Facing the truth
The fashion world is a very contradicting one. While one of its main goals is to make us feel beautiful in the clothes we purchase, it has a very ugly and problematic side that we do not get to see often enough. The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world, right after the oil industry. Trends and the industry itself are always changing which leaves us consumers feeling like we need to buy new items every couple of weeks. This results in many different environmental problems that need to be addressed. But what do some of the statistics of these issues look like?
Water ConsumptionThe fashion industry uses around 1.5 trillion liters of water each year. It is mainly used to dye fabrics and to grow resources. The production and cultivation of cotton requires a particularly large amount of water which has far-reaching consequences for humanity and the environment because it can lead to desertification and drinking water shortage. According to the UN, a single pair of jeans for example requires a kilogram of cotton which needs between 7,500-10,000 liters of water. What can you do about it?
Water Pollution500 000 tons of microplastic end up in the ocean each year which is equal to 50 billion water bottles. This happens because thousands of tiny microfibers are released into the water when you wash synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester which most of our clothes are made of. Through small organisms that are then eaten by larger fish, these plastic fibers are introduced into our food chain and our drinking water. What can you do about it?
Green House GasesDue to production, manufacturing and transportation, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. This partly due to the fact that every couple of weeks new trends and must-have items are introduced and new collections are released which encourages us to buy more and more clothing. What can you do about it?
Textile wasteThe average lifetime of a garment today is 3 years. Over the last years, clothing has become increasingly disposable. Most of us have probably been victims of the many new temporary trends and temptingly cheap prices of clothing in the past and have thus filled our wardrobes whit items that didn't really fit us or we didn't really like. In Europe alone, around 5.8 million tons of clothing are thrown away each year. Around 75% go directly to the landfill. Synthetic fibers play a particularly large role in textile waste. Since they are made of plastic, they can take up to 200 years to decompose. What can you do about it?
We still have a long way to go but there is hope!The statistics around the contribution of the fashion industry to the pollution of our environment are shocking and these are just some of the issues that the fast fashion sector creates. But awareness is the first step towards creating change. We at Miryam The Label are on a mission to create clothing in harmony with the environment and all living beings and we are proud to be contributing to a better future! We believe in „do good and good will come your way"! For more information on how we integrate sustainability, see our "Sustainability"-page.
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