How To Dramatically Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

How much better would the world be if everyone focused on reducing their carbon footprint? Don’t worry about other people, what if we all focused on ourselves and our habits and lowered our carbon footprints? You don’t have to be an environmental expert to realize the world would be in a much better place. 

What can you do to reduce your carbon footprint and live a more eco-conscious life? It’s easy to believe that this is an outrageously difficult thing to do and you have to live off the grid on your own self sustaining farm. Realistically, it’s very simple, and you only need to follow a few steps:

Try to recycle as much as possible

Reusing things and recycling packaging is the easiest way to drastically lower your carbon footprint. When you buy something, check to see if the packaging can be recycled once you’ve used the product. You’ll be amazed at how many things can actually be recycled these days. Not only that, but there’s almost always a recyclable alternative to something that can’t be recycled. Even drums of fuel have an alternative in fuel in a box that has recyclable packaging. Minimize the amount of waste you produce, and you will minimize your negative impact on the environment. 

Use your car less

Stop using your car for every single journey you take. Walk places, get a bike and cycle, then keep your car for essential journeys. We’re talking long-distance journeys or instances where walking or cycling aren’t possible. Even if you don’t drive for one day a week, that adds up! Gradually decrease your driving time, and you lower the carbon emissions put into the atmosphere. It’s really not that hard - or you could trade in our current car for an electric one. Granted, this is a more dramatic change, but it will 100% be worth it in the long run.

Be more energy-conscious

Be honest, do you think about your energy usage? Do you ever look at your house and consider whether or not you’re wasting energy? Most of you probably don’t think about it, but you should. That’s not a criticism, it’s just a fact. We always leave appliances on or do little things that mean we use more energy than required. During the winter, if you close your windows and put on some thick clothing, you can afford to keep your heating off for longer or put it at a lower temperature. In the summer, you can open your windows wide to let fresh air in, negating the need for your air-con to be on. Make subtle changes to your energy habits - like turning lights off - and you will see an instant change. Start today, then check your energy bill next month. The difference between it and your previous bills will be staggering. 

In conclusion, reducing your carbon footprint is hardly a challenge. All you have to do is reduce waste and recycle more, cut down on your driving time, and be more energy-efficient. Three very simple changes that make you a greener person. 

Time to Take a Stand for Garment Workers!

Although we all rely on fast-fashion brands like H&M, Forever21, or Fashion Nova, we all might be forgetting how these brands manage to make all these garments and accessories for such affordable prices. These brands depend on large factories or “sweatshops” in order to keep racks filled in their hundreds of stores and online. In Bangladesh alone, there are over 4,800 garment factories whose workforce is predominantly women. Often these factories have terrible conditions that are not safe, leading to job injuries or factory fires. Garment workers in these factories are also paid way less than a livable wage. Working long 14 to 16-hour shifts for less than 3000 takas (approximately $35USD) a month.

There are many alternatives to fast fashion brands for fashionable and affordable clothing. And by buying elsewhere we are standing in solidarity with the garment workers all over the world that face unjust conditions and pay. One alternative to fast fashion is thrifting. Stores like Plato’s Closet and Buffalo Exchange are an example of chain retailers that buy and sell trendy clothes. I live in Upstate New York so there aren’t many of these chains around but there are many local thrift shops that can offer you the same experience. As online fashion continues to grow, so does the resale market. Apps like Poshmark, Thredup, or Letgo allow you to shop from home with a wider variety. These alternatives are also environmentally friendly, ensuring that no clothing goes to waste.

During my research, I also searched for Fair Trade retailers. Fair Trade certified companies create their products in factories that have safe working conditions and pay a fair wage for the jobs being done. Some well known Fair Trade certified companies are OBEY and J. Crew. I discovered a brand named Pact that offers athletic and casual wear as well.

We all have to take our stand to ensure garment workers are working in safe environments and getting fair wages. Here’s a link to a petition to sign which is only the first of many steps to make changes

Photo Cred: 1000logos.com

Report: Lauren Tucker

Sustainable Y/Project

The cancellation of the Paris Spring/Summer 2021 menswear shows has not stopped the Parisian high-fashion label Y/Project from continuing to innovate. A brand already lauded for its inversion of gender norms, Y/Project is now making the revolutionary shift towards more sustainable products. Y/Project’s “Evergreen Collection” is a recreation of its most famous looks, each of them constructed entirely of environmentally-friendly materials such as organic and recycled fabrics. Additionally, the brand plans to use a percentage of the collection’s proceeds for ecological philanthropy.

Moving forward, the Evergreen collection will be sold each season with new pieces added monthly. The eco-friendly ensemble has already been featured in Y/Project’s SS21 collection overall, and it will be sold in stores and on the brand’s website later this year. The mastermind behind these changes is none other than Y/Project creative director Glenn Martens, who has been revitalizing the brand since 2013. His eccentric deconstructions of masculinity and femininity in his works have earned Y/Project a multitude of accolades, including the coveted 2017 ANDAM Grand Prize. Now he has expanded his horizons toward sustainability, declaring, “We have the luxury of time to think, which entitles us a responsibility. Y/Project wants to take part in the change, building a better future.”

Photo credit: https://www.yproject.fr/page/about

Report: Nia Hunt

This New Retail Store Sells Only Consciously-Made Clothes

As the world becomes more socially aware, brands are beginning to cater to an activism-centered consumer base. This past week, American Eagle Outfitters Inc. announced it was branching out from apparel brands by launching a retail store named Unsubscribed. Unsubscribed is set to be a brick-and-mortar apparel and accessories retail store with only one location: 73 Main Street, East Hampton, New York. Depending on Unsubscribed’s success, others may follow.

Unsubscribed promises to promote quality over quantity, unlike the fast fashion its sister brands use. Fast fashion is a term that describes companies who capture short-lasting fashion trends and quickly produce cheap, unsustainable clothing to match. Unsubscribed is the fourth company in the American Eagle Outfitters Inc. portfolio, following Aerie, Todd Snyder, and American Eagle.

Unsubscribed is branching out to feature consciously-made garments, many of which were created by third party retailers. Touting their “slow fashion” mission, the company plans to feature only two annual collections. Brands such as Indigo Africa, Boyish, Veja, and Melissa Joy Manning will also stock the store, in addition to Unsubscribed’s private label. It’s a remarkable switch from American Eagle Outfitters’ previous brands.

Though it has been rather elusive on social media thus far, Unsubscribed is creating a website that will be up shortly. The website, however, will not sell products online as part of its deviation from fast fashion. It will instead feature content and apparel from the brand. You can also find the company at @Unsubscribed on Instagram. Be sure to give them a follow!

Photo Credit: @Unsubscribed on Instagram and Women's Wear Daily

Report: Rachel Attar

Green House - The New Fashion House

via Pinterest

Perhaps using the word “Sustainability” has been a kind gesture or nod to the fashion industry for progressive attempts to lessen the damage it causes on the environment - however, if we’re going to be transparent about it, our beloved industry is responsible for nearly 35% of the microplastic flows into the ocean and outweighs the carbon footprint of international flights and shopping combined

42 percent of millennials say they want to know what goes into products and how they are made before they buy, according to The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company’s annual State of Fashion report.

But longer-term, the trend raises a central tension for many brands: in an era of growing consciousness and concern about the strain mass consumption is placing on the planet and its resources, can brands really be sustainable and continue to grow at the same time?

By definition - Sustainability : 

the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

"the sustainability of economic growth"

avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance."the pursuit of global environmental sustainability"

According to dictionary.com 

It's the ecological balance of the fashion world that has the new generation of “fashionistas” up in arms about how we consume fashion and how we produce it.

The understanding of sustainable fashion often begins with how materials are sourced, who’s being employed to work in the factories, how are they being compensated, how often we consume products, and how can we lessen the footprint  (pollution) of fashion in the world. 

Let’s break this down into three questions: 

What Is Sustainable Fashion? Who Does It affect? Will It Cost Companies To Change? 

Understanding Sustainable Fashion 

- Consideration and adaptation to environmental and socio-economic standards when 

creating a product. This includes all stages of the product's life, from the creation of the design to the final sale and ultimate use. 

- Environmental factors: conserving natural resources, recycling, and using 

renewable energy sources 

- Socio-economic factors: workers conditions and rights - Intended for long term use - clothes made sustainably from naturally occurring fibers last 

longer than clothes made from cheap synthetic materials. The longer the clothes last, the less clothes that end up in the landfill and the less clothing being produced in the long run. 

Who Does Sustainable Fashion Affect 

- Workforce: impacts the workers throughout the supply chain: Sustainable fashion focuses on minimizing the use of “sweatshops” within the fashion industry. This means improving working conditions and offering fair wages for all workers starting at the bottom on up. 

 - Consumer: naturally the consumer receives a higher grade quality of product, however, that same consumer will also pay a higher price to obtain a more “earth friendly” product. 

What is the Cost of Producing Sustainable Fashion 

- Sustainable fashion faces higher costs in almost every aspect of the supply chain as 

opposed to their non-economically conscious competitors. 

- Fabrics made from natural resources cost more than those made of synthetic materials. 

They have to be farmed sustainably - and that means fair wages and environmentally friendly methods. 

- Paying all workers fair wages significantly raises the cost of production. Also, because 

the clothes are made to last, more time is put into making each garment and less products are made per payable hour. 

- Sustainable fashion brands often buy in small quantities to avoid waste and because of 

their smaller customer base. This is more expensive than buying in bulk in two ways: (1) manufacturers often give discounts to companies buying in bulk and (2) shipping costs are higher when multiple small orders are made instead of just one large one. 

With the current COVID -19 crisis management cycles in motion for various industry - the one topic on everyone's “List Of Do’s” is to create a plan of execution to bounce back - and that begins with the message of “Conscientious Business” -  companies are aware that they not only have to speak to what's happening, but they have to speak to the future - and that can be difficult when the future is clouded by financial lost and potential increase in debt with no real cash flow currently. 

Despite Sustainability being an actual concern and legitimate focus, companies will and have simply “lip serviced” this necessary shift in toward more conscious fashion.

Companies speaking about the change and promising change can be seen as a marketing tool - or PR move to maintain their consumer, and intently grasp new patrons.  Either way, the cause is acknowledged, but so much more has to be done, and the hope is, it will be done. 

As we slowly maneuver toward a NEW NORM, it's our hope that we will see a lot of the changes promised by the fashion world.