World Environment Day

When we think about contamination and its biggest players, which industries come to mind? The most obvious answer would be mining or oil businesses, remembering pictures or video we’ve seen of big industrial machines tearing up our earth’s surface and depleting its natural resources.
Did you know that for the past decade, the fashion industry has contributed the same amount of pollution (if not more), as these industrial giants?

The fashion industry seems majorly affected by a rhythm of mass manufacturing which has become known as Fast Fashion, defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as "an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers”
Fast fashion is contaminating our planet by polluting our water, producing massive amount of textile waste, and releasing toxic chemicals to our atmosphere as a result of dyeing processes."

How do we slow down the fashion industry? We can all contribute in our own way. Here are a few of our recommendations on how to get started:

• Instead of throwing out a garment that is slightly torn or unravelled, try to mend it. We’ve been told before that clothes worth wearing are worth repairing.

• Try out the second-hand, thrift and vintage shopping experience. We have found amazing gems while doing so, and it is affordable!

• Seek out eco-friendly brands that work with organic and/or quality fabrics. Textiles made out of polyester or nylon are basically plastics that will take hundreds of years to break down.

• Get to know the brands you wear! Browse through their website and see if you can find glimpses into who made your products, where in the world they were made, and more information on labor practices. You deserve to feel a connection with your product.
  

Everyday, we witness how the fashion industry is changing for good, and this feeds into our responsibility to take part in the slow fashion revolution. Brands, both big and small, are making a bigger effort of becoming more transparent and approachable. As shoppers, and people inhabiting this planet, it is our responsibility to ge to know our products, and how these impact our world. We can all do our part!

Learn more about how we make our products, and the female artisans we collaborate with, here: https://bingeknitting.com/pages/our-story

 We would love to hear your recommendations and tips as well, please feel free to leave us any comments!