Fashion is costing the earth

It’s a bit of a stretch to describe polyester as “luxurious”. It’s used in about 60% of our clothes and is made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource (see our Table). And, once that jumper’s done its dash, it’s unlikely it’ll be recycled into new clothing – it’s cheaper to make polyester from scratch than to recycle.

At budget retailer The Warehouse, 38% of clothing is made from polyester and other synthetic fibres (acrylic, nylon and elastane). Another 36% is made from cotton blended with synthetics. The rest is cotton or wool. The company said it’s aware of the effects of manufactured textiles and intends “to move towards higher percentages of sustainable fibres”.

Fast-fashion fix

Cheap synthetic fabrics, coupled with inexpensive labour in countries such as China and Bangladesh, have made clothing more affordable. Prices for women’s clothing have fallen 3% in the past two years.

Some of us ease our minds, and bulging wardrobes, by dropping off used clothes to charity shops. However, it’s far from a perfect fix.

Last year, New Zealand exported more than 6549 tonnes of used clothes. Most went to Papua New Guinea, with the rest going as far as the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands.

The Salvation Army estimates about 20% of donated stock goes to the tip. Some Red Cross shops mend clothes and turn leftover stock into shopping bags. However, even then there are garments that just can’t be saved and end up in the landfill.

“Fast fashion has created cheaply made clothing that often won’t last the life of one person, let alone multiple [people],” said Millie Lambess, St Vincent de Paul Society Wellington communications and marketing manager.

Suitable items that can’t be sold or repurposed at St Vinnies are given to Save Mart, a business that operates clothing bins and sells second-hand garments at its outlets.

“Currently this is the only option for these goods instead of sending to landfill, but we’re always looking at new opportunities for sustainable distribution” Ms Lambess said.

Save Mart said what it can’t sell locally, then goes overseas. Clothes that can’t be worn, go to landfill.

Last year, New Zealand exported more than 6549 tonnes of used clothes. Most went to Papua New Guinea, with the rest going as far as the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands.

Greening your wardrobe

What can you do to avoid adding to the problem? Here’s our advice:

• Whether buying new or second-hand, look for quality garments with good stitching and fastenings.
• If you want to avoid plastic-based fabrics, check what the clothing is made from (see our Table). (All new garments must have a label telling you what it’s made from and where it was made.)
• Treat your clothes with care and they’ll last longer. Washing too often increases wear and tear on the fibres. You can save money and reduce environmental impacts by washing in cold water and line drying.

  

• Can it be fixed? Mend clothing rather than buying new. If you’re not skilled with a needle and thread, there are repair services that can do the work.
• Check what the clothing stores you buy from do to minimise the environmental impact of their products.
• Rent clothes for special occasions rather than buying something you’ll wear once. There are clothes rental services, such as Designer Wardrobe or The Borrowed Collective. You could also get together with friends and hold a clothes swap.
• Don’t wear it anymore? Bag up your used quality clothes and donate them to a charity shop. If it’s not suitable to donate, use it as a duster or cloth, or get creative (see “Waste not, want not”)
• You can also sell good quality second-hand clothes on Trade Me, or pop into used clothing stores, such the Recycle Boutique, to see whether they’ll sell it on your behalf for a 50% fee.

Compare fabrics

Organic cotton

Buying a garment made from organic cotton means you’re getting clothing produced to a higher environmental standard. However, it isn’t always easy to tell whether it’s the real deal.

We bought a T-shirt advertised as 100% organic cotton from Postie for $5, but there was nothing at the online checkout or on the shirt to back up its organic claim. The T-shirt tag had a logo that could have been mistaken for an organic certification tick – but it wasn’t an official stamp of approval.

Getting information about the shirt shows how complicated the fashion supply chain can be. Postie bought cotton certified under the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

Although Postie said the shirt was made in a GOTS-certified factory, the cut, sew and trim process weren’t GOTS certified, so it didn’t apply for the logo.

The store said it would “review GOTS certification of products going forward”.

There are two GOTS certifications: its “organic” certification requires a product to have at least 95% organic fibres; its “made with organic” label requires at least 70% organic fibres.

The other main organic standard for textiles is the Organic Content Standard (OCS). It also has two certifications: OCS 100, which means the product has 95% organic material, and OCS blended, which means the product has at least 5% organic material.