Ethical and sustainable fashion is on the rise which is great because we as humans should be looking out for each other, as well as protecting the environment. 75% of consumers are more mindful of environmental and social responsibility according to the Global Fashion Agenda’s Pulse 2019 survey. However, only 61% of companies are investing in sustainable fibres and just 5% can show that they are paying workers a living wage at the final production stage according to The 2019 Ethical Fashion Report: The Truth Behind the Barcode by Baptist World Aid Australia. I am now making a conscious decision to buy more ethical and sustainable brands.
The words, ‘ethical’ and ‘sustainable’ are used interchangeably at times which is wrong because they have different meanings. Ethical fashion is to do with the workers who are involved in the manufacturing and supply of fashion apparel. It refers to their wages, working conditions, working hours, their human rights, as well as their health and safety. It also has to do with minimising environmental harm. Sustainable fashion covers the life cycle of products, the raw materials used to make them, the methods used in the production stage, transport, storage and how easy it is to reuse, repair, remake and recycle the product and its materials. I put together a list of ethical and sustainable brands for you so you can make this your go to guide. |