FASHION COSTS THE EARTH

For many who say ‘I have so many clothes I don’t know what I’ve got’ I invite you to reconsider. Continuous consumerism is wrecking our planet and fashion is a key culprit. I was shocked by Stacey Dooley’s documentary on how much water is used to make one cotton jacket, 10,330 litres, which is the equivalent of enough drinking water for one person for 24 years. As Stacey says, ‘It’s not that people don’t care, they don’t know’. We live in an age where online shopping is so easy and for some compulsive. With these statistics we need to change our habits now!

Man made fibres fare no better making the garment industry the second worst polluter. Toxic chemicals and by-products are polluting the waterways mainly in developing countries where water is often scarce and sanitation rare. In addition, child labour and modern-day slavery abound. The endless churn of cheap clothing that ends up in landfills or on far flung beaches adds to the environmental impact that we are all responsible for.

Gulp say 60% of textiles are now made from plastic fibres. Every time we turn on the washing machine 700,000 plastic fibres are released into the water ways. ‘These microfibres are one of the Largest sources of microplastic pollution in our oceans ending up in our food chain and ultimately our bloodstream. gulp.online based in Bristol are developing a filter to deal with this crucial issue.

At COP Dorset I was delighted to meet Jennifer Morisetti of Hawkers Farm Stour Provost www. hawkersfarm.org. She runs workshops on upcycling, mending and has a ‘Wear Me out Clothing Library’, where you can borrow occasion clothes, including handbags and hats. For me there is no shame in wearing the same clothes until they are threadbare, or moth holed knitwear, buying from charity shops rather than dumping unwanted clothes. Wearing what you have differently, engaging with imaginative combinations. Becoming part of the change could be fun, either way our future depends on it.

Laura Baxter