The 3rd Piece of the Puzzle

We've talked about Government and Business. Now it's time to discuss the 3rd party in the dance - Consumers. That's me and you and we have power! We can decide where to put our hard earned cash. How we spend, what we buy and from what retailers is based on our perception and motivation. These are things we can control, but it can often be a full time job to research responsible choices.

Let's focus on apparel for a moment. Production often includes environmentally damaging processes. It may include environmentally damaging raw materials as well. Transporting raw materials and finished product adds to pollution. Consumer's travel to purchase products adds to pollution. The plastic and paper bags the garments are put in add to pollution. Cleaning apparel often includes environmentally unfriendly chemicals - most dry cleaning chemicals are not green and many laundry detergents are unfriendly as well. Now consider this in a Fast Fashion world where the consumer wants the hottest new trends and are continuously buying and throwing garments away. It's pretty scary.

The up side is that each of us has the power to make more environmentally friendly choices:

•First, we can choose to purchase only garments made from organic cotton or re-cycled material, and select brand labels that commit to minimum labor standards. This area can be a bit dicey because it is often difficult to determine if the dyes or embellishments on a garment are environmentally friendly. There are issues with organic cotton. And not all companies are transparent about their labor policies.

•Next, we can examine the country of origin and determine how far the products are traveling to reach us. Again there are lots of pitfalls based on labeling laws which we will discuss in a future post.

•We can definitely decide where to buy and how to get there. We can determine how much gas and other energy we are going to use to purchase our products. Public Transportation is often available. Bikes are reasonable in some instances. While it is great to support mom and pop stores, in some locations a trip to a big box retailer may be more energy efficient for the consumer. Weigh the pros and cons of each option available to you for each purchase you make.

•Every one of us can stop using retailer bags - plastic or paper. Many retailers are offering reusable bags. Following the lead of grocery stores, retailers from Target (note the materials used for this bag are durable, but they are not particularly enviro friendly) to Steve Madden are offering options. Europeans have been using string bags for years. My personal tip - keep a string bag in every purse, tote and your car. They are inexpensive, durable and stretch to hold many items. Train yourself to have one with you and then you won't need another bag ever.Get on the DIY band wagon and make your own.

•Check your personal clean clothing obsession. Can you get away with wearing a garment twice before washing? How often do you need to dry clean? Fewer loads of laundry save energy, water and lower the use of harmful chemicals. Change your laundry detergent to an environmentally friendly brand - both Method and Seventh Generation are available in my local stores, Target and Whole Foods respectively, and you can always shop online. Is there an environmentally friendly dry cleaner in your area? In the Philadelphia area there are at least 2 choices: Kim’s Cleaners, 414 South 20th Street (215-546-5595); Green Cleaners, 897 Southwest End Boulevard, Quakertown (215-538-1006).

Training yourself to think before you shop is the first step to changing your personal Fashion Footprint.
Till next week--