Did you know that your favorite go-to cotton t-shirt is produced using 2,700 liters of water?
Yes, this much for just one t-shirt.
Today textile is the 2nd largest industry contributing to major pollution and what is to blame? Not using sustainable clothing and fast fashion. Every year more than 85% of used clothes end up in landfills and only 15% of them are recycled. Yes, let that sink in.
In the last 15 years, it has been observed that a consumer is buying 60% more pieces of clothing compared to the last generation. This act is also called "maximalism" which is an aesthetic of excess, another term is "emotional hoarding" where people tend to hold onto pieces of clothing because of the sentimental value they carry. But the interesting thing here is that now these acts are destroying our only planet.
So now the question arises, what to do?
First and the most important thing should be to buy only what you know you'll wear a lot. Don't buy some trendy clothes just because you're seeing a lot of influences wearing them because brands pay them to do so for their marketing. Staying true to your style by monitoring your personal aesthetic can help. Try to observe what you have been wearing a lot for the past few days or months.
Next is, invest in sustainable and ethical brands. Opting for organic and sustainable fabrics such as bamboo, hemp, and organic cotton can help you decrease the amount of carbon and chemicals put out in the environment for a good cause. If you're going for dyed and printed clothes then go for vegetable dyes like indigo and shibori dyes or screen printing.
Lastly, rather than throwing your clothes in the dustbin, try to donate them to underprivileged people, NGOs, or even thrift stores. Another great alternative could be upcycling them by methods like tie-dye, embroidery, hand painting, and much more interesting DIYs.
Remember, we only have one planet earth so let's try to save it as best as we can!
