"We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly". Anne-Marie Bonneau (Zero Waste chef).
I love this quote because it sums up the way I approach a sustainable approach 🍃 with my business.
After running a startup that traded rubber-made items for a while and feeling overwhelmed by how rubber production harms forests in Southeast Asia and West Africa, I listened to my instincts. I shifted my focus to promoting better products—ones that make you feel good without harming the planet.
And this is one of thousands of materials that are currently harming our environment. The fashion industry alone is responsible for 10% of the world's carbon emissions from its production activities. Additionally, it throws away 85% of all textiles produced each year.
From our own "seat", we can all use our talents to improve and advocate for change. We only have one earth and its voice sounds desperate. And from personal experience, the easiest way to adapt to change is to challenge our own biases:
It only takes a shift of direction for us to start new habits.
For instance, consider our society and how we often see a throwaway culture in action. On average, people in the US wear a piece of clothing only 7-10 times, which is 36% less than 15 years ago 💔. However, we tend to forget about this when we're getting ready for a party and don't want to wear the same dress twice. While there are exceptions, we often overlook this fact on regular days.
People typically desire to appear "fashionable" and "stylish," yet the fundamental definitions of these concepts don't contribute positively to the environmental conciousness:
- Fashion: Styles of clothing and accessories worn by groups of people at a particular moment.
- Stylish: To have a style as conforming to the current fashion.
🤯 These definitions automatically imply disposal. Meaning landfills full of past seasons’ garments. The poorest countries where we usually outsource labor are the same ones that have all those good will donations dumped right into their backyard...
Is “green is the new black ” ? We surely believe so. Nothing can make us look better than an environmentally conscious mind. We just need to remember:
- The best sustainable item is the one that can be recycle, renewe or reuse.
- The best fabrics are bio-degradable and have less transformation processes.
- Eco-Friendly clothing is not expensive if you are aware that durability means long term.
- To be curious on how materials hold up over time and what happens to them after they leave us.
- To check the labels and seams before we buy.
- To take care of our clothes and ensure it’s #perdurance when we donate.
- To avoid compulsive shopping.
We shouldn´t have any doubts on why we need to be friendlier with our planet. 🌎 Our children and future generations will be #thankful.
