purses. There is something about the thrill of the hunt and finally getting the perfect item for the perfect price. For people like me, there is still some hope, so do not fear! Team Treehugger gives us the following words of advice for building an eco-friendly wardrobe. Always shop with a plan! Act like adding a new item of clothing to your wardrobe is like adopting a new puppy. The cute little number has to have a place in your closet and you need to provide for it and give it a long and happy life with you. Avoiding the impulse buy may sound…well, just plain boring, but how exciting is a wardrobe full of stuff that doesn’t work? Over time, knowing what you want before you go shopping saves tons of time and eliminates a closet of useless clutter. So, get stuff that you know looks and feels great: What fits with your work attire? How will this go with everything else I’ve got? Will I want to wear this in two years? Or two weeks? If no, then skip it. Simple as that! Whatever you’ve chosen, take good care of it. Love your duds. When you get home from the office, change into something more comfortable and get out of your nice work clothes. Don’t work on your car or cook in clothes you want to be seen in in public. Sew a button when you have to. Don’t know how? Learn, or get the name of a local tailor and have them give your clothes a little TLC. Don’t go dry. Though the industry has improved much since 1992, there is still a high likelihood that your trusty corner cleaner uses perc (tetrachloroethylene), a known carcinogen. See if there is a local green cleaner employing wet cleaning or liquid CO2 techniques. Many articles whose tags ask for the dry clean treatment can actually be hand washed, especially silk, wool and linen. Buy used or vintage items. You know what they say about ones trash being anthers treasure. People unload clothes for all kinds of reasons, not just because the clothes are worn out. From Oscar-worthy vintage dresses to Freecycled denim, you can likely find the piece you’re looking for at a second hand shop. You can give those second hand garments a second life. You may be helping charitable causes at the same time. Wash well. Washing wreaks the most havoc of all. It requires lots of water and energy, so only do it when you absolutely need to and have a full laundry load. Turn articles inside out and use the lowest temp possible. If you know you glowed all over a piece, make a thin salt paste and soak the affected fabric for a half hour before washing. Choose phosphate-free and biodegradable detergents and line dry as much as possible. Treat stains quickly with nontoxic removers. If youre buying a new washing machine, look for one with an Energy Star label. When possible, wear organic! We often think that cotton is clean, natural and fresh, but most the time it’s not. It takes a third a pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to produce the cotton for just on cotton t-shirt! Luckily, organic cotton is getting easier a nd easier to get our hands on. Be careful, however, a T-shirt that may have started out as being organic is often processed with chemicals and metal-laden dyes. We need to stay vigilant for true organic clothing.
