Issues dealing with harmful chemicals, issues dealing with harmful treatment to animals and factory workers, issues dealing with recycling… I could go on and on! It seems like there are always issues dealing with something in our industry, but after reading this weeks assignments I’ve found out that these issues we keep talking about need to be taken seriously.
Fashioning Sustainability list all types of issues related to the clothing industry, and how they are affecting our lives everyday. Issues like harmful chemicals used in materials to make clothing, animal welfare and the treatment of animals used for clothing, disposal of non-renewable products like polyester, toxic chemicals used in factories and the harm it causes workers, and the overall treatment of such workers.
Last weeks reading, Economic Millennium Assessment, and this weeks reading, Fashioning Sustainability, both talk about ways we can improve issues with our environment, and in doing so we are likely to have better outcomes in dealing with trade, production, exchange, and disposal.
I agree that these implementations would bring change to the clothing industry itself. Obviously, treating animal with respect isn’t going to hurt our industry, and giving workers, that make our clothing, the same respect isn’t going to decrease production or make companies look bad. It explains that using less toxic chemicals in our clothing would reduce the harmful effects it has on our environment and reduce the cost altogether. What harm could implementing the right thing do to our industry as a whole? In my opinion, nothing.
These thing are not going to change overnight, but as companies see that making organic clothing by reducing or all together eliminating toxic chemicals IS the right thing to do maybe in the future we will see a dramatic change in the way we make our clothing and therefor see a change in our everyday lives.
As for the article, Pricing Environmental Impacts, A Tail of Two Shirts, it also explains how harmful chemicals are to our environment and how, after research and extensive data collecting, the cost of an organic cotton t-shirt is considerably lower than the cost of a conventional cotton t-shirt. Because of the removal of toxic chemicals, organic cotton t-shirts are also better for our environment. I think the cost of growing, ginning, processing, distribution, and transportation along with consumer care are the costs that truly go into a simple t-shirt. Something as simple is washing your t-shirt less and hanging it to dry could ultimately reduce your carbon footprint, and we would never have realized the impact one t-shirt could make without the research to show it.
Nice job at covering all the issues and making good to the point suggestions! I agree that no harm could come from making positive changes in our industry. The only downfall would possibly be a higher cost of goods, but in the Tale of Two Shirts it clearly shows evidence that organic clothing is not more expensive to make!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. You clearly expressed your thoughts on how turning the apparel industry into a more sustainable industry would be less harmful than what it is now. Do you feel like you new these issues before reading the Fashion Sustainability article? Obviously I knew that organic clothing was better for the environment before I read this article but I wasn't aware on how much impact there is when producing a conventional cotton t-shirt than to a organic cotton t-shirt. Do you think more people would support sustainability in the apparel industry if they were given the information and data we have been given?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Larissa!
ReplyDeleteOlivia, I think some of the issues were obvious like harsh chemicals harming workers, and I agree about organic growing; it was clear to me before reading the article that staying away from those chemicals in our clothing would better the environment. I think some would support sustainability in our industry and some would still not care. But we need more people to care in order to keep a good name on the apparel industry.
Obviously I can tell that you care for our environment, but how do you think we can get others to care about it as much as we do?
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