In the 1990’s, businesses were all about ‘synergy’ – a buzz concept that really got organisational juices flowing. In the noughties, ‘sustainability’ is the word of the moment, especially when teamed with my favourite topic, fashion. The fashion industry is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to wastage and failing to reduce, reuse and recycle. While fashions change as quickly as week to week, consumers regularly purchase cheap imported clothing that fits a trend, then easily throw it away after one wash when it no longer holds it shape, colour or a current ‘look’. Australians spend $1.7 billion on clothes annually – that we don’t wear. That’s right, don’t wear. Kate Luckins, founder of the Clothing Exchange, bought together a panel of experts at the Sustainable Living Expo to discuss the future of the fashion industry and how we can all contribute to making it more sustainable.
The Clothing Exchange began in 2004 as part of Kate’s research project for her Masters degree. She recognised how wasteful we were in the area of fashion and started the professional swapping service as a first step towards creating a more sustainable fashion industry. Joining her on the panel to discuss sustainable fashion was Sue Thomas, RMIT University Lecturer and currently studying a PhD in fashion ethics and sustainability, Tiffany Treloar, designer and founder of Project 332, Cameron Neil, Fairtrade (Certified Cotton), Emer Divey, Ethical Clothing Australia and Grace McQuilton, The Social Studio.
In a time when green is the new black, this panel of experts threw around ideas and opinions about the future – if that fashion industry remains as is and what can be done to improve the impact on the environment. The difference between what is sustainable and what is ethical was discussed as well as the results of ‘greenwashing’ and how we can reduce our personal fashion footprint. Some scary facts and figures were revealed, things the audience had possibly not considered previously. One of the more interesting facts was that just as it is a common misconception that most water use (and therefore waste) comes from businesses, two thirds of a garments carbon footprint occurs in aftercare. That’s your washing machine, your dryer, your iron. Wash in cold, line dry and fold immediately and you are taking the first steps towards sustainable fashion.
Given there are so many elements to consider when making a garment; fabrics, dyes, transport, packaging, it’s hard to even know where to start when designing sustainably. Tiffany Treloar explains how important it is to design garments around your chain of supply, “material considerations are important,” she says, “you need to conceptualise within the scope of your fabric. The garment must still be commercially viable.” Tiffany also referred to the cooking processes involved with fabrics from adding elasticity or non creasing benefits to dying fabric using toxic chemicals. These are not generally things the consumer considers when making a purchase and the importance of educating the consumer was paramount throughout the forum.
The Social Studio is a relatively new concept, developed in 2009, where people are invited to join in a community to revamp old clothes into new and exciting garments. The model encourages extraordinary creativity, addresses the issue of society’s waste and encourages participants to bring garments to life. The idea of rehashing old into new is not a groundbreaking one but embraces the same principles as the Clothing Exchange – it’s still recycling, but with a twist.
Above: I Love Aus Tee…if you really did, maybe you’d spend your money on a tee actually made here, with good quality fabric…
The basic methodology that natural must be good is not necessarily true. While labels purport bamboo to be organic and sustainable, the sad truth is that while the product may be, creating it is a labour and energy intensive process that cancels out any benefit of using a natural fibre. A similar story exists with tee shirts claiming to be 100% cotton. If the shirt has any stretch in it at all, then the cotton is no longer just cotton, but will have had chemicals added to allow for that stretch. The sale of tee shirts screaming ‘Hug a Tree’ and ‘Save the Planet’ lull consumers into a false sense of security that they are doing something to help, but this kind of fashion is the least sustainable of all. Mass produced in factories using toxic chemicals and slave labour, these products are not only a risk to the Australian fashion industry but also to the employees who work in the factories under sub-standard conditions.
Fairtrade Certified Cotton and Ethical Clothing Australia are just two companies who are out to ensure the clothing we wear is manufactured and produced to the highest quality standards and addresses not just the sustainability issue but also the ethical aspects. Many companies use sustainable fabrics but don’t practise ethical manufacturing. The panel stressed the importance of going beyond the obvious – sweatshops, carbon footprints and fabric choices – and that the Australian fashion industry is working towards ticking all these boxes.
As consumers, we want to be sustainable and ethical in other areas of our lives – water and energy for example – but the biggest issue with the fashion industry is a lack of knowledge. Consumers want to know why sustainable fashion costs more. They want to know how they can make an informed decision. Knowing that when the average garment reaches you it will have more than 8000 chemicals on it might prepare a consumer to pay more for a tee shirt. Knowing that a garment has been exposed to chemicals banned in Australia (but readily available in other countries) might be the clincher to buying an Aussie made dress. Knowing the person who sewed your pants is paid only $4 an hour might be enough to make you buy an investment piece from an Australian label rather than ten pieces of disposable fashion.
We send 22 tonnes of second hand clothing to the Brotherhood of St Lawrence every day, of which only 10% is re-sellable. An average crate of clothing produces 1.5kg of carbon dioxide when shipped 100 kilometres, 2.1kg’s when transported by rail and a whopping 143kg when flown into the country. Air travel is cheap, quick and allows for garments to be flat packed. This is fast fashion at its worst – evidence that buying Australian made, certified fair-trade and endorsed by Ethical Clothing Australia is more and more important. Being informed is the first step to a more sustainable fashion industry.
The forum concluded with questions from a now wide eyed audience and a notable closing quip from Sue Thomas. “There is no such thing as cheap clothing. It’s just that we are not the ones paying: the environment is.”
To learn about one incredible, emerging sustainable fashion designer, click here.
