Sustainability 101

The reading this week discussed the issues of over-consumption. The article by Faud and Luke stated “If there is a critical mass population that can minimize future risk around the big global issues then it is the rich 20 per cent of the global population whose total mass and flow of consumption is causing most of the problem”. Throughout the semester we have discussed the issue of over consuming and the negative effects it has on our environment at a whole. It is no surprise to me that the author of this article has discovered that same problem. I want to address this issue and help aid in over-consuming. Using what is necessary is key, although it is tough, it’s what is important.

            The article discusses the importance of customizable products that consumers are so crazy about. It states “Demands for products that are more easily personalized and customizable, tend to offer the promise of more durable emotional relationships.” I want to focus in on this and help people feel this way about products. Last week, I talked about having my own store that was environmentally friendly and focused on the upcycling of materials. I want to expand on that idea and talk about aiding in over-consumption. And what better way to do that than making my products personalized and customizable. My theory is that if my consumers have a product that is changeable, customizable, and personalized, they won’t feel the need to buy, buy, buy and waste products. I want to make a product that is set just for them so the problem of over-consumption is fixed just a bit!

            The old saying is “A girl can never have enough shoes”, but from an environmentally sustainable view on this, I may just have to disagree! Girls I know, including myself, have an overwhelming amount of shoes in their closets. We feel like we need a flat for day time, a wedge for a casual date, and a heel for a night out on the town. But what if we could incorporate all of these into one shoe? And that’s how I came up with my idea! I want to create a shoe with a detachable heel. A heel that comes in different shapes, sizes, colors, and heights. The basic shoe will be a classic look. It will come in customizable colors and shapes to fit the preference of the customer. When you buy the shoe, it will come with 3 different heel options; A wedge, a heel (of your height choice), and one more heel that’s colored (what girl wouldn’t want a spunky splash of color on their shoe!) This concept with help with the over consumption problem our generation has. Instead of buying 3 different pair of shoes, you buy on pair that are perfect for all occasions.

            I think the most important thing I have learned in this course is over consumption. I have always been involved in this problem. Before this class, I never really thought about over buying and the harm it does to my environment. I am now more aware of this issue and I want to help fix this problem. Of course, I have to start with myself on that. I will be conscious of how much I am buying. I will also make others around me aware. We have to bring awareness of this problem before it can be fixed and that is one thing I plan to do. Over and over I have talked about wanting to own my own store one day. I would like to learn how I can do this sustainably. I want to know building methods, electricity, materials, all of the above to make sure my store really is not harming our environment even more. I want to research this and understand the concepts and ways to make a store sustainable.

No Piece Left Behind

            Cradle to Cradle discusses two different techniques for sustainable design. I want to focus on their biological metabolism concept. This concept is all about upcycling. It incorporates every part of the cycle to give each step a positive outcome of its own. No piece gets left out or wasted. Every part of the cycle has a purpose, which creates a sustainable concept. I liked this concept and wanted to try it in the apparel industry.

            I thought of an apparel product that uses a little bit of upcycling itself. I wanted my product to be sustainable and use each piece as best I could. I wanted to not waste anything. T-shirts are everywhere, school campuses, local boutiques, sporting events, and more. Why not find a sustainable way to use this t-shirt? Do you ever wonder what happens to the left over materials after the cut-out for the t-shirt is made? I do! Instead of wasting this leftover fabric and materials I want to use it in a beneficial way. And what better way to do that than making accessories and shopping bags out of it? After making a t-shirt there is bound to be goods that weren’t used. I want to use these goods to make a scarf, or make a tie, or even a belt. Accessories are a big part of our fashion style today, and you really can’t ever have enough. Cotton would make a great scarf! All it would take is a new cut and a few stitches here and there, and WA-LA….you have yourself a new accessory. The plus to this is that no materials were wasted! The leftover fabric from the t-shirt cut-outs are being used for another great cause. But I don’t plan at just stopping at accessories. You can also make a re-usable shopping bag out of the leftovers too. This bag wouldn’t be hard to make. It’s a simple shape. Just add a lining for support and you have yourself a pretty sweet bag. In a previous blog, I stated how I wanted to have a store of my own one day. Well something that is important to me for my store is sustainability. I would encourage my customers to buy these re-usable, sustainable shopping bags by offering a discount for my shoppers who do. They can bring the bags in every time they come and re-use and re-use. It’s a great deal for both of us! I help keep my planet clean, and my loyal customers get a discount!

Waste Equals Fashion

The article “Cradle to Cradle” discusses the cycle of recycling. It gives pictures of how waste equals food. For example, when trees bloom, the extra blossoms fall to the ground, decompose, feed various organisms and microorganisms, and enrich the soil. Animals and humans exhale carbon dioxide , which plants take in and use for their own growth. This natural cycle runs on and on and repeats itself.

            Cradle to Cradle’s process does something good for every part involved. Nothing is wasted. Every component is used to help the next area of the cycle. This idea can be used in the fashion industry. I would like to use a cycling and recycling process dealing with the fashion industries so that we can help with the waste issue. If we use a product, I want there to be a purpose for the extra pieces that weren’t used.

            Cradle to Cradle shows us the natural way of preventing waste, and I think the apparel industry can and should adopt this idea. We can use materials that can be recycled and biodegraded back to its original components. This process can help the environment by giving back nutrients that it needs, and also help our apparel industry by reusing the materials.

            Cradle to Cradle explains that waste equals food. Let’s use this exact quote and put it in our field. Waste equals Fashion.

Fashion Industry Issues...

The textile industry isn’t perfect…no doubt about that. I want to take a second and explore some of the issues that this fashion community is facing. Two main issues are consumption and scale of production according to Kate Fletcher in her article titled “Local and Light”. She focuses on designing local which is concerned with developing a sector with a greater sensitivity to place and scale; a sector devised to sustain communities and support jobs while protecting the quality of the environment. Designing light is focused on promoting resourcefulness in production and consumption. These are used to minimize the use of unnecessary materials and amounts of materials.

            Another issue that has been brought to concerned fashionistas is the large amounts of water being used in fashion production. In previous articles, water usage has been brought up several times. We have learned that though the production of apparel and textiles, the use of water has come to be out of control. Nike has noticed this little glitch, also. They thought of a solution to help minimize this issue. They teamed up with DyeCoo Textile Systems B.V., a Netherlands based machinery builder. Together, they developed & built the first commercially available waterless textile dyeing machines that use CO2 instead of water. This idea was formed to help control the amount of water and energy being used.

            The textile industry has its issues, but these problems can start to be resolved though awareness and consciousness. Nike did a great job coming up with a solution in trying to fix a problem. Others need to jump on the band wagon and help out. It’s not easy, but it can be done.

My Vision: A Beautiful Mess

The perfect world: our planet Earth is safe from harming materials; We are conscious of what we are using and how much we are using of it; We recycle and reuse; We are aware of all the consequences. Will we ever see this perfect world?  To keep our environment safe, each level of the apparel industry has to be on the same page: the manufactures, the buyers, and the ultimate consumers.

            My dream is to one day have my own store. I picture it a small boutique downtown carrying the latest trends and fashion accessories. I want it to be “the spot” for the perfect outfit. I want to carry apparel for women and children. I also want to carry home décor. But most importantly, I want my store to be sustainable, from the energy method, to the lighting, to the bagging and packaging. I want my store to “go green”. I want my customers to understand that I am fully behind the pact to make our earth safe again.

            In an article on renewableenergyworld.com it states problems with energy in the United States. It said the United States currently relies heavily on coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy. Fossil fuels are non-renewable, that is, they draw on finite resources that will eventually dwindle, becoming too expensive or too environmentally damaging to retrieve. Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun. Sunlight, or solar energy, can be used directly for heating and lighting homes and other buildings, for generating electricity, and for hot water heating, solar cooling, and a variety of commercial and industrial uses. The sun's heat also drives the winds, whose energy, is captured with wind turbines. Then, the winds and the sun's heat cause water to evaporate. When this water vapor turns into rain or snow and flows downhill into rivers or streams, its energy can be captured using hydroelectric power. Running a store takes a lot of energy, lighting, and many other things that can be harming. After researching this, there is no doubt that there is a way to keep it healthy for our environment.

            My store will have many windows to let light in. I will plan on using the light from the windows when I can, instead of having to use multiple lights and electricity.

            Bagging and packaging has always been an issue for the apparel industry. I want to use eco-friendly materials for my bags. I want the materials for my bags to be from recyclable goods.

            Overconsumption: an issue the apparel industry is constantly facing. In the article titled Limited Consumption: Toward a Sustainable Culture it gives us insight on these issues. Overconsumption by the wealthiest fifth of humanity is an environmental problem unmatched in severity by anything but perhaps population growth. The surging exploitation of resources threatens to exhaust or unalterably disfigure forests, soils, water, air, and culture. Skyrocketing consumption is the hallmark of our era. As a store owner I would have to keep the idea of over-consuming in mind. New apparel usually comes in an excessive amount of bubble wrap and plastic wrap, materials that harm our environment if over-used. I am aware of this problem of overconsumption and would do all I can to protect our environment. I truly believe in “everything in moderation”.

            Keeping all the ideas of energy, renewable resources and monitoring the consumption is a vision I have for my future store. Ideas like these are what will help keep Earth safe and out of harm’s way. Of course, I can’t do it alone. These issues will have to be a group effort. But it has to start somewhere, and I wouldn’t mind if my store helped kick this movement off.

Miracle Fiber....Or No???

            Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a perfect piece of material? I textile with the durability of a metal pipe, the sustainability only we could dream of, and the price that any budget could afford? That would seem like a pretty good example of a miracle fiber to me.

            Hemp…does it deserve the title of miracle fiber? In the article titled “Hemp: Historic Fiber Remains Controversial” it tells us a little bit about the qualities of hemp. It states that hemp can be used in a variety of ways and has been around since the 28^th century.  Big names such as Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, and Ralph Lauren are all getting involved with the hemp business. Klein was quoted saying that he thought hemp was going to be the fabric of choice for home furnishings and apparel. Now for one of the downsides of hemp, it is the subject of a worldwide controversy that involves such desperate factions as farmers, government enforcement agencies, environmentalists, supporters of legalized drugs and manufacturers of textile, food and paper products. One controversy is that the hemp plant comes in several varieties, one of which is related to marijuana. Hemp is illegal to grow in the United States because of its close link to marijuana. The Marijuana Act of 1937 stopped all growth of hemp here in the US.

            Another fact about hemp: It’s pretty pricey! The high cost of the multi-stage processing of hemp, that limited quantities available, and the fact that there is little processing of the fiber in this country, is responsible for its high price, about 100% higher than cotton, and about on par with linen with comparing similar qualities.

            Bamboo…miracle fiber, or not?? In the article titled “Are you being bamboozled”, it gives us the “low down” on what bamboo is really about. It states, the truth is, most “bamboo” textile products, if not all, are really rayon. Rayon is manufactured polymer and is typically made using environmentally toxic chemicals in a process that emits hazardous pollutions into the air. A lot of times we consider bamboo eco-friendly and a pretty good choice on a textile fiber. Who knew a lot of times it’s really rayon that we were looking at. This right here, shows us how easy consumers can be tricked when fumbling through apparel pieces at our favorite store downtown.

            It’s easy to not know the facts about the clothes we are buying. A lot of people aren’t interested in researching this to find out what our apparel pieces are really about. Hemp has its issues, legally, for sure. And we’ve been completely tricked into the greatness of bamboo. But are these fibers that bad, or are we just not educated on them? Miracle fibers may not be the best word to describe these pieces, but I also don’t think hemp and bamboo are the worst things our environment has seen. It’s important for our consumers to be educated on these fibers, and then they can determine their opinions on them. There are legal issues with hemp, and we would need to work with those, but maybe hemp can bring us positive insights that the negative parts about this fiber are hiding now.

Don't Judge a Fiber by its Name!

We see cotton literally everywhere. Take a quick look in your closet or drawers and just think about how much cotton is in there. Tons, I’m sure! But is cotton really all it’s cracked up to be? Yes, of course it’s great to have your basics, but who doesn’t like a splash of change in their wardrobe every now and then? And what better way to make a change than using synthetics!

            In the article titled it states the demand for polyester has doubled over the last 15 years, and has now overtaken cotton as the single most popular textile material. The article also gave us statistics from 2005 on the total demands for natural fibers and synthetic fibers. The total for natural fibers was 25.76. The total for synthetic fibers was 33.78. Both are calculated in million tons. Synthetic fibers are most commonly seen as “bad” and natural fibers are usually seen as “good”.  It is a given that the production of synthetic fibers hold quite an impact on our environment, but the production of natural fibers such as cotton, hold a pretty similar impact, as well. The articles states that cultivating 1 kg of cotton for example, draws on 8000 litres of water (an estimated average across the global cotton crop). In comparison, producing 1kg of polyester uses little or no water. Although producing polyester uses more energy, the statistics on the amount of water used are pretty startling.

            In the class lecture video, we were introduced to several different fallacies concerning natural and synthetic fibers. We often think natural fibers are better than synthetic fibers, and the word “natural” leads us to believe this myth.  For example, synthetics most often have a greater carbon footpint than naturally derived fibers, but this does not mean that synthetics are inherently evil. For instance, synthetics might be a good option for a textile product that will be highly durable and have style longevity, therefore, fewer may be produced and disposed.

            The apparel industry needs to be using a textile that is environmentally friendly. After reading the article and seeing the statistics, I personally think synthetic fibers are the right choice.

            Natural fibers…that sure does a have a ring to the name, doesn’t it? But just like we learned when we were little from the oh-so-ever-popular quote “don’t judge a book by its cover”, learn more about your product rather than just its name. In this case, don’t just your material from its name. There’s a lot more to these fabrics than just the name, both good and bad. In my opinion, synthetic fibers are the choice to go with. Let’s change up our wardrobe, save some water, and continue the popularity of synthetic fibers such as polyester!

Fashion Industry: Guilty as Charged

The new Vogue comes out and every girl can’t wait to see what the new fashions for this month will be. We are excited to see the new trends, the changing colors schemes, and the hot looks that the celebrities are wearing. Fashion changes all the time, and as young women, we have a longing to stay hip and trendy! Although, we already have a closet stuffed with clothes (some that might not have even been worn yet), we are pumped to get into a store and get more and more clothes. We may not realize it, but while we are staying “hip” to the eye, we are harming our environment. As we constantly change the fashion industry, we add different changes that harm the land we live in. The fashion industry needs to be aware of the harm they are causing and find a solution to the problems.

            In the article titled “Fashion Sustainability”, it states that sustainability challenges in the clothing industry are not new. They have identified 8 key issues that are harming our environment. Some examples of these issues are fashion consumption-the increasing number of fashion items that we buy and then dispose of, the intensity of cotton production requiring lots of energy, water, and pesticides, energy consumed when we are washing our clothes contributes to climate change, fashion miles that burn carbon as fabric and clothing are transported around the world, and animal welfare-ensuring that good standards are upheld during leather and wool production, and avoiding fur. Right here we are given key problems that the apparel industry is in involved in on a pretty often basis. Another big key to focus on in the production phase of apparel is efficient water. The article states that in central Asia, inefficient water use in cotton production has all but eradicated the Aral Sea. This sea was once the world’s 4^th largest inland body of water and it is now reduced to 15% of its former volume. I saw these facts and was in shock. Who knew that those frequent trips to our favorite clothing boutique could be harming our environment as much as it is?

            Well we all know how popular fur is! We love seeing out favorite celebrities walking down the busy streets of New York with their beautiful fur coats and hats on. But did you those popular coats and accessories made of our dear animal friends is actually killing 130,000 animals every day? I didn’t. The Fashion Sustainability articles states that 50 million animals die worldwide every year so that their fur can be used by the fashion industry.  Now that’s just sad!

            After reading the startling facts in the Fashion Sustainability article, I related to those to what I saw in the Eco Millennium Assessment. I previously stated that climate change is affected by the production of apparel. Keeping the climate right is essential to our environment. In the Eco Millennium Assessment, it states that climate change is projected to exacerbate the loss of biodiversity and increase the risk of extinction for many species, especially those already at risk due to factors such as low population numbers, restricted or patchy habitats, and limited climatic ranges (medium to high certainty).

            Cotton is huge in the apparel industry, we all know that. Whether it be your favorite socks, your old high school t-shirt, or your dad’s undershirt, cotton was probably involved in process of these so very common items. The production of cotton is enormous. But while producing such large quantities, we have to be aware of what we are doing to our environment. The article titled Pricing Environmental Impacts by Walsh and Brown talks a little bit about farming issues and what is going on. It states that conventional farming techniques cause substantial soil erosion from the interaction of wind and water. This lost soil represents a significant economic burden for farmers who must cope with the fields’ reduced fertility, and it also causes serious ecological damage.

            All 3 articles are clearly stating issues that the fashion industry is bringing to the table. When asked if I find the apparel industry guilty of these issues, my answer is yes. Although the industry is creating problems for our environment, it cannot just up and end. We need the apparel industry and it is essential to us. I do believe that we can find ways to help these problems. The first way to do that is with awareness. I don’t think a lot of people are aware how much harm it is actually doing. The constant visits to the store downtown to buy a new shirt and skirt are fun, but if people knew it was hurting the climate, or causing extinction of species, they might re-think their purchases.

Same Problems. New Time.

            The problems our environment faces today are not new. They are simply the same type of problems with a new twist to them. In the article titled “A New Green History of the World: The Environment and the Collapse of Great Civilizations”, we are informed about environmental issues that the people of Easter Island faced years and years ago. It states that Easter Island is one of the most inhabited places on earth. It is only 400 square kilometers in area and lies on the Pacific Ocean near the west coast of South America. The first settlers, in a group of no more than 20-30 people, arrived at the island in the fifth century. From then, the population slowly increased. The islanders didn’t have much, but they found a way to survive with the resources they were given. They created one of the most advanced societies of its type. They had intense and elaborate set of social and religious customs that enabled them to meet all their needs. With increasing numbers and limited resources, the islanders began to experience defeat. Their necessary supplies eventually ran out, and the society collapsed.

            Like the Easter Islanders, we to have environmental issues. It is stated in the “Ecosystems and Human Well-Being” assessment that over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history. We are striving to meet the demanding needs for water, timber, fiber, and fuel, but hurting some walks of life here on Earth. We are experiencing problems in our cropland, our coral reefs, and we are using more than half of all the synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, which was manufactured in 1913. The number of species on planet earth is declining.  Over the past few hundred years, humans have increased the species extinction rate by as much as 1000 times over background rates typical over the planet’s history. The degradation of ecosystem services is harming many of the world’s poorest people and is sometimes the principal factor causing poverty.  The people of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, suffer from diseases which are caused by inadequate water and sanitation.

            Our situation is similar to that of the Easter Islanders. The islanders could not think of a successful way to manage their needs of food, water, and timber, while staying up with their environment. They eventually ran out of supplies and resorted to other methods of survival, which eventually ended their society as they knew it. We are harming our environment by pushing it in all different directions. We are harming our animals and seeing different species become extinct. We are seeing these problems occur, but we are not addressing these issues as we should. While having such a high demand for certain necessities, we need to be also searching for a way to stay up with our environment. Our resources our limited, and we need to keep that in mind.