Brais Seara / Moment / Getty Images
By Amanda Abrams
By now, the word is out: Fashion, particularly "fast fashion," is killing our planet. Low-cost, cheaply made clothes that are designed to be worn briefly until styles change are terrible for the environment.
<p>Over the past decade and a half, consumers have been buying and discarding considerably more outfits. Between 2000 and 2014, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/style-thats-sustainable-a-new-fast-fashion-formula" target="_blank">global clothing production doubled</a>, with shoppers purchasing roughly 60 percent more garments; at the same time, the number of times a piece of clothing is worn before it's tossed out dropped by a third. The fashion industry is now solely responsible for 10 percent of the Earth's <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/putting-brakes-fast-fashion" target="_blank">carbon emissions</a> and 20 percent of its <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/putting-brakes-fast-fashion" target="_blank">wastewater</a>; it's the second largest polluter of water in the world. And in the end, very few of those clothes are recycled: most of them end up in <a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/A-New-Textiles-Economy_Full-Report_Updated_1-12-17.pdf" target="_blank">landfills</a>. </p>
<p>Those figures are downright dismal — especially for an industry that markets itself as being about positive feelings and fun.</p><p>But the numbers are no secret, and today a wide range of advocates and organizations are working to hold the industry accountable to improving its track record. Within the field, a few outlier brands have made massive changes in how they do business, and others are banding together in groups such as <a href="https://textileexchange.org/" target="_blank">Textile Exchange</a> and <a href="https://apparelcoalition.org/" target="_blank">Sustainable Apparel Coalition</a> to identify new operating models. </p>
<p>That means consumers have a growing opportunity to make educated decisions, sort the polluters from the companies that are trying to improve, and ultimately push the industry toward greater sustainability.</p><p>The $1.3 trillion apparel industry is complex, though, with inputs that start in the field and may well travel halfway around the world before hanging in your closets. What elements should buyers prioritize?</p><p>"It seems so overwhelming, but it's not as complicated as it seems," Elizabeth Cline said. She's the author of a popular <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Overdressed-Shockingly-High-Cheap-Fashion/dp/1591846544" target="_blank">book</a> about fast fashion and recently released <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Conscious-Closet-Revolutionary-Guide-Looking/dp/1524744301/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0/132-7762959-5803808?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1524744301&pd_rd_r=2a23954c-1770-4978-ab1c-72e59aeffdf3&pd_rd_w=1CmKF&pd_rd_wg=JaSRu&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=3FC9SNYWB4YBYF19KXFY&psc=1&refRID=3FC9SNYWB4YBYF19KXFY" target="_blank"><em>The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good</em></a>. If you're planning to buy a new piece of clothing, the place to start thinking about environmental impacts is the label, she says. After all, the largest portion of the clothing industry's environmental impact is in the manufacturing phase, not retailing or shipping.</p><p>Buyers who dutifully lug canvas bags to the grocery store and would never dream of sipping out of a single-use water bottle might be surprised to learn that <a href="https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/microfibres-plastic-in-our-clothes" target="_blank">more than 60 percent</a> of textiles today include synthetics made from fossil fuels. They're part plastic, that is. And because plastic is cheap and easy to manufacture, it's hard to avoid; even a T-shirt or a pair of jeans might have synthetic material mixed in.</p><p>But not all polyesters are the same. "If you're shopping for synthetic material, look for recycled content. It uses less energy, and no new sources," says Cline. In most cases, that means the fabric — or <a href="https://www.uniguide.com/recycled-shoes-brands/" target="_blank">shoes</a>, in some cases — started out as plastic bottles that were melted down and turned into new materials. Recycled nylon is another new option; Econyl comes from post-consumer waste and has become increasingly popular in clothing.</p><p>Most natural materials can't be recycled; the fibers tend to shorten with processing, so they have to be mixed with virgin material to be viable. But post-consumer cashmere — that is, sweaters made from discarded garments or leftover factory scraps that are then re-spun — has become a thing, purportedly saving grasslands in countries such as Mongolia and China from the ecological destruction caused by cashmere goats.</p>
<p>If you're shopping for cotton or wool clothes, look for a tag that says they were produced organically. That's key: Cotton is grown using huge amounts of pesticides, and wool often requires harsh scouring agents, bleaches, and dyes.</p><p>The makers of rayon, also known as viscose, have often billed the fabric as "natural," and indeed it does come from wood or bamboo. But the raw material may be sourced from old-growth forests, and it requires powerful, poisonous chemicals to be transformed into usable fibers. So when buying rayon, keep an eye out for garments labeled Tencel or lyocell (the former is the brand name; lyocell is the generic fabric); while their manufacture does require chemicals, they're safer than those used on regular rayon, and the wood used as a raw material is certified as sustainably sourced. </p><p>Another key component of sustainable shopping can happen in front of the computer. The apparel industry's supply chains are notoriously opaque; materials may move from the fields of one country to a spinning mill in another, a knitter in a third, and a manufacturer in perhaps a fourth nation. "Each step requires specialized equipment and significant investment," said Donna Worley of Textile Exchange. "It may take six or seven stops and six to eight months before a bale of cotton becomes a pair of socks," and the same is true for other fabrics.</p><p>In response, Cline said, get thee to Google. "Start looking for brands that are rethinking the way they manufacture clothing," she said. That means much more than just powering their headquarters with renewable energy; increasingly, it means radical transparency about the supply chain they're utilizing. Trailblazing companies like Everlane and Allbirds highlight all of the factories they work with on their websites, opening them up to further scrutiny.</p><p>Analysts say that younger shoppers tend to be far more concerned with how their clothes were made than preceding generations — and manufacturers are highly aware of it. That's consumer power, and an increasing number of brands are responding. Even companies such as H&M and Gucci have made significant efforts to reduce their environmental impact, though they're still in the minority. Online ranking tools like <a href="https://goodonyou.eco/" target="_blank">Good on You</a> can highlight various brands' efforts.</p><p>But some consumers are electing to abandon disposable fashion altogether and are taking advantage of new disruptive business models. Online secondhand retailers like Thredup and the RealReal are thriving, as is subscription fashion service Rent the Runway, which was valued at $1 billion earlier this year. </p><p>And then, of course, brick-and-mortar thrift shops are located in most towns and cities. Many are packed with inventory and humming with business, given the high turnover rate of clothing today. They, too, can be part of a sustainable fashion strategy. </p><p>But the first and most important step, says Deborah Drew, associate and social impact lead at the World Resources Institute's business center, is simply reducing one's consumption. Drew encourages people to not redo their wardrobes every few weeks. "Instead, they should buy more timeless pieces they can keep," she said. "Really try to be conscious about what they buy and what impact it has on the planet."</p><p>After all, Drew explained, "[while] improvements in technology are great, if we're still producing at such a volume, it's outweighing all the good of these new technologies and fibers. We're simply overwhelmed by the volume."</p>
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/shop-sustainable-shopping-20191129" target="_blank">YES! Magazine</a>.<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2641484083#/" target="_self"></a></em><em></em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Animals most targeted by the fur industry include minks, foxes and rabbits. Hal Trachtenberg / Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0
Macy's announced Monday that it will stop selling fur by 2021, The New York Times reported.
<p>The ban will apply both to its namesake stores and to its Bloomingdale's department stores, and will mean that Macy's 34 Fur Vaults and Bloomingdale's 22 Maximilian salons will close. The company made the announcement alongside the <a href="https://www.humanesociety.org/" target="_blank">Humane Society of the United States</a> (HSUS), which has been pressing it to drop fur for more than 10 years.</p><p>"We are proud to partner with the Humane Society of the United States in our commitment to ending the sale of fur," Macy's, Inc. CEO and Chairman Jeff Gennette said, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/oct/21/macys-ends-real-fur-sales?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1wJWso5ltmAK62_zhcdS0yq5GmzntmXIA1Cc6urhJQB-DNYAQxw37MjJw#Echobox=1571763771" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. "We remain committed to providing great fashion and value to our customers, and we will continue to offer high-quality and fashionable faux fur alternatives."</p>
<div id="43ae7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="NS6AVU1576661266"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1186383948991160323" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">BREAKING NEWS: @Macys and @Bloomingdales are going fur-free! In partnership with the HSUS, the retailers will also… https://t.co/Ts78MBaRMP</div> — The Humane Society of the United States (@The Humane Society of the United States)<a href="https://twitter.com/HumaneSociety/statuses/1186383948991160323">1571690950.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Macy's' decision builds on a growing shift away from fur in the fashion industry, The Guardian pointed out. Prada, Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Burberry have all stopped using it, and California became the first U.S. state to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-fur-ban-2640974298.html" target="_self">ban the sale and manufacture</a> of new fur items earlier this month. Fellow retailers CPenney and Sears have also already banned fur, but Macy's is the largest U.S. retailer to do so.<br></p><p>"It's just a changing tide," P.J. Smith, director of fashion policy at the Humane Society, told The New York Times. "Consumers care about <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/animal-welfare" target="_self">animal welfare</a> more and more, and the idea of luxury is changing, where it's more about who's the most socially responsible and the most innovative."</p><p>More than 100 million animals suffer and die because of the fur industry every year, according to HSUS figures reported by <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/macys-fur-macys-announces-it-will-stop-selling-fur-end-of-2020-fiscal-year/" target="_blank">CBS News</a>. The animals most targeted include minks, foxes and rabbits, Smith told The New York Times, and they are often killed by gassing or electrocution.</p><p>The ban doesn't mean that Macy's will stop selling all animal-based clothing, however. The chain will follow the guidelines of the <a href="https://www.furfreealliance.com/" target="_blank">Fur Free Alliance</a>, which allows the "use of fur that is a by-product of domestic farming to feed our society," CBS News reported. Therefore, ethically-sourced sheepskin and calf hair and cowhide will still be sold.</p>
<div id="3b593" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5QJAUC1576661266"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1186614362146050048" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Macy's quits #fur! "Our customer is migrating away from #naturalfur and we are aligning with this trend. With the r… https://t.co/GIV9Iq7HLv</div> — Fur Free Alliance (@Fur Free Alliance)<a href="https://twitter.com/FurFreeAlliance/statuses/1186614362146050048">1571745884.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Macy's said it was partly following its customers in making the decision, arguing <a href="https://www.macysinc.com/sustainability/fur-policy" target="_blank">on its website</a> that they were "migrating away from natural fur and we are aligning with this trend."</p><p>Technological changes also made the decision easier.</p><p>"With the rise of new fabric technology, alternatives like faux fur and other fabric innovations make this a seamless transition for our customers," Macy's said.</p><p>However, some have expressed concern in recent years that faux fur isn't exactly an environmentally-friendly alternative to the real thing. That's because it is made of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastic</a>, and sheds microfibers.</p><p>"It's going to put more small, tiny fibers into the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans" target="_self">ocean</a>," Jeffrey Silberman, chairperson of the textile development and marketing department at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/faux-fur-vs-real-fur_us_5bc0b3c3e4b0bd9ed5599f76?ri18n=true&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANsTq2vLbLSwp_LPhA7jiozlur-e5_tp_O1fUtvnVT8H2Arh4f1vK9K5ypfpp3YuClgNfTKMBeBXeLxfimiQAnb2QSj5j9SgvjWkE0nggychcV9TxOjBk7AWJOOwzPs-5rBES6IB2YKaPYu7AG4ssRo0HhgXlYFdoQLpeXFutHXC" target="_blank">told HuffPost</a>.</p>
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Workers sew jeans in a makeshift shed that serves as a workshop in Xintang, Zengcheng. Lu Guang / Greenpeace
By Courtney Lindwall
Question: I've heard that producing denim is particularly bad for the environment. Do I need to give up my blue jeans?
<p>Answer: Throwaway plastics and gas-guzzling cars are the typical consumer no-nos, but clothing also has oversize impacts on the planet and our health. And it's true — denim is one of the worst offenders.</p>
<p>Let's start with the fabric. Denim is made primarily with cotton, though it's now often blended with synthetic fibers like polyester. And though all fibers <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/CBD-Fiber-Selection-FS.pdf" target="_blank">have their trade-offs</a>, "cotton in general is a very thirsty crop," said <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/tatiana-schlossberg" target="_blank">Tatiana Schlossberg</a>, a former environmental reporter at the New York Times and the author of <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/tatiana-schlossberg/inconspicuous-consumption/9781538747094/" target="_blank"><em>Inconspicuous Consumption</em></a>, a new book on the hidden environmental impact of our spending habits. Very thirsty, indeed: Producing just 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cotton can require up to 7,660 gallons of water, depending on where it's grown. (In comparison, producing 2.2 <a href="https://www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/global-food---waste-not-want-not.pdf?sfvrsn=0" target="_blank">pounds of tomatoes</a> requires one one-hundredth of that amount, 76 gallons.) A cotton crop consumes a lot of chemicals too: <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/CBD_FiberFacts_Cotton.pdf" target="_blank">16 percent of all insecticides</a> are used on the plant, and many of them pose significant health risks for farm workers and nearby residents.</p><p>Nowhere have the impacts from this process been more evident than in <a href="https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/6283-The-denim-capital-of-the-world-so-polluted-you-can-t-give-the-houses-away" target="_blank">Xintang, a town in </a><a href="https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/6283-The-denim-capital-of-the-world-so-polluted-you-can-t-give-the-houses-away" target="_blank">southern </a><a href="https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/6283-The-denim-capital-of-the-world-so-polluted-you-can-t-give-the-houses-away" target="_blank">China</a>. The denim capital of the world, it produces one in every three pairs of jeans sold. Because of limited regulatory oversight, by 2013 Xintang's rivers ran a deep blue and smelled foul, a result of manufacturers dumping chemical-laden wastewater directly into local waterways. Unsafe amounts of toxic metals like mercury, lead and copper have been found in the water, which residents rely on for drinking and bathing. Workers and residents have <a href="https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/6283-The-denim-capital-of-the-world-so-polluted-you-can-t-give-the-houses-away" target="_blank">reported rashes</a>, lesions, and, some locals believe, infertility. Denim also goes through a particularly energy — and water-intensive — and destructive — dyeing and finishing process, beginning with what gives the fabric its signature indigo color (originally a plant-based dye, but today largely replaced with a synthetic version). After dyeing, fabrics are repeatedly treated and washed with a variety of chemicals, like bleach, to soften, fade or texturize the fabric. Most of our favorite shades and styles — acid-washed, distressed, light-washed — require additional treatments and chemicals. All in all, producing a single pair of jeans requires an immense amount of water and energy and creates significant pollution.</p><p>"These clothes are cheap in the store because nobody's paying for this waste," Schlossberg said, adding that communities on the other side of the world will be footing that bill for generations.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMTA3MTEyMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5OTE1NDU1M30.kxwF935LZuB-xMVzPTYnDQln1zQm_UhnQzzzu1IU34I/img.jpg?width=980" id="3c33e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bcf6a87fb3e6d0fae2affed3995037a1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Top, from left: Every morning, workers at a Xintang denim-washing factory must search through wastewater to scoop out stones that are washed with the fabric in industrial washing machines to make stonewash denim; wastewater discharged from a denim-washing factory in Xintang. Bottom: A Greenpeace campaigner takes a water sample from a polluted river near Dadun Village, Xintang, where the economy is centered around textile production. Greenpeace has found high levels of industrial pollution and has documented the effects on the community.
Lu Guang / Greenpeace
<p>But the industry is transforming, however slowly. When the dangerous situation in Xintang came to light several years ago, China's central government ordered the local government to tackle <a href="http://www.mee.gov.cn/xxgk/hjyw/201812/t20181220_685358.shtml" target="_blank">the pollution issue</a>. In response, between 2016 and 2018, 76 facilities, including 68 dyeing, printing and laundry mills, were shut down. According to Sina Finance, these shutdowns have caused more than <a href="http://www.mee.gov.cn/xxgk/hjyw/201812/t20181220_685358.shtml" target="_blank">1 billion U.S. dollars' worth of local economic loss</a>. But there are now encouraging signs: Some companies are rolling out <a href="http://store.levi.com/waterless/index.html" target="_blank">new production techniques</a> that significantly reduce water usage, and other brands are <a href="https://www.everlane.com/denim-factory" target="_blank">pursuing sustainability</a> by powering their factories with renewable energy and recycling water.</p><p>Although some denim manufacturers are making smarter choices, most international corporations get away with disclosing little information about their production processes. "People need to demand that companies make their practices available. Because the information isn't there in the first place, people don't know what to ask," Schlossberg said.</p><p>Yiliqi, a scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), is working to do just that. She said <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/fixing-fashion-industry" target="_blank">improving the clothing industry</a> will require oversight, transparency and accountability. NRDC has worked with the <a href="http://wwwen.ipe.org.cn/" target="_blank">Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs</a> in China, for example, to <a href="http://wwwen.ipe.org.cn/MapBrand/Brand.html?q=6" target="_blank">map</a> and <a href="http://wwwen.ipe.org.cn/GreenSupplyChain/CITI.html" target="_blank">rank</a> multinational corporations on their supply chain performance. Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/resources/clean-design-2018-mill-overview" target="_blank">Clean by Design</a> program that NRDC created more than a decade ago provides a tool for brands to cut water, energy and chemical consumption as well as wastewater discharge from their supply chains. (Last year the program was transferred to the <a href="https://www.apparelimpactinstitute.org/" target="_blank">Apparel Impact Institute</a>, a collaboration of industry stakeholders working to scale up the initiative.) The Sustainable Apparel Coalition has <a href="https://apparelcoalition.org/the-higg-index/" target="_blank">developed indices for measuring</a> a products' environmental impact. And various sustainability certifications, including <a href="https://bettercotton.org/" target="_blank">BCI (Better Cotton Initiative)</a>, <a href="https://www.bluesign.com/en" target="_blank">Bluesign</a>, <a href="https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/" target="_blank">OEKO-TEX</a> and <a href="https://www.global-standard.org/" target="_blank">GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)</a>, among others, can be used as branding and put on clothing labels, creating further incentives for companies to improve.</p><p>For individuals, Yiliqi said, "the fastest way to make an impact is to ask their brands to do better." It's also important to investigate the work a company is doing to reduce its impact before you buy its products. And if you're looking to change some of your shopping habits, here are some tips:</p><ul> <li>Avoid overconsumption. Wear the denim you have as long as possible and forgo "fast fashion," which is a term for cheaply made, trendy clothing manufactured to last only a season or two.</li></ul><ul> <li>Take existing jeans in for mending when needed, rather than tossing them out altogether.</li></ul><ul> <li>Shop at thrift stores, which extends the life and reduces the carbon footprint of each pair of jeans, or swap with friends.</li></ul><ul><li>When you do buy new, opt for durable items that will last years instead of months.</li></ul><p>We don't have to forgo this American classic — it just needs a makeover.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Geneva Vanderzeil, A Pair & A Spare / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Is your closet filled with clothes you don't wear (and probably don't like anymore)? Are you buying cheap and trendy clothing you only wear once or twice? What's up with all the excess? Shifting to a more Earth-conscious wardrobe can help simplify your life, as well as curb fast fashion's toll on people and the planet.
<p>The fashion industry <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/earth-day-2019-fashion-industrys-carbon-impact-is-bigger-than-airline-industrys/">produces more</a> greenhouse gas emissions per year than all international airline flights and maritime shipping trips combined. According to the documentary <em><a href="https://truecostmovie.com/learn-more/environmental-impact/" target="_blank">The True Cost</a></em>, "Globally, we now consume about <a href="http://truecostmovie.com/learn-more/environmental-impact/" target="_blank">80 billion</a> new pieces of clothing every year — 400% more than we were consuming just two decades ago."</p><p>If you're looking for ways to transition out of the dirty cycle of fast fashion, check out the following five tips. </p>
<p><em>Irma is the associate editor <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/about-ecowatch-1886104674.html" target="_blank">at EcoWatch</a>. She graduated from Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism in Athens, Ohio.</em></p>
1. Shop Ethical and Eco-Friendly Brands
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTQxMjAyMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTIzMzc4NH0.Ar8HlW72hUK9gq-Lp0_ycvWuA1xKN0yDAllsuJrV3HI/img.jpg?width=980" id="93683" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6c8b174eafd25e714930a500e8ff5286" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Thomas Barwick / Stone / Getty Images
<p>When buying new clothing, ask yourself, "Is this brand sustainable or not?" Consider what brands you have been supporting up to this point.</p><p>Getting educated on which brands to support is an important step in curbing fast fashion. To find out if your go-to brand is eco-friendly, check out <a href="https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com" target="_blank">Conscious Life & Style blog</a>, which has a list of more than 200 ethically driven brands.</p>2. Take a Minimalist Approach to Your Wardrobe
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTQxMDExNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTI0Mzk1M30.lYZGxQAAeSI8QS-3pn0kvXeIUBl1eLnBG8sDb165P9E/img.jpg?width=980" id="b7942" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f7fcb8703b357880123a4569e1a2d6d0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Svetlana Khokhlova / EyeEm / Getty Images
<p>By 2050 the fashion industry is set to consume a quarter of the world's carbon budget. Consumer overconsumption is harming the planet. A <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/style-thats-sustainable-a-new-fast-fashion-formula" target="_blank">2016 McKinsey report</a> found that three-fifths of all the clothes produced gets disposed within a year of being produced. </p><p>Transitioning to a wardrobe that reflects quality pieces that last a long time, instead of cheap trendy pieces, can help make getting ready in the morning easier and is less of a strain on the planet. A quality over quantity attitude can lead to a more sustainable wardrobe over time.</p><p>The YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCES8U3Hy6VUxU0kwKBdxSWQ/featured" target="_blank">Heal Your Living</a> by Youheum is inspiring people to live a more minimalist lifestyle. Check out her video below and see how Youheum, a former shopaholic, manages to own just 15 pieces of clothing and two pairs of shoes.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="33feae1630cf2067d568b44f3ea90e4e"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1p7QCPcLcmE?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Are you looking for more tips? Check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theminimalistwardrobe/" target="_blank">@theminimalistwardrobe</a> on Instagram. With nearly 200,000 followers The Minimalist Wardrobe is contributing to the growing minimalist movement. </p>
3 - 4. Mend and Repurpose Your Clothing
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTQxMDA5My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNTE0MTQxM30.JPt-zqIXMsVOot_4iZdMNxqkRFSxA8LdhBmxOUL7YIY/img.jpg?width=980" id="5e236" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cb08d1749a766a17073cfbed33f661b8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Pedro Venâncio / EyeEm / Getty Images
<p>Before you spend, make sure you mend. Mending clothes is a great option, and you'll avoid wasting your time shopping. </p><p>If you don't know how to patch up your clothing, support a local tailor instead.<br></p><p>You can also get creative with your clothing. For a simple start, change a pair of old jeans into new summer shorts and add your favorite patch for a fresh look. Upcycling clothing can be a fun way to maintain a sustainable wardrobe.</p><p>Check out these Instagram accounts for more upcycle inspiration!</p><div id="037d9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="URX7S41576663869"><blockquote class="instagram-media"
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<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BveyFCLFosg/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Lily Fulop on Instagram: “In loooove with this upcycled jumpsuit from @neothreadco ! It's the best of both worlds: reusing fabric scraps for the appliqué, and…”</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div>
<div id="bdd51" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="M7GOOD1576663869"><blockquote class="instagram-media"
data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvkb3myHGvj/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Trish Stitched on Instagram: “The ups & downs of a sewing project can be so intense. One minute you think it’s going great and the next you have to walk away because it…”</a></p>
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5. Host or Attend a Clothing Swap
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTQxMjA0MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNzU0OTQ5OH0.vjj4FIH3zM1LB88ajCURsQN_ziU6kaSwH373_qxUnHw/img.jpg?width=980" id="cea25" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="36508d17d68ea29eed826c5c541c13e5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />AleksandarNakic / E+ / Getty Images
<p>One person's trash is another person's treasure. Attending a clothing swap or taking the step to host one is a smart (and fun) way to recycle clothing and get a new wardrobe fast. </p><p>Want to host a clothing swap? Here's how to host the <a href="https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-host-the-ultimate-clothes-swap" target="_blank">ultimate clothing swap</a>. </p>From Your Site Articles
- The Environmental and Human Cost of Making a Pair of Jeans ... ›
- Can Fast Fashion Be Sustainable? - EcoWatch ›
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Laura Harrier attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball at the Hollywood & Highland Center. ROBYN BECK / AFP / Getty Images
There were plenty of fabulous looks on the Red Carpet for the 91st Academy Awards Sunday night, but two in particular stood out for their sustainability.
Actresses Laura Harrier and Danielle Macdonald served as this year's ambassadors for the Red Carpet Green Dress (RCGD) campaign, which works to promote ethical, eco-friendly fashion at the Oscars and celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
<p>Harrier, who starred in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman, wore a Louis Vuitton gown made with TARONI SPA blue crepe silk certified by the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS). It was also hand embroidered with glass beads, Swarovski crystals and sequins by Vermont Paris according to the harm-free textile standards set by the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® label, <a href="https://www.redcarpetgreendress.com/2019/02/24/blackkklansmans-laura-harrier-wows-bespoke-ethical-louis-vuitton-gown-91st-academy-awards-representing-suzy-amis-camerons-red-carpet-green-dress-initiative/" target="_blank">RCGD reported</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="15ba6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="KGBXGV1576664041"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1099816256256069632" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">She has arrived! BlacKkKlansman lead actress, @LauraHarrier, has wowed the crowd as she arrived at the 91st Academy… https://t.co/rmD9Oa0fHS</div> — RedCarpetGreenDress (@RedCarpetGreenDress)<a href="https://twitter.com/RedCarpetGreenD/statuses/1099816256256069632">1551051603.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>"I am so incredibly honored to be attending with Red Carpet Green Dress," Harrier <a href="https://www.wmagazine.com/story/oscars-2019-laura-harrier-louis-vuitton-behind-the-scenes" target="_blank">told W</a> in an interview. "The gown is made of blue crepe silk developed with efforts to eliminate all global hazardous chemical use. The handmade embroidery required more than 450 hours of work: glass beads, crystal shards, and sequins were specifically chosen to meet human-ecological requirements."<br></p><p>Macdonald, her fellow ambassador, who acted in the Oscar-nominated short film Skin and is also famous for Bird Box and Dumplin', wore a red Christian Siriano gown dyed with vegetable dye, <a href="https://www.redcarpetgreendress.com/2019/02/24/danielle-macdonald-stuns-sustainable-christian-siriano-gown-91st-academy-awards-part-suzy-amis-camerons-red-carpet-green-dress-2019-initiative/" target="_blank">RCGD said</a>. The sleeves were made with recycled tulle. </p><p>"I've had some incredible red carpet moments in my career but I'm particularly excited about this design as it has the potential to change the world," Siriano said in the RCGD press release. "I want to show people that eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable fashion can also be beautiful."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="4873f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1C9U6J1576664041"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1099861568270073856" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">“I’ve had some incredible red carpet moments in my career but I’m particularly excited about this design as it has… https://t.co/lMg1bN73u1</div> — RedCarpetGreenDress (@RedCarpetGreenDress)<a href="https://twitter.com/RedCarpetGreenD/statuses/1099861568270073856">1551062406.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Macdonald also expressed her excitement to wear the dress.<br></p><p>"I think it's a really incredible thing, we need to pay more attention to our environment, and this is another way we can do it. Sustainable fashion is something we need to think about, because the amount of clothes that get thrown out is crazy," Macdonald said at a pre-Oscar party hosted by RCGD, according to The Hollywood Reporter.</p><p>Indeed, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, rubber, leather and textiles <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-11/documents/2014_smmfactsheet_508.pdf" target="_blank">made up</a> more than nine percent of municipal solid waste in 2014, for a total of about 23.27 million tons. </p><p>RCGD was founded in 2009 by Suzy Amis Cameron, who was inspired to start the initiative during the press tour for her husband James Cameron's film Avatar.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="a2191" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="H6V9S11576664042"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1099890495826903040" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Thank you to our Founder, @suzymusing, who makes all this possible!
“Over the past few years, #RCGD has become an i… https://t.co/V8oIRZ9odV</div> — RedCarpetGreenDress (@RedCarpetGreenDress)<a href="https://twitter.com/RedCarpetGreenD/statuses/1099890495826903040">1551069303.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>"To qualify as a RCGD eco-conscious garment, each piece must either be made from sustainable materials, including organic, recycled or repurposed fibers. Other features include using hand-made detailing or incorporating natural dye processing, with a dedicated focus on minimal negative impact on the environment, and environmentally and socially responsible design," RCGD explains.<br></p><p>In previous years, RCGD has worked with designers like Vivienne Westwood, Armani and Reformation and stars including Naomie Harris, Emma Roberts, Kellan Lutz and Lakeith Stanfield, according to The Hollywood Reporter.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="945a7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="SPU4R91576664042"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1044247893346078720" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">#Milan Fashion Week Closes with ‘Oscars of #Sustainable Fashion’ #MilanFashionWeek https://t.co/VdAhbiaj2I</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1044247893346078720">1537803073.0</a></blockquote></div>
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It's Thanksgiving week, so you know what's coming after that last slice of pumpkin pie: Black Friday.
The annual occasion—as well as its digital cousin Cyber Monday—sets off the country's mad dash of holiday shopping. And let's face it, some of the deals can be pretty enticing.
<p>
But in recent years, there has been growing backlash against this retail frenzy. Outdoor gear company REI famously closed down all of its stores on Black Friday in 2015 to give its 12,000 employees a well-deserved paid day off. In 2016, fellow outdoor brand Patagonia <a href="https://www.patagonia.com/blog/2016/11/record-breaking-black-friday-sales-to-benefit-the-planet/" target="_blank">donated</a> its entire $10 million in Black Friday sales to grassroots environmental organizations.
</p><p>
With the emergence of Buy Nothing Day, Small Business Saturday, <a href="https://www.shopforgoodsunday.com/" target="_blank">Shop for Good Sunday</a>, Giving Tuesday and the newly launched <a href="https://www.makesmthng.org/" target="_blank">Make SMTHNG Week</a>, more people are starting to counter rampant consumerism or put their dollars towards a good cause.
</p><p>
"We are already drowning in stuff—stuffed wardrobes, garages, and kitchens—yet we keep on shopping for more fashion, gadgets, food, single-use <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic">plastic</a>, toys, and cars," Robin Perkins, Make SMTHNG campaigner at <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/" target="_blank">Greenpeace</a>, <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/19443/black-friday-is-frying-the-planet-join-make-smthng-week-instead-greenpeace/" target="_blank">said</a> in a press release. "With our throwaway lifestyles we are fueling <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_blank">climate change</a>, pollution and the destruction of people's homes and irreplaceable natural wonders."
</p><p>
Greenpeace and its partners—<a href="http://www.fashionrevolution.org/" target="_blank">Fashion Revolution</a>, <a href="http://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/" target="_blank">#BreakFreeFromPlastic</a>, <a href="http://www.shareable.net/" target="_blank">Shareable</a>, <a href="http://www.artsthread.com/" target="_blank">Arts Thread</a>, the Fab Labs Network and the <a href="https://fab.city/" target="_blank">Fab City Global Initiative</a>—will be holding more than <a href="https://www.makesmthng.org/#calendar" target="_blank">273 events in 38 countries</a> this November 23 – December 2 where participants will be asked to #BuyNothing and #MakeSmthng instead.
</p><p>
"By sharing, caring, and repairing things we can make more of what we already own and give our beautiful planet a break," Greenpeace's Perkins said about the event.
</p><p>
<span></span>Hundreds of designers and artisans will lead classes that teach you how to reuse, repair, upcycle and DIY. There will also be workshops on making sustainable gifts, cooking with zero-waste, living a plastic-free life, book and clothing swaps and more. <br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><p>That being said, there's really no shame in buying new stuff when we really need to. Giving and receiving gifts is a genuine display of love and companionship. However, there's a lot to be said about where and what we spend our dollars on.</p><p><span></span>The research firm eMarketer predicts this holiday shopping season will surpass the <a href="https://retail.emarketer.com/article/holiday-sales-cross-1-trillion-first-time/5be0a69db979f103dc7145a7" target="_blank">$1 trillion mark</a> for the first time.
</p><p>
<span></span>But "sixty percent of this online spending between Black Friday and Cyber Monday goes to only a dozen giant retailers, none of which are impact-focused," <a href="https://donegood.co/blog/shop-for-good-sunday" target="_blank">wrote</a> Cullen Schwarz, the founder of the Boston-based e-commerce site <a href="https://donegood.co/" target="_blank">DoneGood</a>.
</p><p>
"Imagine if even a fraction of these holiday shopping dollars were also used to reduce poverty, fight climate change, or make the world better. The impact would be enormous," he added.
</p><p>
That's why for the second year, DoneGood has launched its Shop for Good Sunday campaign for socially and environmentally conscious consumers. This year, 100 percent of the revenue <span style="background-color: initial;">generated</span> through the <span style="background-color: initial;">DoneGood</span> platform on Nov. 25 will be donated to <a href="https://www.rainn.org/" target="_blank">RAINN</a>—the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization.
</p><p>
Using the platform, you can find unique handmade accessories, clothing made from non-toxic, organic and/or recycled or upcycled materials, and products made with eco-friendly processes such as facilities powered with renewable energy. Partner brands have met standards such as Fair Trade, Global Organic Textile Standard, Rain Forest Alliance and other ethical certifications.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="3998e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2YVTAV1576662631"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1065257030523502593" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">.@StarfishProj is helping women in Asia escape trafficking by providing them with housing, counseling, and living w… https://t.co/ufQQMupcpY</div> — DoneGood (@DoneGood)<a href="https://twitter.com/donegoodteam/statuses/1065257030523502593">1542812042.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
DoneGood itself is a <a href="https://bcorporation.net/" target="_blank">Certified B Corp</a> and <a href="https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/" target="_blank">1% for the Planet</a> member which gives 1 percent of revenues to environmental non-profits.
</p><p>
"The brands participating in Shop for Good Sunday just make better gifts anyway. They're higher quality and more unique than the stuff from typical big box stores," Schwarz said in a press release emailed to EcoWatch. "If we can all get better gifts, save money, and make the world better, just by getting the holiday gifts we were going to buy anyway, why not?"
</p><p>
<span></span><em>Disclosure: EcoWatch is among the 125 nonprofits, media outlets and social impact brands that have partnered with the Shop for Good Sunday <em><em>campaign</em></em>. We earn no revenue from the <em><em>campaign</em></em>. </em>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="952f6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="VRTCL11576662631"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1065301466376794113" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">FACT: Americans spend nearly $1 trillion each year on holiday #shopping. This year let’s use our spending power to… https://t.co/GD8uz49VcW</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1065301466376794113">1542822636.0</a></blockquote></div>
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A Zoa T-shirt made by Modern Meadow the piece was commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Modern Meadow
By Lucy Goodchild van Hilten
A warehouse filled with huge gleaming silver vats hums around the clock, as billions of yeast cells work to make a material we can wear, sit on and carry around. In an adjoining room, rows of benches hold molds of different shapes and sizes, where sheets of cellulose layer up and become recognizable. In the next room, the material is finished and packaged, destined for designers, tailors and upholsterers.
<p>This is the scene of a biofabrication plant, producing leather without the animals. A futuristic ideal? Companies like <a href="https://tinyurl.com/8jx49ys" target="_blank">Modern Meadow</a> don't think so. As the firm's CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/atforgacs?lang=en" target="_blank">Andras Forgacs</a>, a biofabrication pioneer, said during his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gXq1ml6B1E" target="_blank">2013 TED talk</a>: "Perhaps biofabrication is a natural evolution of manufacturing for mankind. It's environmentally responsible, efficient and humane. It allows us to be creative: We can design new materials, new products and new facilities."</p><p>The company is gearing up to launch its first products in a year or so, after successfully <a href="https://tinyurl.com/y7b8fnl6" target="_blank">debuting a cultured leather T-shirt</a> last year. Modern Meadow's staff of 80 is working away at a production plant in Nutley, New Jersey, getting ready to revolutionize fashion and the materials industry—and change the way we think about animal products.</p><h3>A Painfully Prized Material</h3><p>According to a <a href="https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4959853/top-trends-in-prepared-foods-2017-exploring-trends-in-meat-fish-and-seafood-pasta-noodles-and-rice-prepared-meals-savory-deli-food-soup-and-meat-substitutes.html" target="_blank">2017 report</a>, veganism is on the rise—only 1 percent of Americans identified as vegans in 2014; that figure is now 6 percent. U.S. proportions are comparatively low; in India, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism_by_country" target="_blank">as many as 42 percent</a> of people are <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegan">vegan</a>. Moreover, New York-based consultancy group <a href="https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/0c5d00_90935d6fda344991a8fc2452eb112c83.pdf" target="_blank">Baum + Whiteman predict</a> that this year's trend will be plant-based diets going mainstream. You might expect this to mean a drop in the world's cattle population, but you'd be wrong—it has been <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/263979/global-cattle-population-since-1990/" target="_blank">increasing steadily since 2015</a> and now stands at more than 1 billion cows.</p><p>A number of factors could be contributing to this discrepancy, the leather industry being one: valued at $93.2 billion in 2016, the industry is <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/4395563/global-leather-goods-market-by-mode-of-sale" target="_blank">expected to grow</a> to $121.16 billion by 2022. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2008/01/should-vegetarians-wear-leather/2595/" target="_blank">Reasoning</a> that leather is a by-product of the meat industry (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/aug/27/ethicalfashion.leather" target="_blank">which it isn't</a>), people are often quicker to pull on a pair of leather boots than tuck into a burger. Yet a glance at the process behind leather manufacturing suggests that walking in those boots may be doing more harm than eating a meat-based diet.</p><p>Livestock, many of which are reared for their hide, produce an <a href="https://tinyurl.com/zonnqet" target="_blank">estimated 14.5 percent</a> of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The products aren't even used fully—as many as one-third of the hides produced are thought to end up in a landfill.</p><p>In addition to the environmental impact through greenhouse gas emissions and waste, it's the process of tanning that is perhaps most shocking. Considered one of the world's biggest pollution threats, the tanning of <a href="https://gizmodo.com/how-leather-is-slowly-killing-the-people-and-places-tha-1572678618" target="_blank">23 billion square feet</a> of leather a year directly affects an <a href="https://www.worstpolluted.org/projects_reports/display/88" target="_blank">estimated 1.8 million people</a> through chromium pollution.</p><p>Tanning preserves the leather and makes it durable, protecting it against the heat, cold and wet. It's essentially an accelerated mummification process, beginning with the removal of hair, fat and meat by physical scraping and using bleach and lime pastes. Then the leather is treated using a mixture of chromium salts and tanning liquor. It's the cocktail of chemicals used that has a toxic effect: in total, about 250 chemicals are needed to soak, treat and dye the leather.</p><p>The problem is that leather is usually processed in places with little environmental protection regulation, such as China, India and Bangladesh, so the chemicals are <a href="https://gizmodo.com/how-leather-is-slowly-killing-the-people-and-places-tha-1572678618" target="_blank">dumped into the environment</a>; on average, tanning one ton of hide produces <a href="https://gizmodo.com/how-leather-is-slowly-killing-the-people-and-places-tha-1572678618" target="_blank">20 to 80 cubic meters of toxic wastewater</a>.</p><p>It's not just the environment that's in danger: People working in the tanneries are exposed to dangerous concentrations of the tanning chemicals, and they're at risk of falls, drowning and injury by the heavy machinery. The chromium is the most dangerous chemical they handle, causing a whole host of problems, from skin ulcerations called "chrome holes" to respiratory disease and cancer. </p><h3>Brewing Leather Like Beer</h3><p>Modern Meadow's Andras Forgacs thinks there's another way, and he's bet his career—and <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/modern-meadow#section-funding-rounds" target="_blank">$53.5 million</a> of venture capital—on it.</p><p>"Animals are not just raw materials, they're living beings," he said in his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gXq1ml6B1E" target="_blank">TED talk</a>. "Already our livestock is one of the largest users of land, fresh water and one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases, which drive climate change. ... We need to move past just killing animals as a resource to something more civilized and evolved. Perhaps we are ready for something literally and figuratively more cultured."</p><p>"We should begin by reimagining leather." That's how Forgacs proposes to shake up the industry—by culturing leather without the need for animals at all. Leather is essentially a simple material—one Forgacs and his team at Modern Meadow have spent the last few years working out how to grow through a process called biofabrication.</p><p>It's not a new process; a decade ago, Forgacs <a href="https://organovo.com/about/history/" target="_blank">co-founded Organovo</a>, a company that pioneered a technique for printing human tissue for medical use. With biofabrication, it's possible to grow all sorts of tissues and organs, like windpipes, skin and blood vessels, to implant into patients. Their work garnered a lot of attention, and Forgacs was soon approached about the possibility of creating animal tissue, particularly leather. He accepted the challenge and co-founded Modern Meadow.</p><p>Technically speaking, growing leather is simpler than growing human tissue, as there's only one cell type to deal with. The secret is yeast: They alter the yeast DNA so the cells produce the protein collagen, the main constituent of leather. They ferment the yeast, much like in beer brewing, to grow billions of cells that produce collagen. Then they purify the collagen, which assembles into helices and fibers, forming the material's structures.</p><p>The resulting leather is then tanned using a process with a smaller environmental footprint: "We preserve the material and then treat it to achieve the required suppleness and finish. Less water, less energy, less chemicals." Modern Meadow's <a href="https://tinyurl.com/ycv44qth" target="_blank">proprietary process</a> reduces the time it usually takes to make leather—two years—to just two weeks.</p><h3>Are We Ready for the Alternative?</h3><p>Forgacs is excited, and rightly so: The process doesn't harm animals, it uses fewer chemicals and there's less waste. The leather can even be grown in the shape of a handbag or a shoe, helping manufacturers down the line to reduce their waste. They can also play with the properties of the material, making it thin and transparent or thicker and opaque, soft, breathable and patterned—or a combination of these in a single piece of leather.</p><p>"This type of leather can do what today's leather does, but with imagination, probably much more," said Forgacs. Indeed, as the company responded to me in an email, "Biofabrication is still in its early stages, but the potential of the technology is massive."</p><p>Modern Meadow's materials brand, Zoa, will soon hit the consumer market; its "reimagined" graphic T-shirt was a hit in a <a href="https://tinyurl.com/y7b8fnl6" target="_blank">fashion exhibit</a> at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Dave Williamson, the company's chief technology officer, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/09/modern-meadow-lab-grown-leather/540285/" target="_blank">told The Atlantic</a> that the T-shirt "will change the way you think about leather."</p><p>"Leather is a gateway material," said Forgacs—a way to jump-start the biofabrication industry. There are already other applications on the horizon. <a href="https://boltthreads.com/technology/microsilk/" target="_blank">Bolt Threads</a> is commercially producing engineered spider silk threads, with knit ties available to purchase. The company has also taken an alternative approach to leather: Its material <a href="https://boltthreads.com/technology/mylo/" target="_blank">Mylo</a> is made by fungal mycelium cells that self-assemble into a leather-like material.</p><p>Think of all the other animal products we could eliminate using biofabrication. <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yaopd586" target="_blank">Ceratotech</a> is "producing rhino horns without rhinos," for example. "If poachers and consumers are just after the horn, and we've been able to create human tissue using genetic and stem-cell engineering, why shouldn't we give this a try using rhinoceros stem cells?" <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acscentsci.7b00592" target="_blank">said founder Garrett Vygantas</a>.</p><p>Then, of course, there's the holy grail: meat. As a group of researchers from the National University of Singapore and Indian Institute of Technology in Hyderabad recently argued in a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40898-018-0005-1" target="_blank">paper in Biomanufacturing Reviews</a>, "Cultured meat or in vitro meat offers a safe and disease-free way forward to meet increasing meat requirement without involving animal sacrifices and at the same time, reducing greenhouse emissions, as compared to conventional meat." </p><p>But as genetic engineering and biofabrication techniques continue to get cheaper and more accessible, it will be the hesitancy of the market holding back the commercial viability of lab-cultured meat: People might be willing to wear something grown in a lab, but eating it is another story. Modern Meadow plans to release its first commercially-available product in 2020, and there's a lot riding on its success: Zoa will make or break the company, and it also stands to have a big impact on the way the market perceives biofabrication in general. </p><p>As Forgacs predicted, the success of cultured leather could open the door to a whole new world of lab-made products, ultimately reducing our reliance on livestock, the suffering of animals and the impact on the planet.</p><p><em>Lucy Goodchild van Hilten is a writing fellow for <a href="https://independentmediainstitute.org/earth-food-life/" target="_blank">Earth | Food | Life</a>, a project of the Independent Media Institute. She is a writer with an MSc degree in the History of Science, Medicine and Technology from Imperial College London. She has served as assistant editor of Microbiology Today and senior marketing communications manager for Life Sciences at Elsevier. She set up <a href="https://telllucy.com/" target="_blank">Tell Lucy</a> in 2014, with a mission to make the complex understandable. Lucy also runs <a href="https://bucketlistbookshop.com/" target="_blank">Bucket List Bookshop</a></em><em>—home of the world's best writing. Follow Lucy on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/lucygoodchild" target="_blank">@LucyGoodchild</a>.</em></p><p><em><em>This article was produced by <a href="https://independentmediainstitute.org/earth-food-life/" target="_blank">Earth | Food | Life</a>, a project of the Independent Media Institute.</em></em></p>
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Jean-Paul Gaultier talks to French model Cindy Bruna in his workshop in Paris on July 1. ALAIN JOCARD / AFP / Getty Images
Another top fashion designer has pledged to ditch animal fur.
During a live appearance on the French television channel Bonsoir!, Jean Paul Gaultier said will no longer use the material in his collections.
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It's a complete 180 for Gaultier. In his interview, the legendary designer admitted to using fur since he started working in fashion, but said he will stop because the way that animals are killed for their coats is "absolutely deplorable."
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</p><div id="57bdb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="PHN7HU1576683784"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1061334116002598912" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Info Bonsoir! @JPGaultier a décidé de renoncer aux cuirs et aux fourrures lors de ses prochains défilés. ⤵️ #BONSOIR https://t.co/kwgAtVIvUh</div> — Bonsoir ! (@Bonsoir !)<a href="https://twitter.com/bonsoir/statuses/1061334116002598912">1541876746.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Other luxury brands that have shed the material include Gucci, Versace, Burberry, Armani, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney, according to
<a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/a25000880/jean-paul-gaultier-fur-ban/" target="_blank">Harper's Bazaar</a>. American brand Coach announced just last month it was phasing out fur.
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Earlier this year, InStyle became the first major fashion magazine to ban fur from its pages.
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"The tide is turning towards fur-free alternatives in the fashion industry, and we're proud to be a part of it," editor in chief Laura Brown wrote on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BhG8L-kBe69/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.
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</p><div id="2cbe6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="NNWWI11576683784"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="982739927149547520" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Victory! ‘InStyle’ Is First Major Fashion Magazine to Ban Fur https://t.co/PCw3xV7VhW @BusinessGreen @Ethical_Corp</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/982739927149547520">1523138431.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Mimi Bekhechi, director of international program at <a href="https://www.peta.org/" target="_blank">PETA</a>, said "corks are popping" about Gaultier's decision. The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/animal-rights" target="_blank">animal rights</a> group had pressured the designer to stop using fur for years.
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"This decision is a sign of the times, as the vast majority of people want nothing to do with items that have come from animals who were caged and electrocuted or bludgeoned to death or caught in steel traps, many being left to die slowly from blood loss—which is the way coyotes are still being killed for the frivolous trim on Canada Goose's jackets," Bekhechi said in a
<a href="https://www.peta.org/blog/gaultier-finally-drops-fur/" target="_blank">press release</a>. "Fur today is as dead as the poor animals it was stolen from, and any designers not clued up enough to see that may as well hang up their sewing needles now."
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Brands that still use animal fur in their collections include Fendi, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs, according to
<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/jean-paul-gaultier-fur-ban-fashion-clothing-collections-peta-a8628646.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a>.
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<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">PETA Takes Over Jean-Paul Gaultier Boutique in Paris</small>
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Models are seen backstage ahead of the Chika Kisada show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 on Sept. 24. Tristan Fewings / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Milan Fashion Week closed on Sunday with the second annual "Green Carpet Fashion Awards" to promote sustainability in the fashion industry, Reuters reported.
<p>The event, promoted by Italy's fashion association <a href="https://www.cameramoda.it/en/associazione/cosa-e-la-cnmi/" target="_blank">CNMI</a> and the sustainability consultancy <a href="https://eco-age.com/" target="_blank">Eco-Age</a>, gathered celebrities like Julianne Moore, Colin Firth and Cate Blanchett with fashion icons like Cindy Crawford and Anna Wintour to award 13 statuettes made from ethically mined gold, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/sep/24/green-carpet-awards-sprinkle-stardust-on-milan-fashion-week" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. </p><p>"People called last year's Green Carpet awards the Oscars of sustainable fashion," Eco-Age founder Livia Firth said. "I hope that soon we will just be the Oscars of fashion."</p><p>Winners included model Elle Macpherson, who took home The Wellness Award, new this year to acknowledge the importance that human wellness plays in environmental sustainability, <a href="https://eco-age.com/news/green-carpet-fashion-award-winners-2018" target="_blank">Eco-Age reported</a>. </p><p>"Fashion can be very beautiful and lucrative, but to be here for a real purpose for me is important," Machpherson told Reuters. </p><p>Other winners included Donatella Versace, who took home The CNMI in Recognition for Sustainability Award for Versace's commitment to going fur free, as well as its designing of green retail spaces and attempts to create a people-centered company culture, Cameron Russell, who won The Changemaker Award for fighting back against harassment in modelling and Sinéad Burke, who won The Leader Award for "changing the fashion conversation for good," Eco-Age said.</p><p>Burke, who has dwarfism, campaigns to make fashion more inclusive. </p><p>"The influence of fashion shapes culture," she asked the audience, according to The Guardian. "What will you do with your privilege to make this space more accessible?"</p><p>The awards also honored sustainable production techniques. The Australian Woolmark farmers won The Eco Stewardship Award for their sustainable wool production. Frumat Leather won the Technology and Innovation Award for a leather made from apple waste that is "of such quality and appeal that it can displace animal leather," Eco-Age said.</p><p>The awards, however, came days after a New York Times story cast doubt on the ethical practices of Italian fashion, The Guardian reported. </p><p>The investigation, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/fashion/italy-luxury-shadow-economy.html" target="_blank">published Sept. 20</a>, reported how home workers in the region of Puglia, Italy were doing sewing for luxury garments without contracts or insurance, sometimes earning as little as a euro per hour. </p><p>CNMI President Carlo Capasa said he was "saddened and concerned" by the report, according to The Guardian, but that the problem was larger than Italy.</p><p>"Rather than 'this is Italy'," he said, "I would say 'this is the world'."</p><p>However, there was a recognition among participants and award winners that they were part of a powerful industry working to right its past wrongs. </p><p>Renzo Rosso, along with Diego Della Valle, won the CNMI in recognition for Community and Social Justice Award for reinvesting in communities, including those devastated by earthquakes, according to Eco-Age.</p><p>"People like all of us destroyed the world. But now, we are trying to make it better for our children," he said, according to The Guardian.</p>
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The Cora Ball can be dropped inside a washing machine to snag free-floating microfibers before they go down the drain. Rozalia Project
As Fashion Week kicks off in New York City Thursday, it's a good time to think about the impact that our clothing has on the environment.
<p>In recent years, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/microplastics-world-ocean-summit-2282357538.html" target="_self">increasing attention</a> has been paid to the problem of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/microplastics" target="_self">microplastics</a>, which enter <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/rivers" target="_self">rivers</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans" target="_self">oceans</a>, accumulate toxins and work their way up the marine food chain from small fish to us. </p><p>One important source of microplastic pollution are plastic microfibers that rub off of synthetic fabrics like polyester in the washing machine and are too small for water treatment plants to block, according to a helpful video explaining the problem from <a href="https://storyofstuff.org/" target="_blank">The Story of Stuff Project</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
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</p><p>There are about 1.4 million trillion of these fibers in the ocean so far, which is about 200 million per person, The Story of Stuff Project said.<br></p><p>While it has been raising awareness about the issue for the last five years, The Story of Stuff Project <a href="https://storyofstuff.org/blog/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-microfiber-pollution/" target="_blank">said</a> that the clothing industry overall has been dragging its feet to acknowledge the problem, let alone tackle it.</p><p>However, there have been some attempts by industry players to solve this problem from the sewing machine to the washing machine. </p><p>On the production end, most solutions are still in the research stage. Clothing manufacturers want to know which synthetic fabrics shed the most before they put money into mitigating the problem, and the jury is still out on that question, <a href="https://ensia.com/features/synthetic-microfibers/" target="_blank">Ensia reported</a> in an in-depth look at the issue in July.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.aatcc.org/" target="_blank">American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists</a> (AATCC) and <a href="https://www.astm.org/" target="_blank">ASTM International</a> are working with the <a href="https://europeanoutdoorgroup.com/" target="_blank">European Outdoor Group</a> (EOG) to determine how many fibers different blends release into washing machines. </p><p>"Is washing even the biggest leakage point? We don't know," chair of an AATCC microfiber working group Heather Shields told Ensia. "If you're wearing a backpack every day, how is that going to shed fibers from your fleece jacket?" </p><p>Other companies are moving forward on potential solutions. </p><p><a href="https://csr-report.vaude.com/gri-en/news/Initiative-against-micro-plastic.php" target="_blank">Textile Mission</a> unites outdoor brands Vaude, Adidas and Polartec with <a href="http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_offices/germany/" target="_blank">World Wildlife Fund Germany</a> in a quest to develop fabrics that would shed less and technologies that would catch more microfibers in waste water. </p><p>Other groups like <a href="http://mangomaterials.com/" target="_blank">Mango Materials</a> are working to develop cloth from biodegradable plastics. Mango Materials' comes from waste <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/methane" target="_self">methane</a>. </p><p>But experts warn that companies working out solutions should be careful not to cause new problems. </p><p>"There are some roads that we don't want to go down; for example, the idea of a chemical coating to prevent microfiber release could cause more problems than it solves if those chemicals are also bad for the environment and human health," The Story of Stuff Project warned, according to <a href="https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/natural-beauty-fashion/blogs/what-you-can-do-directly-impact-microfiber-pollution?utm_source=Our+Daily+Planet+Subscribers&utm_campaign=0c6a9446c3-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_09_01_12_46&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_15a39131a0-0c6a9446c3-62347101" target="_blank">Mother Nature Network</a>. </p><p>And <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/" target="_blank">Ocean Conservancy's Trash Free Seas</a> program director Nick Mallos told Ensia it was risky to look to different kinds of plastics for a solution, since it is hard to know how they would impact <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life" target="_blank">marine life</a>. </p><p>"When we think about solutions for the ocean, at present biodegradable bioplastics are not a solution," Mallos said.</p><p>Other large-scale options involve redesigning washing machines to better filter for microfibers, as <a href="https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">NOAA's Marine Debris Program</a> regional coordinator Caitlin Wessel recommended, according to Mother Nature Network. </p><p>"It would be really great if the washing machine companies would get on board and come up with a filter to trap these microfibers," Wessel said. </p><p>Some Japanese washing machine brands are doing this, according to Ensia, but U.S. manufacturers have been less proactive. </p><p>"[The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers] (AHAM} believes that this issue would be best managed early in the textile life-cycle," AHAM spokesperson Jill Notini told Ensia. </p><p>The Story of Stuff Project pointed out that there is an engineering problem in requiring all 89 million washing machines currently in use in the U.S. to be retrofitted with filters, according to Mother Nature Network. </p><p>But while big companies drag their feet or work out scalable solutions, there are things that everyday clothes wearers can do, Mother Nature Network suggested.</p><p>You can choose natural fabrics like cotton or silk as much as possible, you can wash synthetic clothes as rarely as possible, wearing cotton t-shirts under synthetic shirts or dresses, for example. </p><p>You can purchase innovative products that allow you to catch microfibers without remodeling your washing machine.</p><p>The <a href="http://guppyfriend.com/en/" target="_blank">Guppyfriend</a> is a bag you can wash your synthetic clothing in that will collect the fibers it sheds in its hems for you to dispose of properly afterwards. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/879498424/cora-ball-microfiber-catching-laundry-ball" target="_blank">Cora Ball</a> is a plastic ball you can throw in the wash that mimics the filtering ability of coral and collects microfibers before they go down the drain.</p>And of course, you can join with The Story of Stuff Project to <a href="http://action.storyofstuff.org/sign/stop_microfiber_plastic_pollution/" target="_blank">call on</a> the fashion industry directly to put more resources into stopping the problem at its source and developing clothing that doesn't shed.
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Eco-Friendly Sneaker Startup Fights Fast Fashion With 85 Percent Lower Carbon Footprint
14 June 2018
Business
Bendy shoes in different colors. The Bendy / Indiegogo
Update, September 10: The campaign for this project has switched from Indiegogo to Kickstarter and went live on September 6.
Two San Francisco fashionistas are working on an innovative shoe that is good for both your feet and your carbon footprint. The Bendy is a sneaker flat for women made ethically in the U.S. using less than one-sixth the carbon that it takes to produce the average sneaker, according to the product's media kit.
<p>Mary Sue Papale and Yvette Turner spent their careers in the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fashion">fashion</a> industry before kicking off on their own in 2011 to start <a href="http://www.ashburyskies.com/" target="_blank">Ashbury Skies</a>, a curated website for indie shoe designers. They are therefore well aware of the ecological and labor-rights violations rampant in what they call "<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fast-fashion">fast fashion</a>." The outsourcing of clothes manufacturing overseas in search of cheap labor has led to overproduction, unjust working conditions and enormous greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, a 2017 report found that the fashion industry emits more greenhouse gases each year than shipping and international flights combined, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/28/stella-mccartney-calls-for-overhaul-of-incredibly-wasteful-fashion-industry" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. With the Bendy, Papale and Turner are doing their part to nudge fashion down the footpath towards <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sustainability" target="_blank">sustainability</a>. </p><p>"It was clear to us that the planet did not need just another shoe. But what it did need was a shoe with a conscience. We will not BS you and tell you that these shoes have zero environmental impact—going barefoot is zero impact. Instead, we have a simple construction of great materials made by some very kind and talented folks in downtown LA. That allows for less transportation (low CO2) and fair wages paid to California workers, keeping it right in our backyard," Turner said. </p><p>While the average sneaker production emits 30 pounds of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of leaving a 100-watt light bulb switched on for a full week, the Bendy only emits 4.5 pounds. Turner and Papale broke it down further. While the average sneaker emits 15 pounds of carbon dioxide in manufacturing, nine pounds in material processing and six pounds in transport, the Bendy emits only 2.2 pounds in manufacturing, 1.45 pounds in materials processing and 0.9 pounds in transport.</p><p>It is also designed to hit the comfort and style sweet spot. It has a flexible bottom, a cushioned, sneaker-like footbed and a soft leather body. The shoes only use four materials: leather, thread, bottom and the footbed. They are hand-stitched to avoid the use of toxic glue and the leather is sourced from a responsible tanner in Italy. </p><p>The shoes are not yet available, but anyone who signs up for information via their <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-bendy-shoe-a-sneaker-flat-shoes-women/coming_soon" target="_blank">Indiegogo campaign</a> will be notified when the shoes are ready and will be eligible for early supporter discounts.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="ef11e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="JX754X1576662629"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="968872983317155840" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">New Report Promotes Need for Fashion Industry Action https://t.co/fQ5iflNes4 #Fashion #FastFashion @NRDC @Greenpeace @friends_earth</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/968872983317155840">1519832294.0</a></blockquote></div>
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