Fashion is a really big problem for our environment and health. Read here what the problems and which companies solve and avoid these issues. Find an overview over fashion brands who are producing responsible and eco-friendly products.The big issues are the environment pollution and the bad production conditions for employees all over the world.
Environment
A normal garment is made out of cotton for example. When producing cotton a lot of farmers use dangerous pesticides which harm the environment. Furthermore a lot of cotton gets produced in the rainorest areas. This impels the deforesting of a huge and very important forest on our planet.
Conditions for employees (Health)
During the treatment of the garment with bleach and sandblast the employee of the manufacturer gets harmed really bad. This probably sounds a bit rough, but it sadly is like it is. Silicosis is the main disease which gets caused by sand blasting jeans for example. Silicosis causes inflammation in the lung and reduces the capacity for oxygen in the lung. This can lead to lung fibrosis.
Besides the health issue there are the working conditions: to keep prices as low as possible for the production, clothes are getting normally produced under bad working conditions. Which means in a lot of cases bad payment, child-labor, compulsory labor, no worker protection and a working space you wont see any sun and feel comfortable.
This doesn’t sounds really good to me and I thought about a list with brands which are producing under fair conditions and use sustainable resources.
Fair Trade Fashion Mode Labels (The Global Organic Textile Standard)
The Global Organic Textile Standard (global-standard.org) is a seal for the textile industry which ensures a production without child-labor, compulsory labor, discrimination and mistreatment. Moreover companies obligate theirselves to pay a fair salary and protect their workers. The seal also includes that at least 90% of the clothing has to be produced with nature fiber like cotton, hemp or wool. 70% of that nature fiber has to be from organic farming. The use of toxic heavy-metals, azo dye and similar dyes is not allowed and the whole production process should have a optimized energy- and water consumption. The »GOTS« controls once a year (without announcement) the production and company.
List of mode labels who produce fair and sustainable
Nudie Jeans Co
- From Sweden
- 100% organic cotton from Turkey and India
- produced in Turkey, Italy and Japan
- nudiejeans.com
Kuyichi
- From the Netherlands
- organic cotton from Turkey, Peru, USA
- produced in Turkey
- 98% organic cotton or reused cotton for products
- kuyichi.com
Monkee Genes Jeans
- From England
- produced in England and Indonesia
- 100% organic cotton
- monkeegenes.com
Howies Jeans
- From Wales
- produced in China
- 100% organic cotton
- Vegan – no leather!
- howies.co.uk
bleed clothing
- From Germany
- 100% organic cotton
- Hemp products
- Vegan – no leather!
- bleed-clothing.com
k.o.i. Jeans
- From Germany
- 100% organic cotton or recycled cotton from Turkey
- Produced in Turkey, Tunisia, Italy and Japan
- comes with a free repair-kit
- kingsofindigo.com
Pearls of Laja Jeans
- Especially for women
- From Germany
- 100% organic cotton
- Produced in Turkey, Italy and Poland
- comes with a free repair-kit
- pearlsoflaja.com
Image: subarcticmike – flickr.com
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