September 2022 Meeting - Becky Barnes on Sustainable Clothing
Becky has been on a mission to tell as many as possible about the wasteful nature of the fashion industry and it’s effect on the environment. Our meeting tonight was her 18th county speaking to WIs with the hope that her talks can cause a ripple effect through our lovely members. We had a quick look at the clothes that members had brought in to show us and the age of the outfits. Mich brought in her 59yr old wedding dress but there were other outfits of 50yrs plus and some that were still being worn. We are now living in a disposable age where the average number of times a garment is worn is 6 before it is passed on or thrown away. We used to take pride in the quality of the clothes we produced – they were mended and cared for or even repurposed – they lasted. 30% of clothes produced now are never worn and can end up going straight to landfill although some may find their way abroad.
When Becky started her dream job as a stylist she started to look carefully at the labels and realised that there was a strong negative impact on the environment in the different processes, distance that garments travelled whilst being produced and the cost to our natural resources such as water. She began to look more closely at how we could find second-hand garments and give them a second life or look towards more sustainable brands. She took us step by step though the life of a pair of jeans – one pair out of 5 million pairs that are produced daily. It is mind blowing the amount of natural resources used and polluted just for that one pair of jeans – the cost to the environment and to some communities is truly worrying.
We need to ask ourselves do we need new clothes or can we get something worn before ie from charity shops, apps such as ‘vinted’, swap parties or upcycling. If we can wear our clothes for longer this will have quite an impact. If you want new, then look for more ethical brands. If we move away from cheap disposable clothes, then manufacturers may start to get the idea we, Marina WI Portishead, want change. Look after your clothes, wash at lower temperatures and repair when able. To avoid the damaging microplastics which have already been found in our food chain, use a Guppy Friend or Cora Ball.
Below is the information from Becky that she promised to send on the night. It was a very enlightening talk and I for one will try my best to not be so wasteful with my clothing.
Certifications to look out for on the label are:
- GOTS (Global Organic Trade Standards) Organic Cotton
- REACH = a compliance certificate
- OEKO TEX
- BCI = Better Cotton Initiative CMiA = Cotton Made In Africa
Look for EcoVero instead of viscose, bamboo by Monocel and tencel from Lyocell. These all use a closed loop system and are better for the environment.
To find out how your favourite brands are rated: try the Good on You app. Ethical Consumer also rate brands. To reduce microplastics: use a Guppy Friend or Cora Ball. Sign the petition to bring in legislation to fit microplastic filters to all new machines https://www.mcsuk.org/what-you-cando/campaigns/stop-ocean-threads/
For video tutorials of clothing repairs: www.repairwhatyouwear.com
To join in with bigger movements try: www.labourbehindthelabel.org or www.fashionrevolution.org.
Who made my clothes campaign www.cleanclothes.org
Clean clothes campaign www.stopecocide.earth
Polly Higgins Ecocide
Or you can sign up to participate in Slow Fashion Season where you pledge not to buy anything new for 3 months starting on July 1st https://slowfashion.
Global Films and documentaries to watch: (particularly good to try and influence teenage fast fashion addicts)
- The True Cost - Amazon River Blue - Netflix
- A Plastic Ocean - Netflix Chasing Coral - Netflix
- Fashions Dirty Little Secrets - BBC iplayer
- Activists and Bloggers to follow online: Orsola De Castro, Aja Barber, Livia Firth, Sustainable-ish, Pebble Magazine, Lucy Siegle
Or you could follow me! www.facebook.com/beckybarnesstyle
Books to read:
- Is it really green? Georgina Wilson-Powell
- How to save the world for free - Natalie Fee
- How to break up with Fast Fashion - Lauren Bravo
- The conscious closet - Elizabeth Cline
- Turning the tide on plastic - Lucy Siegle
- Wear no evil - Great Eagan
Some of my favourite sustainable brands: