Why we should be thinking more about the first thing we put on in the morning
There are major social and environmental impacts created by buying cheep non sustainable underwear! Most fast fashion retailers use virgin Polyester and GMO cotton in their manufacturing. This in hand with the quality and life span of the pants contribute to huge damages to the planet we all live on as well as exploiting a huge number of people that stand on it. The fashion industry is becoming more conscious. But is this consciousness being directed to the first thing we put on in the morning that can’t be bought second hand?
We are all guilty of purchasing a cheep multi pack of knickers on the high street. But what is the real cost?
on average a simple pare of knickers produces 1.9kg of Co2.
Vivienne Westwood: “Buy less, choose well and make it last”
Questions we should ask before buying underwear.
Is it organic? There are many problems associated with cotton production, from the use of child labour to the widespread use of toxic pesticides. Look for 100% organic cotton.
Who made it? Transparency is something a lot of fast fashion brands do not have. What are they hiding? Why can this product possibly be so cheep? if these companies were to be transparent would anyone buy anything from them? (Probably not)
Is it polyester? Over 70 million barrels of petroleum are used to make polyester each year. It is the single most common fabric used in our clothes. It has been linked with marine pollution, contributing to the 85% of human-made material found along ocean shores. A study from Cairo University’s Department of Surgery and Experimental Research (1993) found that undergarments made with polyester “significantly reduced the sexual success of male rats.” In other words, the synthetics caused impotence. *https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/lifestyle-monitor/underwear-health-113797/
Polyester is NOT a sustainable textile option. It is made from PLASTIC. but the question lies around recycled polyester. Recycling and melting down used plastic and re spinning it into fibre. Five soda bottles yields enough fibre to make one extra large T-shirt. This sounds great … It stops plastic from reaching our oceans, going to land fill or washing up on our beaches. Uses 59% less energy than Virgin Polyester and the quality is almost equal, and there is less extraction of crude oil and natural gas from the earth to make more plastic. However it is still plastic ! most clothes will be polyester blended with other materials and is then near on impossible to recycle them. Pure Polyester cannot be recycled forever. Each time the strength of the fibres degrades and becomes weaker! One fact that we cannot ignore is that however sustainable you are trying to be polyester will release micro plastics! According to a study from Plymouth University, each cycle of a washing machine can release more than 700,000 plastic fibres into the environment. It doesn’t matter if garments are from virgin or recycled polyester, they both contribute to micro-plastics pollution.