Many of us know that fast fashion is harming the planet – we have previously written about the environmental impact of clothing manufacturing and the amount of plastics in clothing. But fast fashion also has a huge social cost, impacting the garment workers who manufacture our clothing and the communities that get left to clean up our discarded items. However, dealing with…
What’s going on here? The UK based department store John Lewis reports that sales of its craft and repair items are up by 61% compared to last year. An increase in environmentally conscious behaviour, as well as the cost of living crisis, are thought to be behind it. What does this mean? The John Lewis haberdashery section is a favourite among avid…
We’ve written before about ways to celebrate an eco-friendly Christmas – from green gift guides to how to choose a tree-mendous tree – and this year we’re sharing info and tips on how to stay stylish and sustainable during the holiday season.
Let’s take a curious dive into J.B. MacKinnon’s thought-provoking thought experiment to find out! Before we start, you might have some questions… Firstly, what is a thought experiment? A thought experiment is an exploration of a hypothetical situation, in this case: a world without shopping. What do we mean by shopping in this context? MacKinnon clarifies that by ‘shopping’ he is referring…
A couple of weeks ago saw the return of the annual Fashion Revolution campaign, designed to raise awareness of the environmental and social impacts of the fashion industry. One of the questions they are encouraging consumers to think about is ‘What’s in my clothes?’ and we’re here to take a curious look into that very topic…
What’s Going On Here? Changing Markets Foundation, a sustainability campaign group, just released their latest report into the fashion industry. The report, titled ‘Licence to Greenwash’, found that the industry’s biggest and most well known sustainability schemes “facilitate greenwashing”. What Does This Mean? Ten schemes were analysed including well known ones such as WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), bluesign, EU Ecolabel…
What’s Going On Here? The hyper-consumerist behaviour encouraged by events such as Black Friday is detrimental for the environment. However, increasing awareness around climate change is one of the reasons 2021 saw the biggest independent Black Friday boycott in history. What Does This Mean? According to the British Independent Retailers Association, 85% of independent businesses boycotted Black Friday: the highest number that…
I’m starting to feel my age. Hipster businesses are emerging with ‘innovative’ solutions to steer us towards more environmentally friendly everyday products. But, like a 90s boy-band revival, it would seem that there’s nothing new here! Now, don’t get me wrong – I don’t doubt that it’s the vigour of today’s vicennials that can lynchpin our ecological hopes with action. Indeed, their…
There are currently enough clothes on Earth to clothe 6 generations, yet we are consuming at least 400% more than we did just two decades ago. The fashion industry tells us to “shop til we drop”, bombarding us with constant new products and surrounding us with images that tell us if we just buy this new top or that new dress then…
