How Clothing Affects the Environment

Fashion moves faster and faster with each passing year, and with it goes your average consumer. We're living in a world of "fast fashion", in which clothes are designed, manufactured, purchased and disposed of at a staggering rate. While we run ourselves ragged in keeping up with the latest trends, do we ever stop to consider what this rapid pace is doing to Mother Earth?

It's doing a lot, apparently. Many clothing manufacturing processes produce a lot of chemical waste that finds its way into our water. Dyes, bleach, and even formaldehyde are mixed into the water wasted generated by these factories and seep into our rivers and lakes. These substances not only contain toxins that are harmful to the environment, but some of them are also recognized carcinogens.

Synthetic fibers are often made with petroleum-based products that contribute to ozone depletion. Nylon, for example, has nitrous oxide as a manufacturing byproduct. This greenhouse gas is more than 300% worse than carbon dioxide. These artificial fabrics are also usually non-biodegradable, and discarded clothing made from these materials can sit in landfills for decades. Combine this with how quickly modern consumers buy and then get rid of clothing, and you've got a waste management problem.

Even plant-derived fabrics play an indirect role in harming the environment, outside of the manufacturing process. While the crops themselves don't do any damage, the pesticides used to protect are a significant source of environmental degradation. 

Supporting 100% organic clothing is more important than ever these days. By wearing chemical-free garments, you're effectively reducing your own pollution footprint while increasing the demand for environmentally conscious clothing. We at Cottonique firmly believe that we have a responsibility to our planet, and do our best in providing you with organic, Earth-friendly apparel. Together, we can work together in making sustainable clothing solutions the latest trend.