{"id":29131,"date":"2018-05-17T14:44:06","date_gmt":"2018-05-17T12:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/blog\/?p=29131"},"modified":"2019-08-08T12:57:37","modified_gmt":"2019-08-08T10:57:37","slug":"creating-sustainable-wardrobe-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/blog\/creating-sustainable-wardrobe-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating A More Sustainable Wardrobe: A Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

For a long time, the fashion industry slipped under the radar for its impact on the environment. I guess everyone was so busy focusing on the way it tends to warp women\u2019s relationship with their bodies and a myriad of other social issues.<\/p>\n

But then, in 2013, the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed killing 1138 people. Not just any people. People who worked long hours and got paid less than minimum wage to create garments for fast fashion chains, such as H&M. For the first time since Nike\u2019s sweatshops caused an outcry in the 1990s, the world received a sobering reminder that the clothes we buy with the change in our pockets and toss away without a second thought are actually made by real people \u2013 mostly women with households and children and husbands and errands to run \u2013 in far off places, working in shocking conditions.<\/p>\n

Then, of course, there is the unpleasant little fact that the fashion industry is the second biggest pollutant on the planet. In the US alone, 13 million tons of textiles make it into landfills every year, accounting for 9 percent of total non-recycled waste. Apart from this, the water needed to keep cotton crops healthy and thriving is exorbitant, while the toxic chemicals in dyes seep into our rivers and oceans.<\/p>\n

While this all paints a pretty dismal picture for anyone with a passion for dressing sharply, the good news is there are actually a lot of ways to keep your fashion-related carbon footprint in check.<\/p>\n

Here are some ideas:<\/p>\n

ONE: EDUCATE YOURSELF ON ETHICAL PRACTICES<\/h4>\n

As consumers grow more aware of ethical practices in the fashion industry, large retailers are stepping up their game to offset the damage they do on an annual basis.<\/p>\n

Both H&M<\/a> and Zara<\/a> have a clothing recycling incentive programme, where they reward shoppers with small discounts when they turn in the clothes they no longer use. Depending on how well-worn these items are, they get redistributed appropriately.<\/p>\n

In H&M\u2019s case, the following categories are in place:<\/p>\n