Hello everyone, Welcome to my new blog. I have something very important to share with you all. Before that, I have a question for you all. Do you buy cotton jackets and stuff in mass markets like H&M, Zara, Basics Life, Max Fashions, etc.? How often have you used it and thrown it away? Have you guys thought about how much water is consumed for growing cottons to make these jackets? Any Guesses. Leave some thoughts and opinions in the comment section but before reading my blog, check out this video below by Stacey Dooley.
Surprisingly, these were consumed for about 5,000 to 20,000 litres of drinking water to grow cotton for making these jackets. Isn’t it shocking right? Yes, it is because cotton absorbs more water to produce these many clothes. The most shocking thing is that this drinking water for one person can be consumed for 24 years. Wow, isn’t it ridiculous right? Yes and it claims that the garment industry is the second worst polluter in the world.
Nowadays, Fast fashion is a major contributor to the world's clothing waste problem. Many of us give our old clothes to charity or drop them in a store take-back bin, but you might be surprised to learn most of it is sold and can end up in the landfill. Yes it is and these brands like H&M and Zara are churning out cheap, new clothes every few days, fueling us to shop more than ever before.
So what can we do about it?
First of all, be mindful of the staff that you buy. Before purchasing, ask yourself if you are planning to wear this item 30 times? If not, don’t buy it, don’t treat clothing as disposable goods.
Secondly check the label – check if they have trade accreditation and research on the company, how much they pay their workers.
Don’t just throw away your clothes, donate them to the charity, someone may make a good use of them.
Instead of buying 10 items try to invest in one classic style item that will last you longer.
Hasan Minhaj even explored how our desire to look “fresh to death” is actually killing the planet. You can check out his video below.
Similarly, in our own homes most of us don't consume some of these products and that turns out to be unused forever. Have you guys ever thought of getting rid of unwanted things at your home? Most of us think about that. The best example is the American authors, podcasters, filmmakers and public speakers Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. This duo began pursuing the minimalist lifestyle in 2010.
They began simplifying his life with experiments like paring down his stuff, getting rid of his TV, living with enough, and questioning what he owns. In time, they realized most of his stuff—about 90% of it—was weighing him down, keeping him from the freedom, happiness, and fulfillment he so desperately wanted. You can check out this article of their 21 days minimalist journey below.
Let’s raise our voices of how we can stop the devastating effect of mass clothing on the environment and how we can simplify our lives by stripping away the excess so we could focus on what’s truly important at home.
Bibliography :
Szlejter, A. and Szlejter, V. (2019) High street fashion’s dirty laundry, Naturabezlimitow.com. Available at: https://naturabezlimitow.com/2019/06/25/high-street-fashions-dirty-laundry/ (Accessed: 29 September 2021).
The cotton industry and its effects on our planet- Writing Wednesday (2018). Available at: http://jujupage1sblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-cotton-industry-and-its-effects-on.html (Accessed: 29 September 2021).
The true cost of 'Fashion's Dirty Secrets'... (2021). Available at: https://bridgeandstitch.com/the-true-cost-of-fashions-dirty-secrets/ (Accessed: 29 September 2021).
BBC Three - Stacey Dooley Investigates, Fashion's Dirty Secrets (2021). Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bn6034 (Accessed: 29 September 2021).
Mehta, B., 2021. Hasan Minhaj's Latest Episode On Fashion Will Make You Want To Update Your Wardrobe To 'Nothing'. [online] Swoop Whoop. Available at: <https://www.scoopwhoop.com/entertainment/hasan-minhaj-fast-fashion-patriot-act/> [Accessed 29 September 2021].
About Joshua & Ryan | The Minimalists (2021). Available at: https://www.theminimalists.com/about/ (Accessed: 29 September 2021).
Our 21-Day Journey into Minimalism | The Minimalists (2021). Available at: https://www.theminimalists.com/21days/ (Accessed: 29 September 2021).
Youtube.com. 2021. Confronting High Street Shoppers with A Shocking Truth: Stacey Dooley Investigates. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOe_M3GutdY> [Accessed 29 September 2021].
Youtube.com. 2021. How fast fashion adds to the world's clothing waste problem (Marketplace). [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elU32XNj8PM> [Accessed 29 September 2021].
Youtube.com. 2021. The Ugly Truth Of Fast Fashion | Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj | Netflix. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGF3ObOBbac> [Accessed 29 September 2021].
Youtube.com. 2021. Minimalismo: Um documentário sobre as coisas importantes. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBaXUU8c-Mk&t=625s> [Accessed 29 September 2021].
Youtube.com. 2021. Minimalist Home Tour | Joshua Fields Millburn. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KS6WHpP5iI> [Accessed 29 September 2021].
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