Environmental degeneration has triggered an urgency among all the industry verticals to shift towards sustainable solutions. Fashion is one of the industries that has been leading this shift in the landscape from the forefront. Also, consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and looking for stylish products that are also environment-friendly. This can be observed by the increased demand for sustainable clothing brands in Australia. 

With nearly 50% of the consumers in the age bracket of 20 to 30 years supporting sustainable garments, youngsters are more enthusiastic about this new sense of fashion. However, as the awareness about environmental damage is increasing, more and more people from all age groups are encouraging sustainable fashion. Here are some factors that are the key drivers of this change and propels the consumers’ choice.

 

● It slashes down the amount of textile waste produced

Studies have shown that every second a truck of textile waste is either burnt or dumped in the landfills. Waste clothing is one of the biggest contributors to these waste heaps as brands were making cheaper clothes to increase sales that lacks longevity. In contrast to this, sustainable fashion focuses on producing clothes are can stay with the consumers for longer times. They use high-quality material and create timeless designs which reduce the waste of discarded clothes to a great extend.

Wildlife and other animals are an inevitable part of our ecosystem and essential to keep the planet habitable. For that reason, sustainable fashion makes conscious efforts to ensure that animals are not harmed in cloth designing. Manufacturers are creating clothes that make no or minimal use of leather, feathers, fur, wool, etc. Consumers also prefer brands that are cruelty-free and replace these materials with recyclable fibers and materials.

Another aspect of sustainable fashion is to ensure a safe, healthy, and encouraging working environment for textile workers. Many fast brands used to make their workers in harsh conditions with poor safety and low wages. They also used children as cheap labor. As the complaints about child labor and worker exploitation start surfacing, the trend has changed. Companies following sustainable fashion ensure the safety and happiness of their workers more than ever.

Water has been a massive ingredient in the production of garments. If experts are to be believed, a cotton shirt needs more than 2500 liters of water while a pair of jeans would nearly 7000 liters. Also, toxic chemicals from cloth mills are a primary cause of water pollution. As many brands are turning sustainable, they are limiting their water consumption and ensure proper disposal of chemical waste. Some also create a water budget to ensure that they do not go overboard with water usage.

Apart from chemicals, textile waste, and water pollution, the textile industry contributed to carbon emission in several ways. Many companies used materials such as nylon, polyester, etc that are petroleum-based and consume plenty of energy in the production process. The chemical treatment of these materials also results in large carbon footprints and negatively impacts the environment. However, sustainable fashion brands now use natural or recyclable material that requires no chemical treatment and can be processed with much lesser water and energy.