Your coffee is free trade, and you only drink organic coffee. But what do you dress in? Will you be as concerned with what happens to your body as you are about what you put into it? Sustainable fashion is also a big part of sustainable living. Second-hand and vintage items are amazing. Buying goods from companies that recycle or are entirely vegan is also common. Designers who use polyester, water, glass, and even nets to make clothes from recycled plastics are the next big trend in a sustainable fashion. .Every single piece of plastic ever manufactured is still available today. The majority of plastics are not biodegradable; instead, they break down into smaller and smaller pieces and are discarded into the ocean. They are consumed by hundreds of animal species with much more waste than we can comprehend. It’s not a new concept to transform recycled PET bottles into clothes. To curb global plastic waste, an increasing number of textile companies, enterprises, and environmental organizations have begun to convert plastics into sustainable clothing in recent years promoting sustainable fashion.
However, there is a minor flaw with this approach. According to new research, microfibers tiny synthetic threads less than one mm in diameter — may now be the most significant source of plastic in the ocean. If this is the case, recycled plastic clothing can do more harm than good. Plastic must be phased out, but it will take time as companies and individuals continue to reduce its use.
If we continue to use and dispose of plastic at our current pace, the planet will have 400 million metric tonnes of plastic by 2050. This is where recycling takes place. Even though only a small portion of plastic is actually recycled, an increasing number of models are turning plastic residues into clothes and accessories – as you would expect. Why not put it on if it’s going to last hundreds of years?
So, in the war on waste, we found sustainable fashion labels that picked up trash and gave it a new lease on life. Some of the most renowned sustainable fashion houses use recycled plastic to make sustainable clothing and promoting sustainable fashion.
Spearheading the Sustainable Fashion Parade!
Sustainable fashion is also acknowledged as eco-fashion and it concerns more than just addressing fashion products. Sustainable fashion is about producing socio-economically sustainable clothes, shoes and accessories which inspire a change in behaviour and attitudes. Ethical fashion, a similar term, also refers to clothing made in ways that value social and economical health and well being. Thus, ethical and sustainable fashion are tied together.
If you buy and wear the clothes and then throw them when you’re done, it goes to incineration. So only 25% of clothing is recycled.
For the fashion trade to become more sustainable, the industry needs to develop systems whereby garments become recyclable after use.
Ecoalf
This Spanish fashion label was built on the principles of recycling to create a genuinely sustainable brand. Ecoalf’s outerwear and swimsuit lines are made from recycled fishing nets, post-consumer plastic bottles, worn-out tyres, post-industrial cotton, and even coffee grinds. The website says: “In order to ensure 100 per cent transparency and provide the highest levels of quality, our team manages the full process from waste collection to recycling technologies, manufacture, design and retail.”
Gucci
Gucci was one of the first luxury fashion houses to use ECONYL® in their men’s outerwear; a 100 per cent regenerated nylon yarn made from recycled fishing nets. The brand’s transition from virgin to recycled plastic starting in 2015 is illustrated in Gucci Equilibrium, a forum highlighting the brand’s work to bring meaningful improvements to the fashion industry and promote sustainable fashion.
Bethany Williams
According to Bethany Williams, social and environmental problems are inextricably linked, and understanding the relationship between them can help us develop innovative sustainable solutions. Even the buttons are handcrafted in the Lake District, and they manufacture 100% sustainable clothing in the UK. Kris McAllister and Mustapha, both homeless and unemployed in London, were cast for the collection Women of Change by TIH Models, a new modelling agency serving youth in London affected by homelessness.
Doodlage
Doodlage is an excellent example of sustainable fashion and innovative growth in India. These are made from environmentally sustainable organic cotton, maize, and banana fabrics. Another fabric source is the export “wastage” of left-hand or inferior recycled textiles from major manufacturers. These also have products that many retailers have not used since cutting. Such bits and pieces come along, each with their own history, much like a puzzle piece.
Re;code
Re; code is a Korean upcycling brand. – product in the collection has a unique storey to tell, and instead of waste, it creates a new value culture. The ‘Goodwill Shop’ is designed to repair, and renovation of saved objects, and the ‘Study for the Mentally Handicapped’ is built for research for the mentally handicapped.
Girlfriend Collective
Girlfriend Collective is a straightforward organization that manufactures recycled plastic sports arms and leggings ethically. Recycled fishing nets are transformed into ECONYL ® using recycled polyester made from Taiwanese plastic bottles and nylon, which would otherwise suffocate countless marine creatures in the ocean. With their wetting capacity, both materials are ideal for active clothing. GC can produce trendy apparel for anyone in a range of OEKO-certified, healthy-treated colours ranging from XXS to XXXL. This up-and-coming Athleisure brand is dedicated to using recycled fabrics and responsible manufacturing practices to create its clothes. Girlfriend Collective began by giving away free leggings to promote its collection. Twenty-five post-consumer recycled plastic bottles from Taiwan were used to create the original leggings. The Lite Collection, a new line of lightweight workout clothing made from recycled fishing nets, has just been launched.
Veja
Veja, a French company renowned for producing sustainable shoes, has introduced a new material called B-mesh (“Bottle Mesh”) that takes fair-trade footwear and accessories to the next level. Three bottles are included in each pair of sneakers. They produce a fabric that is both breathable and waterproof, making it ideal for footwear. You can also make the remaining shoe happy by using many environmentally friendly items like organic cotton and rubber from farmers who make a living.
Patagonia
Patagonia produces tough outerwear made with a significant proportion of environmentally friendly fabrics, including recycled down, wool, and polyester. They started making fleece out of recycled plastic bottles in 1993, and their materials have only gotten better since then. Patagonia has a repair and reuse programme in place, and your Patagonia goods can last a long time. Patagonia has been the first company to make waste fleece from recycled polyester produced from post-consumer soda bottles since 1993. The business now makes recycled polyester fabrics from a combination of tobacco, waste, and old clothing.
Mara Hoffman
Mara Hoffman is a high-end women’s fashion brand with long-lasting and high-quality designer garments. It uses a variety of environmentally friendly materials, including GOTS certified cotton, recycled nylon, and recycled polyester, as well as Oeko-Tex STeP certified products in some cases. Mara Hoffman has you covered from the beach to the altar and anywhere in between, with block colours and bubbly designs. Thats all about plastic for sustainable fashion. Click Here to know about sustainable buildings.