Ditch Fast Fashion And Switch To Hemp Clothing Before All’s Lost

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Fast fashion refers to low-cost clothing collections that imitate contemporary luxury fashion trends. It allows you to get the appearance of luxury clothing for cheap.

This fashion is highly unsustainable.

These trends change every other day. What you consumed yesterday, ends up in the trash the next day. This leads to an increase in wastage and filling of lands. It is also an extra burden on your limited resources.

The massive 2.5 trillion dollar fashion thrives economically on unsustainability and exploitation of workers. Fashion is the second-largest polluting industry after fossil fuels. Pollutive waste and emissions have caused irreversible damage to our plant.

Your favorite retail chains like Zara and H&M have almost 52 micro-seasons a year. Being ‘trendy’ is harder than ever. Fast fashion giants H&M and Forever 21 receive new garment shipments every day. Topshop features 400 new styles every week, while Zara releases 20,000 designs annually.

You might not even realize that what you’re consuming is fast fashion.

By purchasing fast fashion you not only contribute to the depletion of the environment but also the exploitative treatments of the workers. It’s time for you to evaluate your choices.

Fast fashion isn’t kind to its workers

  • Your favorite fast fashion brands generally have headquarters in first-world countries. However, were you aware that they generally outsource manufacturing to third-world countries? In these countries, they have no legal obligation to create decent working conditions in these facilities. Workers are less likely to report abuse. If they do, they’re blacklisted (unable to find jobs in any other factory).
  • Most of the manufacturing process happens in developing countries such as China, Bangladesh, or India. These countries are essentially powered by coal. This is the dirtiest type of energy in terms of carbon emissions.
  • By paying for fast fashion you are also supporting gender-based violence. So, the t-Shirt you own that says ‘feminist’. Behind the scenes is the exploitation of women. Women are the majority of the garment workforce in fast fashion supplier factories. Men occupy managerial positions. The hierarchy gives these men the power to exploit. This leaves them vulnerable to sexual and physical abuse.

Your wardrobe is stifling your planet

  • The fashion industry after the oil industry is the second largest polluter in the world.
  • Do you choose to not use straws at restaurants? Well, your clothing does much more harm to the ocean than any straws. More than 1,900 fibers can be shed by a synthetic clothing garment during washing. These fibers generally end up in the stomachs of marine animals. It might also be in your seafood.
  • Huge quantities of freshwater are used for the dyeing and finishing process for your fast fashion clothes. Up to 200 tons of freshwater per ton of dyed fabric
  • You, the average American purchases about 70 pieces of clothing each year. And you only spend less than 3.5 percent of your disposable income on clothes. Only 2 percent of these garments are manufactured in the U.S.

How do you recognize fast fashion clothing?

Most of the major apparel brands in America are fast-fashion chains, like Zara, H&M, GAP, Primark, etc.

To recognize if a brand is fast fashion, you just have to put in a little research.

  • Visit their social media profile and website. Check what they say about their manufacturing process.
  • Check if they are transparent with information about its supply chain, facilities, processes, values, and management strategies. If the brand is trying to hide such information, they’re probably engaged in unethical practices.
  • Check the material they use. Low-quality material indicates fast fashion.
  • Check how often they’re coming up with new collections. Fast fashion brands renew their collections frequently.
  • Ask the store for more information. If they refuse to answer, they may be guilty of unethical practices.
  • Although brands like H&M have lines of sustainable fashion, the company is still responsible for worker exploitation and environmental exploitation via different clothing lines that they produce.

How you can change your ways…

There are many ways to make a shift to becoming an ethical consumer. The process can be time-consuming.

However, you do not want to fund the horrors of fashion. We recommend that you should switch to hemp clothing.

  • Start thrifting. You can online websites or thrift stores.
  • Buy from local boutiques. You also support local businesses in this manner.
  • Invest in timeless and expensive clothing
  • Reuse and recycle
  • Switch to hemp clothing

Switch to hemp, today.

  • Hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species. It can be used to make a wide array of products, including commercial items like clothing and paper.
  • Although cannabis as a drug and industrial hemp are both derived from the species Cannabis sativa and contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), you do not have to worry about supporting the usage of drugs.

Hemp and cannabis are distinct strains with different uses. The lower concentrations of THC and higher concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD), rids hemp of its psychoactive effects.

  • Hemp is an environmentally sustainable crop. As opposed to fabrics like cotton which require high inputs and consume excess water, hemp is a low input crop. It takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt. Hemp requires lesser water, pesticides, insecticides etc.
  • Because cotton is a high input crop, chemicals in cotton farming cause diseases and premature death among cotton farmers. Hemp requires four times less water than cotton and produces twice the yield.
  • Hemp plants have the ability to absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, providing air quality and thermal balance.
  • The hemp plant is cultivated and broken down, then the fibers of the plant are extracted and spun to make textiles.
  • When you pick hemp clothing, you pick the sustainable option. Hemp is also recyclable, non-toxic, and biodegradable. You also get high strength and durability with hemp fabric.
  • If you’re looking for outdoor gear, you should definitely pick hemp fabric. Your clothes will be highly absorbent and breathable. Along with this, the clothing will also be UV, mold, and mildew resistant.
  • Hemp clothing gets softer with each wash. When you do wash hemp clothing, it is easy, no-hassle clean.

How to support ethical working conditions and sustainable practices?

Merely, switching to hemp fabrics does not guarantee an ethical work environment for the workers. Hence, you need to look into the working conditions of the employees. Ensure that the company does not support exploitative practices. We recommend buying from Hemp Foundation.

This foundation is attempting to build a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive future for the Indian Himalayan Region through promoting industrial Hemp cultivation and use.

 By purchasing from this foundation, you contribute to this noble mission.

They’re trying to generate more sustainable sustenance options for local communities and also working towards women empowerment.

You can help the struggling farmers. This foundation is using barren land to cultivate hemp.

Instead of funding worker exploitation, Hemp Foundation offers you the opportunity to help refine the knowledge of organic farming techniques among these farmers.

Purchase this fabric crafted by the hardworking women of Uttarakhand. The farming practices are 100% organic. The fabric has an excellent feel, looks amazing, and will last for years.

Support hemp, support positive change

In today’s world, when climate change has become a crippling issue, America has emerged as the second-largest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions globally.

You are a part of this number. You need to take steps to change your lifestyle and contribute to the larger change.

The easiest way to do this is to switch from fast-fashion to hemp clothing. By doing that, you reduce the burden on the environment and also invest in a crop that is environmentally sustainable.

You also create a market for sustainable clothing and humane working conditions. This urges other brands to also tap into that market. Hence, the rising awareness of the consumer forces the companies to shift from fast fashion to sustainable clothing.

Purchasing from Hemp Foundation ensures that you receive 100% organic products. Apart from not paying for worker exploitation, you actually help fund better job creation and sustainability.

The new emerging trend is that of sustainability. You can be a part of this change.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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