Sustainable fashion is the response to the negative impacts that the fashion industry has and that classifies it as the second most polluting of the environment. There is an urgent need to take measures to mitigate the effects of global warming and sustainable fashion emerges as a necessary and timely alternative.

Do you know the importance of sustainable fashion? Do you know the benefits and changes that the fashion industry is making? In this article we will answer these and other questions. Keep reading!

What is sustainable fashion?

Sustainable fashion is a set of alternatives related to the production of garments and accessories with social responsibility and a look towards the ecological to preserve natural resources in a sustainable manner. This type of fashion has an ethical look and is aware of the scope it has in the world.

Fast fashion and the chain production of garments in third world countries with labor exploitation, the reality that 80% of garments end up in landfills where they take 200 years to decompose, the generation of up to 20% of waste of water in the world, are just three of the many negative impacts that sustainable fashion seeks to find solutions to.

Why is sustainable fashion important and what are its benefits ?

The importance of sustainable fashion lies in the need to take urgent action to mitigate the effects of climate change. What more important reason can there be than taking care of our world to recognize the importance of sustainable fashion?

The benefits of sustainable fashion are related to the social and environmental. In the social aspect, it improves the conditions of its workers, makes people aware of environmental care, improves the image of the industry, improves the characteristics of its products and aligns itself with the needs of the population that seeks solutions to care for the environment. .

Changes in the Fashion industry towards Sustainability

Since 2007, the industry began to take awareness measures to turn towards sustainability with the appearance of the British leader Kate Fletcher and her proposal for "Slow Fashion".

In 2012, the Copenhagen Fashion Summit was held with the participation of important brands to set sustainability standards. In 2019, the summit called for collaboration to take joint action.

These are the main changes that Sustainable Fashion encourages and seeks to achieve:

• The use of natural fibers: The use of materials found in nature, such as fibers of animal and plant origin that have low impact. These materials include linen, jute, wool, camelid hair, sisal, etc.
• Recycled or regenerated fibers : The use of textile waste and the formation of new fibers as a way of recycling.
• Ecodesign : Takes environmental aspects into account to produce garments with the least environmental impact and making the most of the fabrics for a longer useful life.
• Reduction in the use of chemicals : It seeks to reduce the use of chemicals that treat fabrics and raw materials with more natural and less toxic alternatives so as not to contaminate.
• Improvement of working conditions: It seeks to improve conditions and respect labor rights, with measures such as the prohibition of child labor in underdeveloped countries.
• Reduce the carbon footprint: It focuses on reducing CO2, since they are responsible for 10% of the emissions in the world. It seeks to reduce the use of polluting energy used in production and transportation.

As we have seen, there is a predisposition in the fashion industry to adopt positive changes to improve environmental conditions and the preservation of our natural resources. Sustainable fashion establishes a guide and an alternative that is urgently necessary to adopt.

In recent years, awareness actions towards sustainable fashion have been carried out, but there is still a long way to go before this becomes a reality in all dimensions of the industry.