Recycling, up-cycling and sustainable fashion, these latest buzzwords are need of the hour in the fashion industry today, where this industry contributes to around 10% of the global greenhouse gas emissions ‘Carbon Footprint’. A carbon footprint is the ‘total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities.’
The essential rules for using recycled, organic and sustainable fabric are to:
Utilize materials and practices that will enhance the ecological balance of natural system
Minimize toxic pesticides and chemical use
Reduce wastage of water and,
Encourage recycling and energy efficiency
Around 15 to 20 pieces of garments are produced every year for every individual. Development of this multi-trillion-dollar garment industry has been continuous by ‘Fast Fashion’ which makes apparel efficiently and rapidly with a low sticker price. These visuals outline why the clothing business must grasp another way to sustainably meet demand in tomorrow’s markets.
Globally, organizations are attempting to make design more sustainable, from the Food and Agricultural Organization securing productive land, to the Ethical Fashion Initiative set up by the International Trade Center crafted by UN – these are raising sustainable manufacturing practices.
The expanding stress today, on negligible or zero waste leads normally to the idea of reusing and up-cycling. Recycling refers to reuse, while up-cycling is the process of turning discarded items into a product of great value.
The Indian fashion industry today is experiencing a significant transformation with a whole lot of Gen Next Designers who are redefining fashion by using Organic, Sustainable fabric at the same time doing some damage control. To name a few, Brands and Designers like:
Meghna Nayak, who runs the up-cycling label LataSita in Kolkata
Nicobar by Good Earth
Shift by Nimish Shah
Ka Sha by Karishma Shahani
Doodlage by Kriti Tula
Brainflower, Grassroot by Anita Dongre
Bodice by Ruchika Sachdeva
Pero By Aneeth Arora
Eka By Rina Singh
BhuSattva
Forty Red Bangles
Ethicus
No Nastie
Do You Speak Green, etc
What should be possibly done to ensure that the carbon footprint is reduced by the Fashion Industry?
Using clothing for long to reduce its environmental footprint
Renting clothes Levying carbon tax on non-sustainable clothing Finding out ways for waterless dyeing Using waste as raw material Reducing the number of fashion seasons Going slow on ‘fast fashion’ Encouraging and educating fashion students about Recycling, Up-cycling, Organic and Sustainable Trends
So, are we all gearing up and preparing the future to make this world a better place?
Authored by: Roma-A-Kumar, Assistant Professor, Fashion Design Department, ITM Institute of Design and Media
