It has never been more important to start make more ethical choices in terms of what you wear. Here are five choices everyone can start making.
- Choose environmentally friendly fibres grown from sustainable crops. Hemp, linen, bamboo and organic cotton are all positive choices. Tencel is also environmentally friendly. Eucalyptus trees are grown in planted forests that are pesticide free. Natural fibres that are breathable, feel fabulous to wear, and are so much kinder to the planet.
- Choose environmentally friendly production processes. This means the manufacturers not using dyes and toxic chemicals that harm and pollute. Look out for azo-free dyes, which do not contain carcinogenic and toxic compounds, and have a low environmental impact.
- Choose fair pay and humane work conditions for those making the clothes. See what steps the manufacturer is taking to ensure the people who make the clothes are not exploited and do not suffer.
- Choose traditionally made textiles that keep skilled crafts people and the communities they work in alive and thriving.
- Choose to re-use and recycle Buying ethical doesn’t mean buying new. The amount of clothes that are being thrown away is vast – apparently, according to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, this equates to a truckload wasted every second across the world! Wearing preloved clothes is one of the very best ways to be ethical on a budget.
