Zero Waste and Clothing

I went to a talk given last night at a local parish by their Care for Our Common Home ministry.  I learned some shocking things.  Some of which I knew but had sort of forgotten.  In my area which is truly a 1% bubble with huge high end shopping malls and where 'retail therapy' is quite en vogue, fast fashion has taken over everything.  Here's some of what I learned last night:

• The fashion industry is the second largest polluter after the oil industry.
• We have a global wide glut in clothing.
• 70% of the world wears the developed world's cast offs.
• Many developing countries have stopped taking our second hand clothing though because there is already a glut, most of the fast fashion clothing is too junky even for recycling and it also hurts their own clothing industry.  A local merchant or manufacturer who wants to start their own clothing business can't because they can't compete against free clothes being given away by us.
• Synthetic clothing is polluting our waters big time!
• The clothing industry is also involved in bad labor practices including forced labor and dangerous conditions for mostly women and children.

What to do about it:

1)  Buy second hand clothes - I've been doing this for about a year now.  There is a great thrift store near us.  

2)  Buy natural fiber clothing - skip anything polyester - spandex is the worst and it is in all these yoga pants/leggings, athletic wear, etc.  

3)  If you are washing synthetic clothing either gently hand wash or wash in washing machine less frequently on the gentle cycle so you don't wear off the fibers so quickly.

4)  Patagonia brand has a 'Guppy bag' that helps with catching fibers in the washing machine.  This company which was a pioneer in the man-made fibers in active wear clothing that are now polluting the waters, apparently is trying to undo it's damage by coming up with something called a 'guppy bag'  This is questionable to me for several reasons.  1)  The bag itself is made of plastic!  2)  Patagonia doesn't seem to be pushing this bag much in countries that buy the most of its products 3) Patagonia is a well known supporter of abortion (which always irks the heck out of me).  So I haven't gotten the guppy bag yet.  I don't understand why I can't just use some other type of bag to wash these synthetic clothes in just as well.  I'll have to look further into this.

5)  If you have to buy something new and not second hand, research the company you are buying it from.   Buy from a company that has the best environmental and labor practices you can, at the price you can afford.  It is better to buy fewer clothes that are better made.   One speaker last night said she used the resource The Good Trade as her guide.  I just did a fair trade search for sock for Christmas.  As stocking stuffers I gave everyone organic cotton socks from Bombas.  I also just purchased a new nightgown (my pajamas are woefully tattered right now.  It's ridiculous!)  from a company called Sorella Organics.   However, somehow it didn't strike me that it was an Australian company.  So that was dumb.  And it's taking forever to get here too.  I'm in dire need!  I guess I could shop second hand. . .  I also recently bought an upcycled from water bottles, American made rain coat.  It was pricey but I am hoping it is the last raincoat I ever purchase!

6)  As for washing, apparently front loaders are easier on fabric than top loaders.  I've got a top loader so I can't change that anytime soon.  I do reduce the spin speed to medium.  Not sure if that does anything.

7)  One area I really need to improve upon is clothes drying.  I need to get a good drying rack.  Here's a selection.  I've heard that the winged design holds the most clothes.  I could fit it in my deep tub in my bathroom.  I use the tub hardly ever!  I could easily dry clothes in it.  Of course lots of people dry their clothes on lines outside, but R thinks this is too hillbilly or something for our area.  He's sort of nouveau riche about some things.  Anyway, with all the rain we get around here plus allergies plus our new puppy who would try to attack any fluttering clothes plus my laziness about such things, I don't think an outdoor line would work for us anyway.

Some good developments in the industry:

• People are looking for ways to recycle clothing.  Insulation and packaging materials are beginning to be made from recycled clothing.
• Some companies are starting new buy back programs, where they'll take your old clothes from you.  Eileen Fisher is a fashion brand that was touted last night as being more socially and environmentally conscientious.  
• the whole minimalist movement, the Marie Kondo movement, the zero waste movement, and ongoing environmentalist movements are all having an impact, slow but sure, on changing industry practices.  So we have to keep up the pressure.