"Fashion is the second most environmentally damaging industry....

Piddles · 3 June 2019 at 4:23PM

....after coal and oil". That was according to Stacey Dooley Investigates Fashion's Dirty Secret on BBC2 last night (available on iPlayer of course).

Seemed a strong statement, but even so, I had no idea it was so bad. Rather relevant to this consumer related website I thought. Well worth a watch.

Particularly annoying was the collective corporate denial of the problem by the fashion retailers as there seems little chance of any legislative solution.

So, it seems it's down to us the consumers to put pressure on them.....

tori.k · 4 June 2019 at 9:15AM

If you haven't seen it the documentary THE TRUE COST, is a massive eyeopener into the whole industry.

lassfarfromhome · 11 June 2019 at 1:40PM

thanks for the recommendation of The True Cost, tori.k. I have added it to my netflix list.

piddles, I agree, the stonewalling Stacey got at that conference was quite depressing. I thought it was interesting that only the guy from Levi's was open to talking to her and genuinely seemed to understand that the fashion industry needs to address the issue. I guess that openess, insight and intelligence is why Levi's will be around a hundred years ago, and M&S, etc, won't.

Dozey_Dormouse88 · 19 July 2019 at 3:14PM

I work in a Geography and Environment department in a University, and several of our students have conducted research on this. I read their summaries at a 'poster display' event and some of the figures were absolutely shocking, I had no idea how big a problem it was! I am seriously thinking each time I consider buying clothes 'do I really need it?' and so far this year I have only bought two new items for myself. My main issue is the kids school uniforms, which they wreck entirely and it just ends up as rags (I cut down trousers for shorts, reuse fabric in small sewing projects where I can and make dusters etc) but I realise buying new school uniforms each year has a big environmental as well as ethical impact (many are made, in poor countries where working conditions and pay are not very good)
I'm not sure what the answer is to this one, other than encouraging the kids not to play such active games like football when at school. I've tried trousers with reinforced knees but to no avail.

Hexane · 19 July 2019 at 3:54PM

Dozey_Dormouse88 wrote: »

I'm not sure what the answer is to this one, other than encouraging the kids not to play such active games like football when at school. I've tried trousers with reinforced knees but to no avail.

Environmental savings at the cost of health benefits (active exercise) would be a false economy.
Maybe this is why in "the old days" (whenever that was), kids, or boys anyway, would be in short trousers until anything up to around age 14. (By which time they tend to fall rather less often). Bizarrely many schools now refuse to let them wear shorts due to uniform policy.

Piddles · 20 July 2019 at 5:49PM

Zara clothes to be made from 100% sustainable fabrics by 2025.

Progress, but from a very, very low base line. More brands are expected to follow.

Some commentators are crediting Greta Thunberg for the change, as their demographic is wising up.

....We have not come here to beg world leaders to care. You have ignored us in the past and you will ignore us again. We have run out of excuses and we are running out of time. We have come here to let you know that change is coming, whether you like it or not.

Others are saying that it is just greenwash as ignores the real issue, that is fast fashion.

In related news Ministers reject plans for 1p per garment levy to tackle fast fashion. There seems a huge disconnect between what they say and what they do.

michaels · 9 September 2020 at 8:54PM

Dozey_Dormouse88 said:

I work in a Geography and Environment department in a University, and several of our students have conducted research on this. I read their summaries at a 'poster display' event and some of the figures were absolutely shocking, I had no idea how big a problem it was! I am seriously thinking each time I consider buying clothes 'do I really need it?' and so far this year I have only bought two new items for myself. My main issue is the kids school uniforms, which they wreck entirely and it just ends up as rags (I cut down trousers for shorts, reuse fabric in small sewing projects where I can and make dusters etc) but I realise buying new school uniforms each year has a big environmental as well as ethical impact (many are made, in poor countries where working conditions and pay are not very good)
I'm not sure what the answer is to this one, other than encouraging the kids not to play such active games like football when at school. I've tried trousers with reinforced knees but to no avail.

I have much more problem with the clothes that are worn once and then sit in a cupboard till they go to landfill than school clothes that probably get 100 wears or more. (And are less likely to be made of man made fibres that simply end up as microplastic particles throughout the environment)

mydreamality · 10 November 2020 at 9:48PM

I am definitely going to check it out on the iPlayer. I have heard that said but I didn't know the details. Will deffo have a watch.

"Fashion is the second most environmentally damaging industry....

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free