This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on May 24, 2021 - May 30, 2021
Many of us would like to adopt a sustainable lifestyle but it is not always easy, especially when it comes to fashion.
And, let’s face it. Most of us have closets full of unworn clothes and boxes full of out-of-style accessories — usually the result of having caved in to an impulse — that no longer bring us joy. These are likely to end up in landfills, which are already choking with our insatiable demand for new clothing.
According to a McKinsey & Company and Global Fashion Agenda study, the global fashion industry produced around 2.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions in 2018, equalling 4% of the global total. If there is no collective action to slow down activity, the industry’s GHG emissions are likely to rise to around 2.7 billion tonnes a year by 2030.
Sustainable fashion, however, is not just about boycotting fast fashion or dumping clothes made out of polyester or woven on power looms.
Also, it is not the most affordable option for those on limited budgets either, as garments produced taking into consideration CO2 emissions, overproduction, pollution and waste, biodiversity preservation, fair wage and safe working conditions are still pretty costly.
Remember Lisette Scheers of Nala Designs’ scathing remark about how Malaysia is awash with “flammable cheap polyester”? The comment is cringeworthy, but it is an indication that ethically produced clothing is not an option for the masses — yet.
Anyway, a carbon-neutral capsule wardrobe does not simply mean shopping for items labelled “sustainable”. We need to completely rethink our purchasing habits and the way we consume. Luckily, there are easy things we can all do to reduce our fashion footprint.
1 Swap, don’t shop
Groups such as The Swap Project, Style Swap Malaysia and Beli Nothing Project have made it possible for the environment-conscious and the thrifty to replenish their wardrobe for practically free, especially children’s clothes and necessities.
2 Learn the proper care for your clothes
That little label attached to the seams for your blouse and jeans are there for a reason. Handwashing and steaming are better for fabrics such as silk. Consider airing out your jeans instead of washing them after every wear — research shows jeans can stay surprisingly clean even after a year of wear without washing. Use your washing machine’s spin cycle to remove excess water and line dry, instead of using a dryer. The ultra-violet rays of sunlight help bleach and disinfect laundry. However, dry dark colours in the shade to prevent fading.
3 Know what’s green
Natural fibres do not necessarily equate to sustainable material. For example, lyocell is a manmade fabric, created from wood pulp. Trees grown to produce lyocell take far less water than growing cotton. So, it is a more sustainable fabric. Clothing made from recycled plastic is becoming increasingly popular, which makes for long-lasting and strong fabric, but there are downsides — frequent washing will leak microplastics back into the water and they are still not biodegradable.
4 Look for a second life — recycle
When your clothes are tattered beyond redemption, look for proper ways to recycle them. Whether it is upcycling or downcycling, try to find options to keep them from ending up in landfills or being incinerated when most of these materials could be reused. Recyclers such as Kloth Cares (https://kloth.com.my/) have pledged to prevent textile waste from ending up in landfills.
5 Buy less, buy better
If you have to buy, consider clothing and accessories that would stay trendy, and retailers that are open about their carbon and water footprint, as well as those that make a positive impact on the environment and society.
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