SCI-ART LAB

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Do you use your clothes just once or twice and throw them away?

Do you laugh at celebrities who repeat their clothes?

Do you buy clothes very frequently to follow the fashion trends?

If you do any of the above things, you are not helping the environment in any way. 

And scientists don't approve your behaviour at all!

Because researchers are encouraging buyers to reconsider flighty purchases and take a moment to better understand trending of "fast" fashion and its impact on the environment.

I already wrote on this sometime back:  materialists-and-spendthrifts-have-you-heard-about-ecological-and

A new study confirms earlier ones and my observations by finding that general consumers not only lacked an understanding of the issues, but were also averse or unable to change their buying habits to support more sustainable options.

The researchers say  governments and the fashion industry have an obligation to better educate consumers about the impact of fast fashion and provide alternative options and models.

Fast fashion is all about demand-driven clothing, where buyers snap up the newest fashion styles at the height of their popularity, only to discard them after a few wears.

But keeping up with the latest trends comes at a price. Every year,  each person on an average consumes more than 27kgs of textiles in rich countries, discarding 23 kg of this into landfill. That's an extraordinary 6,000kg every 10 minutes—or the equivalent of the weight of an African elephant.

But it's not only landfill, globally the fashion industry produces about 20% of the world's wastewater. This translates into 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton T-shirt—enough water for one person to drink for nearly two and a half years.

And when it comes to CO2 emissions, the fashion industry produces more emissions than the shipping and aviation industries combined. Such phenomenal waste is clearly unsustainable, so it's vital that the sector educates consumers about alternative options.

This could mean highlighting the value for money that comes with buying fewer, long-lasting garments, boosting the hire-clothing sector, using online influencers to educate, or looking to more accessible and online second-hand items.

Ultimately, we need a shift in consumer knowledge and attitudes.

Three tips to make positive changes to your wardrobe and protect the environment:

  1. Step off the "trend-mill"; spend some time considering your personal style so you aren't tempted by every influencer micro-trend.
  2. Shop your wardrobe! The most sustainable garment is the one you already have- wear it.
  3. Remember: loved clothes last. No matter where you shop from, treat your clothes with kindness so they last as long as possible.

So if you see me in the same clothes over and over again, congratulate me for protecting the environment.  

If you can't digest the fact that I sometimes become 'old fashioned', just close your eyes until I disappear from the scene. 

Because I am not 'fashion conscious' - only 'environment conscious'.

Being environment conscious is the new trend. 

Source:  University of South Australia

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