Kavita Rajput, Lecturer, MGM IFD
As we all know that whole world is facing various environmental issues such as pollution, global climate change, shortage of natural resources, etc. Humans are responsible for these environmental problems and humans are going to suffer the most.
There is a long list of environmental problems and their consequences. We have already started taking serious actions to conserve our environment. First and very important step towards conservation of our environment is to understand the reasons for these environmental issues and creating awareness among young generation,
All the other issues such as different types of pollution, shortage of natural fuels, harmful effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture on human health are discussed by Indian government.
But in current time one more term which is used considerably is sustainability.
Yes, we must have heard this word sustainability somewhere, sustainability has vast meaning. It basically means overall development of world without depleting natural recourses so they will last long. Sustainability is important in all fields like agriculture, technology, transportation, fashion and textiles etc.
Why sustainability is matter of concern in textile and fashion industry?
Textile and fashion industry is largest employment generating industry in the world but it is also largest industry which pollutes our environment. Various processes involved in textile manufacturing such as washing, bleaching, dyeing, printing and manufacturing of synthetic fibers contribute to air, water, and soil pollution and also use natural resources in abundance. Therefore it is require to create awareness among consumers about sustainable fashion.
Many Indian fashion designers are contributing to this cause by designing sustainable clothing through their labels few of them are Anita Dongre, Ruchika Sachdeva, Kriti Tula,Amita Gupta, Jayanti Goenka. Sustainability in fashion is to use eco textiles. Recent fashion shows and fashion weeks also boosting sustainable fabrics and fashion.
Amrich’s sustainable hand-crafted collection by Amit Vijaya and Richard Pandav
Amita Gupta Sustainable at Lotus Make-Up India Fashion Week spring/summer 2020
Eco-textiles are those textile materials which are manufactured, used and disposed of without disturbing balance of environment and without harming human health. Manufacturing of Eco textiles includes use of materials and methods that do not cause harm to environment and ultimately human survival.
Tones of clothes and garment industry waste are responsible for pollution issues. Zero waste management and up cycling are also considered to be good option to reduce fashion industry waste.
Up cycling
What a customer can do?
Being a conscious customer we can also contribute to save our environment. Here are some simple tips to follow.
- Check the labels- We should check the labels of the garments while purchasing it. We will get information about the content in it. Garments made up of organic cotton, hemp, jute, khadi cotton and silk with eco-friendly processes can be better choice.
- Reusing and Recycling- Instead of buying new garment for every occasion we can just reuse old clothes by mix and matching them or with a new twist. Old jeans can be recycled to make
Variety of clothing items like jackets, skirts, dresses.
- Shop less- We have a tendency to buy clothes if available on sell without need of them, so we should buy less. This will minimize waste.
- Take good care of clothes- We should take good care of our clothes for their long lasting use.
- Other natural fabrics- As we know there are number of natural fibers other than cotton. We should use these natural fabrics instead of synthetic fabrics as synthetic fabrics create pollution.
