Day #10: Sustainable Fashion

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Did you know that it takes almost 3,000 liters of water to make one cotton t-shirt? Or that 60% of all clothing is made from synthetic fibers that release microplastics when washed? At least 35% of all ocean microplastic pollution is estimated to be from these clothes. Much of the worst environmental impacts of the industry come from “fast fashion”. Fast fashion generally refers to a business model of mass-producing and transporting trendy new styles for low-costs before the interest fades.

Change is underway in parts of the fashion industry, but there are many different environmental issues to address still. The great news? You can still be as fashionable as you like, while also helping make the industry more sustainable.

Take Action!

Sign earthday.org’s petition: The Fashion Industry Must Change and set aside clothes that you plan to repair, repurpose, or donate.

Join Earthday.org’s call-to-action My Planet, My Closet

Inspiration:

Sankofa Empowering Women in Ghana (SEWING) is a youth-led project with a mission to empower young girls living in Northern Ghana and build long-lasting relationships with the greater Kopella community by promoting educational and economic opportunities to advance gender equality. The project was founded by PeaceJam Mid-Atlantic youth leaders Samantha Jayasundera, Simona Letizia, Queen Balina, and Zehra Syeda. The program was quickly joined by fellow youth from PeaceJam Ghana, all of which have worked to collaborate and shape the cross-cultural project from continents apart. SEWING focuses on providing the skills and opportunities for young girls to surpass economic limitations. Specifically, the program offers options outside the infamous practice of Kayayei, or head porting, which is known to put women at risk of economic exploitation, health risks, and sexual assault. The program not only supports the local Ghanaian economy but also promotes business models focused on sustainability. A second SEWING chapter has even been opened at Lincoln Community School in Accra, Ghana.

You can learn more about SEWING on our most recent blog or at sankofawomen.org!

Education:

• Test your knowledge on sustainable fashion

• Learn about Mindful Shopping

• Toolkit: How to sustainably shop for your clothes

• Toolkit: How to care for your clothes (and extend their use)

• Toolkit: How to create a “capsule” collection