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…
What’s going on here? Clothing made by UK’s largest online fashion brands contain staggering amounts of virgin plastics despite their marketing campaigns flaunting environmentally-friendly clothing, according to new analysis. On average, 49% of the items listed on these popular websites were found to contain materials made from synthetic fibres. What does this mean? This research, carried out by The Royal Society for…
This week (19th – 25th April 2021) is Fashion Revolution Week, an annual event to raise awareness of the social and environmental issues associated with the fashion industry. Fashion Revolution was started as a response to the Rana Plaza tragedy in 2013, when 1,134 garment workers were killed in a factory collapse in Bangladesh. But has anything changed in the last 8…
What’s Going On Here? As the high streets reopen this week and Boris encourages us to ‘Get out and shop’, it feels an important time to remind ourselves how fast fashion and mass consumerism are exploiting people and the planet. What Does This Mean? Monday saw long queues outside many of the popular high street clothes shops. Whilst it’s nice to feel a…
What’s Going On Here? It’s Fashion Revolution Week and the campaign group behind it, Fashion Revolution, has published its fifth Fashion Transparency Index report which reviews 250 largest brands and retailers, scores and ranks them based on the information they tell us about their practices, social and environmental policies and importantly, their impact. What Does This Mean? Fashion Revolution Week encourages clothing brands…
What’s Going On Here? The single-use Christmas jumper is the festive season’s fast fashion flop.In the build up to Christmas Jumper Day (Dec 13th), Save the Children is urging us to think twice before buying a new Christmas jumper. What Does This Mean? Amid rising concerns over fast fashion and its impact on our planet, Save the Children is calling for us to reuse and upcycle…
What’s Going On Here? The fashion industry—clothes and shoes—accounts for more than 8% of the global climate impact. What Does This Mean? Following fashion trends can come at a big cost to the environment. A report into the fashion industry published by MPs earlier this year found that the textile industry creates 1.2bn tonnes of CO2 a year—more than international aviation and shipping combined—consumes lake-sized…
What’s Going On Here? A new wave of eco-fashion companies are now offering clothes that don’t need washing. From seaweed fibre T-shirts infused with peppermint oil to superfine wool that doesn’t trap sweat or moisture, these self-cleaning materials could be a gamechanger for addressing our society’s obsessive laundering habits. What Does This Mean? Yep, you heard right. Clothing brands such as Pangaia, Unbound Merino and Wool &…
