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from the life-in-plastic,-it's-fantastic dept.
'Plastic-free' fashion is not as clean or green as it seems:
We have all become more aware of the environmental impact of our clothing choices. The fashion industry has seen a rise in "green," "eco" and "sustainable" clothing. This includes an increase in the use of natural fibres, such as wool, hemp, and cotton, as synthetic fabrics, like polyester, acrylic and nylon, have been vilified by some.
However, the push to go "natural" obscures a more complex picture.
Natural fibres in fashion garments are products of multiple transformation processes, most of which are reliant on intensive manufacturing as well as advanced chemical manipulation.
While they are presumed to biodegrade, the extent to which they do has been contested by a handful of studies. Natural fibres can be preserved over centuries and even millennia in certain environments. Where fibres are found to degrade they may release chemicals, for example from dyes, into the environment.
Perhaps the real threat to the environment is over-consumption.
(Score: 1) by shrewdsheep on Wednesday June 03 2020, @11:25AM (1 child)
To put this on a more serious note, green with respect to clothes means to not throw them away. I still wear shirts > 30 years old. Also shoes (even < $30) can be worn several years. It's similar to diet: don't care what you eat, only how much.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Wednesday June 03 2020, @11:48AM
By God, when I finally throw out my worn out boots, even the Salvation Army won't touch them with a ten foot pole!
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]