5 Actions for Conscious Fashion Consumption

It's time to get serious and take action now! We've all heard about the environmental impact of the fashion industry and the current environmental crisis. We may not realize how serious the situation is, but it's time to open our eyes and take action.

Let's look at some numbers:

• The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world, after the oil industry, and is responsible for 10% of all carbon emissions.

• The textile industry is one of the three industries that generate the most water waste and the second largest polluter of clean water on the planet. 20% of industrial water pollution is attributed to textile dyeing treatments, pollution that affects agriculture and has negative impacts on animals and people who work the land.

• 17.5 billion kilograms of textiles are discarded every year and only 15% of these are recovered for recycling.

• Today, the average consumer owns 300% more clothes than the previous generation and on average only wears them 7 times before throwing them away. Fast fashion has created a mode of consumption, where clothing is treated as a disposable object; this mentality has led to the environment paying a high price.

The fashion industry is polluting and consumer habits generate a culture of consumerism that is not sustainable in the long term. Imagine that, buying a pair of jeans, a jacket, a dress, only to wear it 7 times, 7 trips to the supermarket, with your friends or to work and one more item of clothing in the trash. In addition, we must consider that the life of a garment after its use also generates pollution at the end of its life cycle, but this is a topic for another blog.

As consumers, it is our DUTY to consume consciously. Nowadays, there are thousands of alternatives and resources to make an informed decision before making a purchase. Be aware of your consumption decisions. Every small change we make is a step forward towards more environmentally friendly consumption habits that do not contribute to the abuse of people in work situations.

Here we share 5 ideas of actions you can take towards conscious consumption.

1. The most ecological is what is already in your closet, before buying, create new looks with what you have
2. Repair broken clothes to give them a second life
3. Swap or inherit clothes with your friends and family
4. Stop consuming fast fashion or the throwaway culture
5. If you decide to buy, prefer ethical fashion, small production or second-hand garments.

Calm down, don't be afraid, the change doesn't have to be immediate or extreme; you simply have to actively get involved in wanting to improve the environment and leave apathy towards problems that don't affect you directly.

Choose one of these actions, or if you have any other strategies for slow consumption, share them with us.

Remember, you don't have to do it alone, your impact matters, but we must also be activists for change. We invite you to demand that brands do better, not satisfy us with less than what our planet needs, let them know that we are not going to put up with it any longer and if we want change, we have to go and look for it.

At the end of the day, it's you who make the change .

Do you have an idea? Share it with us, visit our networks and let's start the dialogue

Illustrations by Iratxe Ranz