March 2, 2022
It feels like everybody’s doing a whole lot less of everything these days – except worrying. But one advantage of the coronavirus lockdown is that all this sitting at home worrying has a low toll on the environment, compared to the ordinary state of things.
Fossil fuel-based carbon emissions are set to be down 5% on last year. Air pollution levels in London, England are the lowest they’ve been since at least 2000, when records began. Before anyone celebrates headline-grabbing factoids like these, though, it’s worth noting that last year’s carbon emissions equaled an astonishing 2.5bn tons; and London’s pollution levels were way above WHO-issued safety limits.
Many of us have grown accustomed to getting what we want, when we want, and the clothes we wear are no exception - the latest fashions are usually easily acc...
Another side-effect is that we’re buying fewer clothes. "People do not buy a new outfit to stay at home,” according to the boss of British multinational clothing retailer Next. While it is tragic for businesses that are failing and the workers who face unemployment, the trend also highlights how wasteful fashion can be. Experts at the Ellen Macarthur Foundation estimate that by 2050, we’ll put 150 million tons of textiles into landfill or the incinerator annually.
To help you imagine what that amount of clothing looks like, the boffins at Neomam Studios helpfully suggest 150m tons is equivalent to 330 billion women’s workout outfits or 937 billion men’s T-shirts. And just to underline the point, they’ve created a stunning new video illustrating how much clothing it would take to fill some of the most famous (and biggest) landmarks around the world, including Big Ben (363 tons), The Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico (59,766 tons), and the Empire State Building (81,853 tons). Still, a tiny fraction of 2.5 billion tons!
In the accompanying blog post, Neomam has further noted how long it would take to fill each of these structures with textiles at today’s rate of consumption. The Empire State Building, for example, would be filled in 4.8 hours – in other words, five times a day.
Neomam’s animation is beautiful to look at, and terrifying to think about. But it comes with good advice on steps you can take to reduce your own ‘textile footprint’ – especially useful if you’re using the lockdown to clear out your wardrobe. Never throw old clothes into the regular trash. Charity shops can make use of a lot of old stuff, and what they can’t sell to customers they can sell to the ‘rag men.’ Rags like these end up recycled into carpets, rugs, and increasingly in ‘sustainable fashion’ designs.
When the shops reopen and you feel the need to rejuvenate your look, be sure to check out the second-hand shops, or at least buy quality clothes that will last, and which are made from environmentally friendly fabrics. Generally, natural fibers (bamboo, cotton) take a much lower toll on the environment than fabrics like polyester.
However, it is essential to remember that the biggest impact on the textile iceberg can only be made from within the fashion industry itself. Shop smart, let business leaders know what you think and vote with your conscience.
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