(Sustainable fashion is more than just a trendy or cool fad that is being talked about. With environmental issues spiraling, sustainability in fashion is a lifestyle choice that every fashionista should and must make. As of today, the fashion industry makes up 10% of global emissions, pollute our rivers and streams and dries up our water resources. Right from the littlest of things, down to the biggest, practicing sustainability in fashion is a lifestyle choice and can be habit-forming when done right.
Every travel blog and travel influencer has been leveraging on the green travel and sustainable fashion trend. But what is sustainable fashion and green travel, really? And why is sustainable fashion important? Does it mean pitching tents and going on foot while traveling, or making ethical women's sustainable clothing and sustainable fashion choices, or going completely green with sustainable fashion? And how do you know if a brand that calls itself a sustainable lifestyle brand is really green?
1.Go on foot when possible & wear green footwear otherwise -
The apparel and footwear industries are said to account for 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. So right from your footwear choice to your pick of clothes, sustainability in fashion should be a choice. There’s nothing better than the joy of walking on foot while exploring a new city. Travel by foot whenever possible, and during other times, consider using the shared local transport like the train or bus instead of renting a private vehicle to get around. Many animal and eco-friendly shoe brands like Reebok, Natice Shoes and more, are upping their shoe game with vegan, eco-friendly shoes as a sustainable fashion trend.
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2. Travel sustainably -
Globally, it is said that the transportation industry contributes to about 20% of CO2 world emissions. Sustainable travel, or ecotourism as some like to call it, is all about making simpler and smarter travel decisions such that you decrease its negative impact on the environment. According to Sustainable Development, Tourism is said to be responsible for 5% of the world’s emissions, with tourism contributing to 4.7% of global warming in terms of radiative forcing. The transport sector (air, car, and rail) is said to generate the largest proportion, accounting for 75% of all emissions.
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3.Shop sustainable fashion -
Whether you’re in your home city, or traveling, sustainability in fashion as a lifestyle choice goes to the basics of picking the right fabrics that don’t eventually land up in landfills, carrying your own shopping bags and investing in sustainable fashion choices while shopping.
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4. Respect the land, say no to plastics -
Fashion production today accounts for 10% or a total of global emissions. And 85% of all garments and textiles go into the garbage every year. Simple things like not hoarding up, avoiding the use of plastics, adopting recyclables in a sustainable fashion to making smarter sustainable lifestyle choices can go a long way in preserving our environment.
While traveling, respect the land you are in, and reconsider before you throw that piece of scrap on the ground. Avoid littering and right down from choosing the right fabric to conserving water, think sustainability in fashion.
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5. Save energy, Plant a tree -
If everyone on the planet took this up as a challenge and planted a tree on Earth Day, there will be 6 billion more trees than yesterday, and these trees would eliminate an estimate of 27 million metric tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere year on year. The next time you’re traveling, be that woke traveler who leaves a slew of newly planted trees in their leaving. Make sustainability in fashion and sustainable lifestyle a daily choice, and inspire others to do so as well.
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With the fashion industry accounting for a huge part of global emissions and environmental damage, it’s easy to take, but it is not as easy to give. The next time you’re traveling, choosing to plant a tree in every city you’re in may go a long way in preserving our environment, both for us and the generations after us.
It’s important to ask the right questions when considering joining the sustainability fashion trend and make sustainability in fashion a lifestyle choice. Right from purchasing the right fabric to ethical fashion choices, sustainability in fashion is a way of life that can be practiced by anyone and anywhere, and will help reduce environmental damage. Being nurturers and protectors of the environment, there’s a lot we can do to reverse the damage of the years before us. It is never too late to adopt sustainability in fashion as a lifestyle choice.
Published by: Vibhuti Vazirani/ 2019-12-09