A little over a year ago, my friend was binge-watching Hasan Minhaj’s show on Netflix, the Patriot Act. Minhaj is a hilarious comedian and political commentator who also brings to light significant issues happening in our world today. He informs us about the problems in a comedic way that still gets the seriousness across.
One episode was called, “The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion” (season 5, episode 3). In this episode, Minhaj discusses the facts behind fast fashion and how stores like Zara, Forever 21, and Fashion Nova are hurting our ecosystem immensely. Since the goals of these brands are to keep up with the latest trends (even on a weekly basis), they will mass produce cheap clothing which uses tons of textiles and creates a lot of waste. For example, fabrics such as polyester, nylon, and spandex use about 342 million gallons of oil per year. Another fact from his show is that 70% of the harvested wood used for making clothes is actually wasted. Lastly, 33% of viscose (a material used in clothing-making) is taken from ancient and threatened forests all across the globe. These facts definitely surprised me, but Hasan Minhaj didn’t say we need to boycott these stores altogether, but if we start shopping sustainably, keeping clothes longer, and buying from second hand stores, that is a good start.
I have always bought clothes from places like Forever 21 because it’s stylish and cheap (I am a student so I’m usually always broke but want to be on the latest fashion trend), but I didn’t realize the damage I was doing to the ecosystem. Through my close friends, I have learned about several affordable and sustainable brands that you can buy from in order to start decreasing your carbon footprint.
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Girlfriend Collective: Who doesn’t love activewear? You can wear it to class, to the grocery store, or to the gym! This brand promotes body inclusivity and has sizes from XXS to 6XL. Girlfriend Collective is very transparent in how they produce their clothing, where/who produces their clothing, and the materials they use for their clothing. They turn things like old, plastic water bottles and fishing nets into everyday activewear that will last you a long time. The material is also very thick and you will not want to wear any other brand ever again.
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Our Place: We all love food and with the pandemic, many of us have tried to learn how to cook. Well, Our Place is a brand that creates kitchenware from recycled materials. Their packaging is also recyclable and biodegradable. One of their goals is to have products that can serve multiple uses, so you don’t need to buy a bunch of other kitchen products. Another goal of theirs is to create a long lasting product that you can use for years on end. This company is also very transparent about their workers and the textiles they use in their kitchenware.
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Worn Wear Patagonia: Growing up in Washington, I was always a fan of Patagonia! Their pullover jackets always kept me nice and cozy. Although Patagonia is not fully sustainable, nearly 70% of their products are made from recycled materials, and their goal is to make their products from 100% recycled materials by 2025. Recently, Patagonia has become Fair Trade Certified, meaning they can 100% guarantee their workers will have tangible benefits to improve their lives. They also have created a program called Worn Wear Patagonia, which takes used Patagonia apparel and transforms it into a whole new look (ex. jackets, shirts, pants, etc.) for a very affordable price. You can also donate your old Patagonia clothes and get credit for new Patagonia apparel or Worn Wear apparel.
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Earth Hero: Earth Hero is like the Amazon for sustainable products. The website allows you to pick what sustainable criteria is most important to you (ex. compostable, vegan, recyclable) and then you are able to search for the products you need, whether it’s clothing, pet products, beauty products, and many more! This company is transparent about the materials they use and their manufacturing as well.
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Allbirds: Albirds is a brand that specializes in shoes and apparel (their running shoes are especially comfortable!). Their goal is to use all of their natural products (wool, wood, sugar) without wasting any part of it. They are finding new uses for the unused parts of the natural materials. Allbirds does a great job of measuring their carbon emissions during the process of creating their product until the end of its life. They are working hard to decrease their carbon footprint.
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Ethique: Palm oil is one of the most commonly used oils in the world, however, it is destroying our rainforests and ecosystems. Ethique focuses on creating their products free from palm oil and palm oil derivatives. Ethique creates hair, face, and body products that are sustainably produced and fully biodegradable. Did I mention they also make pet and household products as well?!
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Pela: Pela is a company that makes cute technology accessories (ex. phone cases, airpod cases, smart watch bands) but also focuses on minimizing harm to the environment. Their products are made of renewable feedstock in order to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Their products are compostable and help to reduce waste. Lastly, they use reputable local businesses to create their product.
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Eileen Fisher: Many people don’t know that the popular brand sold at Nordstrom, Eileen Fisher, is actually sustainable! The company has been focusing on creating long-lasting, eco-friendly clothes since 1984. Their clothes are made using organic and recycled fibers like wool and Tencel Lyocell. Not only are their clothes sustainable, but so is their company. Since 2007, they have been tracking their ecological footprint and have been doing anything to decrease their carbon emissions by partnering with NativeEnergy.
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Youth to the People: The last brand is Youth to the People which is a skincare and apparel company that is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. They focus on creating a wide array of skin care since there are so many skin types and skin tones. This company also has a blog where you can learn more about their products, skin conditions, and tips on taking care of your skin.
I hope you are able to research these brands and possibly support them by buying their product! Keep in mind, many companies are guilty of greenwashing (using eco-friendly slogans as a marketing tool) and possibly not even having a sustainable product or business. Don’t forget to do a little research on the products you may be buying. Also, it is always good to go thrift shopping as well since you are buying products that have already been made and you are giving it a second life!