In most of the countries in which garments are produced, untreated toxic wastewaters from textiles factories are dumped directly into the rivers.

Wastewater contains toxic substances such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, among others. These are extremely harmful to the aquatic life and the health of millions of people living by those river banks. The contamination also reaches the sea and eventually spreads around the globe. 

Another major source of water contamination is the use of fertilizers for cotton production, which heavily pollutes runoff waters and evaporation waters.

What can we do about it?

• Choose clothes made in countries with stricter environmental regulations for factories (EU, Canada, US...)

• Choose organic fibers and natural fibers that do not require chemicals to be produced

The fashion industry is a major water consumer. 
A huge quantity of freshwater is used for the dyeing and finishing process for all of our clothes.  As a reference, it can take up to 200 tons of freshwater per ton of dyed fabric.  

Also, cotton needs A LOT of water to grow (and heat), but is usually cultivated in warm and dry areas. Around 9,700 liters are needed to produce just 1kg of cotton. This generates tremendous pressure on this precious resource, already scarce, and has dramatic ecological consequences such as the desertification of the Aral Sea, where cotton production has entirely drained the water (see pictures above).  

"85 % of the daily needs in water of the entire population of India would be covered by the water used to grow cotton in the country. 100 million people in India do not have access to drinking water." says Stephen Leahy from The Guardian.

What can we do about it?

• Choose fibers with low water consumption such as linen, recycled fibers, etc

Clothing has clearly become disposable. As a result, we generate more and more textile waste. A family in Europe throws away an average of 11 kg of clothing each year. Only 15% is recycled or donated, and the rest goes directly to the landfill or is incinerated. 

Synthetic fibers, such as polyester, are plastic fibers, therefore non-biodegradable, and can take up to 200 years to decompose. Synthetic fibers are used in 69% of our clothing.

What can we do about it?

• Choose natural or semi-synthetic fibers

• Buy less, buy better quality and recycle

Chemicals are one of the main components in our clothes.

They are used during fiber production, dyeing, bleaching, and wet processing of each of our garments.

The heavy use of chemicals in cotton farming is causing diseases and premature death among cotton farmers, along with massive freshwater and ocean water pollution and soil degradation.

Some of these substances are also harmful to the consumer (see section about toxicity). 

What can we do about it?

• Choose organic fibers

• Choose sustainable brands

• Always wash new clothes before using them for the first time

• Look for garments with certification label controlling chemical content such as OEKO-TEX®, GOTS, or BLUESIGN®

The fashion industry accounts for between 5% and 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The global fashion industry is generating a lot of greenhouse gases due to the energy used during its production, manufacturing, and transportation of the million garments purchased each year.

Synthetic fibers (polyester, acrylic, nylon, etc.), used in the majority of our clothes, are made from fossil fuel, making production much more energy-intensive than with natural fibers.

Most of our clothes are produced in China, Bangladesh, or India, countries essentially powered by coal. This is the dirtiest type of energy in terms of carbon emissions.  

Also, according to James Conca from FORBES: " Cheap synthetic fibers also emit gases like N2O, which is 300 times more damaging than CO2."

What can we do about it?

• Choose natural fibers

• Buy less, buy better quality, mend clothes

• Buy clothes made in countries powered by more renewable energy

The soil is a fundamental element of our ecosystem. We need healthy soil for food production but also to absorb CO2.  The massive, global degradation of soil is one of the main environmental issues our planet is currently facing. It presents a major threat to global food security and also contributes to global warming. 

The fashion industry plays a major part in degrading soil in different ways: overgrazing of pastures through cashmere goats and sheep raised for their wool; degradation of the soil due to massive use of chemicals to grow cotton; deforestation caused by wood-based fibers like rayon.  

What can we do about it?

• Choose fibers friendly to the soil

Every year, thousands of hectares of endangered and ancient forests are cut down and replaced by plantations of trees used to make wood-based fabrics such as rayon, viscose, and modal.

This loss of forests is threatening the ecosystem and indigenous communities, as in Indonesia where large-scale deforestation of the rainforests has taken place over the past decade.

What can we do about it?

• Choose Lyocell/Tencel® instead of rayon, modal or viscose

Many fashion brands assure their customers that the workers who made their clothing are paid "at least the minimum legal wage". But what exactly does that mean? 
First of all, it means that many other brands do not even pay the minimum legal salary! 

Furthermore, in most of the manufacturing countries (China, Bangladesh, India...), the minimum wage represents between half to a fifth of the living wage. A living wage represents the bare minimum that a family requires to fulfil its basic needs (food, rent, healthcare, education, etc). So, in summary, these brands are bragging about paying their employees 5 times less than what a person actually needs to live with dignity…

Garment workers are often forced to work 14 to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. During peak season, they may work until 2 or 3 am to meet the fashion brand's deadline. Their basic wages are so low that they cannot refuse overtime - aside from the fact that many would be fired if they refused to work overtime. In some cases, overtime is not even paid at all. 

The collapse of the Rana Plaza in 2013, killing 1134 garment workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has revealed the unacceptable working conditions of the whole fashion industry to the world. 
Employees usually work with no ventilation, breathing in toxic substances, inhaling fiber dust or blasted sand in unsafe buildings. Accidents, fires, injuries, and disease are very frequent occurrences on textile production sites. 

On top of that, clothing workers regularly face verbal and physical abuse. In some cases, when they fail to meet their (unreachable) daily target, they are insulted, denied breaks, or not allowed to drink water.   

Millions of children in the world are forced to work. In some countries, labor laws are poorly enforced or inadequate, which makes it easier for employers to hire children and exploit their labor.

Child labor is prevalent in the fashion industry, which relies heavily on low-skilled workers. The global demand for cheap clothing has created a market for low-cost labor, which unscrupulous employers who are willing to employ children and pay them very low wages.

Many cases of forced labour have also been reported along the supply chain of the fashion industry.  

The most infamous example was taking place until recently in Uzbekistan, one of the world’s largest cotton exporters. Every autumn, the government was forcing over one million people to leave their regular jobs and go pick cotton. Children were also mobilized and taken out of school to harvest cotton. Uzbekistan managed to accelerate the fight against child and forced labour in 2020 and has now almost eliminated it.

In most of these factories, garment workers are not allowed to form unions to defend their rights collectively. 
Governments’ laws and specific regulations in export zones where factories are established often restrict the creation of unions, like in Bangladesh, where only 10% of the 4,500 garment factories have a registered union. 
Some factory owners also threaten or physically attack union members or fire them with total impunity, which does not encourage employees to form unions. 

Chemicals are used in every part of the textile production for making fibers, bleaching and dyeing fabrics, etc… When they arrive in the shops, our clothes still contain a lot of chemicals, even clothes made of "100% natural" fiber. Our skin is our body's largest organ and absorbs anything we put on it, including chemicals in our clothes. These can present a real danger to our health.

How are they harmful?

A Greenpeace study for the Detox Campaign has identified 11 chemicals frequently used to make our clothes that contain toxins, carcinogens, and hormone disruptors which should be banned, but currently aren't.

Some Studies show that certain chemical substances contained in pajamas, can be found in a child's urine 5 days after wearing those pajamas for one night.

A recent study found hazardous chemicals in 63% of the items tested from 20 different textile brands (including fashion giants).  

What can we do about it? 

• Always wash new clothes before using them for the first time.

• Look for garments with chemical content certification label such as OEKO-TEX®, GOTS, or BLUESIGN®.

1.    buy less

Even the greenest garment uses resources for production and transport to your home, creating some environmental impact.

A root of the problem lies in our excessive consumerism: we buy 10 while our grandmothers bought 2.

We tend to think that buying new clothes will make us happy. Maybe we should reconsider some foundations of our lifestyle. 

2.     Buy CLOTHES FROM sustainable BRANDS

More and more fashion brands take into account the environmental and social impact of their production.

You can find our favorite sustainable brands in the section The Brands We Like.

We will not lie to you: the offer is still limited and it is easier and cheaper to go to the closest shopping center to refill your wardrobe. But the more we demand sustainable clothing, the more will be available- just like organic food was difficult to find 15 years ago. Today, it is available in most supermarkets.

Pricewise, yes, you will pay more for sustainable clothing than in a fast fashion shop, but now we know what lies behind those very low prices...

Nonetheless, sustainable brands will not necessarily cost more than brand-name clothing, for which we sometimes pay high prices for the image, but rarely for the quality or the sustainability.

3.     Buy better quality

Because clothes have become so cheap, we no longer care as much about quality. We just buy new garments when the ones we have lose their shape or appeal.

Additionally, we  have all had the experience of buying expensive clothing or pair of shoes and facing the disappointment when two month later, they already look old or have holes in them.

If we stop buying poor quality, it will push brands to improve the quality of their garments. It will also allow us to keep our clothes longer, which is good for our wallets and for the environment.

4.     Think twice before throwing out your clothes

Don’t throw your clothes in the normal bins! Most of them consist of synthetic, non-biodegradable fiber and will just pile up in the landfill. There are other options:

- Try to repair them. Sometimes with a bit of imagination, you can repair or even redesign a torn garment.

- Donate your clothes to your friends, family, neighbors, or to charity.

- Sell them on second-hand apps like Vinted.

- Some clothes shops take back used clothes from their own brand or even from other brands.

- Put them in the textile recycling bin. Textiles can be recycled to make new clothing.

5.       Buy second hand, swap, & rent clothing

Instead of buying new clothing, have a look at alternative options:

- Second-hand shop: It's not a new concept! You can find second-hand shops everywhere in the world. Many websites and apps also offer all kinds of second-hand options ranging from the cheapest to brand-name clothes.

- Swap clothes: These types of initiatives are popping up all over the world. Participants bring clothes that are no longer wear and exchange them for clothes they will use. This is an economic and eco-friendly way to refill your wardrobe. You can also organize it among your friends. 

Read more about “How to organize a clothes swap”

- Rent clothes: Clothes rentals is also a growing industry. This is a great option, especially for clothes that you will not wear for a long time or often (baby or pregnancy clothes, party dresses...). Some companies also offer a monthly fee, allowing customers to constantly renew their wardrobe.

The organization of second hand, swapping and renting clothes usually takes place on a local level. Find out what is available in your neighborhood.

6.     Keep an eye on your washing

Washing our clothes has a significant environmental impact. The average household in Europe does almost 200 loads of laundry every year, consuming about 15,000 liters of water. It also takes a lot of energy to heat the washing water and run the drying cycle. So here are some tips for reducing this impact.

More tips on #WhatsInMyWash.

Clean Clothes Campaign

Clean Clothes Campaign is an international alliance dedicated to improving working conditions and empowering workers in the global garment and sportswear industries.

CCC pushes companies and governments to take responsibility and ensure that workers' rights are respected and implemented; raises awareness and mobilizes people to get involved; takes action on concrete cases of violations of the rights of workers and activists; explores judicial mechanisms and lobbies for legislation to protect workers’ rights and hold companies accountable. 

Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) 

The ZDHC Foundation's mission is to advance towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals in the textile, leather, and footwear value chain, with the goal of improving the environment and people's wellbeing. Their vision is to widely implement sustainable chemistry and best practices.

The ZDHC Programme already can count 70 collaborating companies. 

The Film: The True Cost 

The True Cost is a brilliant documentary about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry is having on our world. 

Filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums, the True Cost has open the eyes of so many people already, it is definitely a must-see!

SANE is the next-gen certification for sustainable fashion products. 

SANE guarantees that certified products are made with equal respect for the environment, workers´ rights, and consumers' health. 

It enables consumers to instantly recognize ethically made products and show their positive engagement to the world; 

It also helps conscious fashion brands to credibly communicate their commitment to a brighter future in a desirable way.

SANE certification doesn’t single out the planet, the people, or consumer safety: it covers them all. 

SANE is a holistic certification for sustainable fashion products.

To be sane, a product must be healthy for the planet and the people,

SANE guarantees that products certified are made with equal respect for the

• ENVIRONMENT

• WORKER’S RIGHTS

• CONSUMERS’ HEALTH

With SANE, consumers only need to pay attention to 1 label as it covers environmental, social, and consumer safety aspects.

SANE certification guarantees the highest level of sustainability throughout the making of an article, from the fiber, to the sewing of the last button. To ensure its credibility and transparency, SANE is a 3rd party certification, which means that the factories and the materials are inspected by independent auditors.

SANE’s scope is global and covers garments, fashion accessories, footwear, and home textiles.

SANE is a recent initiative and needs support from people and companies who believe in a positive future for fashion.