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When we shop, we think of numbers: How many dollars does this shirt cost? What percent discount will I get in today’s sale? How many pairs of socks do I need to buy to get a deal? But chances are, there are some numbers most of us don’t think of: Producing one T-shirt uses about 2,700 liters of water, the same amount that the average person drinks over the course of 900 days. Every year, more than 80 billion pieces of clothing are made worldwide. After we're ready to discard a garment, three out of four end up in landfills or incinerated. And the apparel industry as a whole is the second largest polluter in the world, after oil.
Given those statistics, it’s no wonder eco-friendly fashion is becoming increasingly prominent and popular. But, for all of the claims of conscious clothing, there’s not always a wealth of accompanying information. What does it really mean to be eco-friendly in the fashion world? Here’s what you need to know.
What does eco-friendly really mean?Just as the environment is complex, so is the concept of being environmentally friendly. “Eco-friendly is a term that’s thrown around these days, but it’s important to understand it spans from the fabric that your clothing is made from to the factories where your clothing is made,” Helena Barbour, business director of sportswear at Patagonia, tells Teen Vogue. “It includes the way your clothing is dyed and how the waste water is handled. What are the working conditions in those factories? Are the workers who make your clothing paid a fair wage? Is your clothing high-quality or does it fall apart after a few wears? How transparent is the brand whom you purchase your clothing from? Does that company offer you a way to recycle or repair your garment? These are just a sampling of the questions that go into what eco-friendly means.”
When it comes to materials, Sofia Shannon, creative director for AMUR (A Mindful Use of Resources), tells Teen Vogue, organic cotton is a great eco-friendly option. “However, cotton requires a lot of water, so you can choose alternatives like hemp or linen instead, which are fibers that require much less water to grow,” she says. Overall, Shannon says, natural fibers like silk, linen, wool, and organic cotton are all better choices than synthetic materials like polyester and nylon, which are made with fossil fuels in a process that emits large amounts of carbon dioxide and are not biodegradable. In fact, according to Greenpeace, CO2 emissions from polyester, which is currently used in 60% of our garments, is almost three times higher than those for cotton, and its fibers are released when washed, eventually leaking into rivers and seas where they can take decades to degrade and harm both aquatic life and humans (once they’re in our water supply). If you do purchase garments made with synthetic fabrics, opt for pieces that were made with recycled fibers rather than new, or “virgin,” materials.
There are some fabrics, like bamboo and Tencel, that are man-made but derived from natural materials. While those are often considered eco-friendly (certainly more so than options like polyester and nylon), Barbour warns that they might not be so great. “Beware of greenwashing when talking about ‘green fibers,’” she says. “One would think bamboo fabric is eco-friendly, but the harsh chemicals needed to turn the fiber into a soft fabric are horrible for the environment.”
As for shipping and distribution, “packaging contributes to the increase in waste,” Evan Toporek, CEO of Alternative Apparel, tells Teen Vogue. “We use oxo-biodegradable mailer bags, which contain no heavy metals and have an 18-month lifespan to biodegrade compared to decades with traditional plastic.”
The location of factories and suppliers is also important. “Our garments can be made in one country, with the fabric coming from another, then dyed in a different country all before getting shipped to the U.S. to be sold,” Barbour says. “Having a strong CSR [Corporate Social Responsibility] team that is dedicated to making the distribution process as streamlined and environmentally-friendly as possible is key.”
Companies can also contribute to being eco-friendly by doing things like using renewable energy sources and donating money to environmental organizations. “No matter what you do there is waste, but you mitigate what you can,” Jade Gedeon, founder and designer of We Dream in Colour, tells Teen Vogue. “Shipping adds challenges, [but] we purchase carbon offsets for transportation and use recycled materials to ship our products.”
What about jewelry?There’s much talk about organic cotton and clothing, but eco-friendly fashion applies to jewelry and accessories as well. “Non-eco-friendly jewelry disrupts our environment by causing soil erosion, deforestation, population relocation and much more,” Suzanne Miglucci, CEO of Charles & Colvard, tells Teen Vogue. “Rivers and streams adjacent to mines are polluted, which in turn destroys ecosystems and the wildlife within that habitat. There are also many aftereffects once the mines have been abandoned, such as stagnant disease-filled water that collects in leftover pits.”
To mitigate that damage, jewelry companies like Charles & Colvard and We Dream in Colour opt to use conflict-free materials, like recycled metals and lab-created gemstones, and avoid harmful chemicals in the process.
How does the term apply to mass versus indie brands?There’s not a black-and-white distinction between how mass and indie brands implement (or don’t implement) eco-friendly policies. While fast-fashion has come under fire for its use of cheap (and harmful) materials and labor conditions, as well as its excessive production, many mass fashion companies, like H&M, are taking steps to become more eco-conscious.
That said, Kirsten Brodde, the Detox My Fashion project lead at Greenpeace Germany, tells Teen Vogue that the fast-fashion sector is far from closing the circular fashion loop of making long-lasting and recycled, eco-friendly garments. “We need to rather look out for small brands that are more radical in their approach,” the spokesperson says. “For example, offering free repair services like the Swedish denim brand Nudie, lending like the Dutch brand Mud Jeans, or guaranteeing longevity like the UK brand Tom Cridland’s ‘30 Years Sweatshirt.’”
Ultimately, both mass and indie brands will always exist, and they all have the ability — and the responsibility — to commit to eco-friendly practices. “Every brand, big or small, can make an impact via the way they make their clothing and how they treat the people [who] make it,” Barbour says. “Whether you are big or small, start taking the necessary steps to clean up your product and/or business. Each step is important.”
How can shoppers check to see if a brand is really eco-friendly?Brands can easily tack the term “eco-friendly” onto their ads, websites, and signs — even if their actual practices and materials are really only loosely considered such. And that puts the onus on us, the consumers, to dig a bit deeper and ensure we’re shopping responsibly.
Start by checking product labels and website descriptions to make sure what you’re buying uses natural or forest-friendly fibers, rather than synthetic ones. Some labels even tout a brand’s green certifications, which can tell you more about the company’s eco-friendly practices beyond the materials. Debora Pokallus, CEO of Bel Esprit Showroom, an international showroom for ethical fashion, suggests cross-checking labels with Ecolabel Index, which will not only tell you what certification a symbol represents, but also what’s required to achieve that certification. “One of the most reputable standards in the fashion industry is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), globally recognized certification for textiles made from organic fibers,” she says.
If the information isn’t on the labels themselves, browse brands’ or stores’ websites to see if it’s there instead. Still not finding it? Don’t be afraid to ask. If a company is truly eco-friendly, it shouldn’t have a problem with disclosing its practices with you. “The number one practice of all true eco-friendly brands is transparency,” Miglucci says. “As a consumer, you should be able to look at the source of a product, find out who a product is manufactured from, and understand the vendor partner community a business is involved with.”
As for donations made to environmental organizations, some companies, like We Dream in Colour, do so through 1% for the Planet, which acts as a middleman and ensures the dollars businesses are donating go to vetted, trusted nonprofits. Curious if a brand you shop with is member? Search the directory to find out.
And if a brand you like isn’t holding up its end of the eco-friendly bargain, tell them how feel about it. “Reach out to your favorite brands and challenge them to do better,” Barbour says. “Consumers underestimate the impact they can have on brands.”
What does “fair labor practices” mean?Simply put, “fair labor means that the humans who make your clothing are considered,” Barbour says.
But it’s more than just a concept. “Fair labor practices encompasses the principles outlined in the [United Nations] Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Pokallus says. “Article 23 outlines the rights of workers to be paid a fair wage, work in a safe environment, and negotiate the terms of their employment (among other rights).”
That doesn’t mean all companies abide, though. The fashion industry is unfortunately rife with human rights violations. “To compete in the ongoing race to make and sell clothes that are ever cheaper, the textile industry has relocated to countries with low labour costs and inadequate regulations,” Greenpeace notes in its “Timeout For Fast Fashion” report. “Despite regular media attention and NGO [non-governmental organization] campaigns, suppliers in those countries are being pushed beyond their limits, with significant environmental and social impacts, such as...unacceptable working conditions and the use of child labour.”
Organizations like the Fair Trade Federation and Fair Trade USA work to promote and ensure partner or member companies abide by fair labor practices. Want to be sure you’re supporting companies that implement such practices? Look on their websites or ask about any labor certifications they have, and research what those certifications actually mean and what’s required for companies to obtain them.
The bottom line? “Eco-friendly fashion” is no simple concept. But it seems every day, there are more resources available for us to ensure we’re buying responsibly to protect the planet. And there are more companies stepping up to the environmentally-conscious plate. The Greenpeace Detox campaign challenges companies to eliminate hazardous chemicals from their supply chain, and Brodde tells Teen Vogue that 79 brands are currently committed to doing so: “[In] 2011, in the beginning of the campaign, companies still refused these actions as impossible — but six years later, the industry is accepting no hazardous chemicals as a new standard. This should remind us that change is always possible — if we really want it and work together, we can achieve a green future.”
Related: Your Obsession With Zara Is Actually Harming the Planet
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