As the global warming threat and climate change become a reality facing mankind today, making textile and garment (T&A) production more mindful given its dubious distinction of being a highly polluting sector involves, amongst other tangible measures, ethical sourcing, sustainable practices, and reducing waste as a simplistic approach as to how to tackle the textile sector's pollution piece.
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One very pertinent and timely approach is that the time bomb is ticking before the regulatory guidelines will be on our heads in the coming years, hitting the sector hard. Using eco-friendly fabrics like organic cotton, bamboo, and recycled polyester will do the greatest good, putting the sector in the good stead.
Great examples are proactive brands like Patagonia that have gone down the road to tackle social and environmental issues and incorporate recycled materials into their clothing to reduce environmental impact in their pursuit of going carbon neutral/carbon positive over time.
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Some of the mindful practices brands are starting to embrace, such as adopting zero-waste production techniques. Case in point: Japanese designers like Issey Miyake utilize origami-inspired cutting methods to optimize fabric usage and be more mindful of resources going into making responsible garments without really compromising the core economics of apparel making and growing sustainably.
Another factor supporting the case is 'Digital pattern-making also helps reduce scrap materials'.
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The critical ask from conscious clothing/sustainable fashion is to mitigate the ill effects of the textile sector, broadly being water-thirsty, by taking a conscious view on the "water footprints side of the business.".
Water conservation is essential in textile production. So towards this goal, exemplary efforts and initiatives have been taken by iconic brands like Levi's that use innovative dyeing techniques that require less water, such as their Water<Less® technology.
Likewise, increasing use and stress on the need to use natural dyes derived from plants and minerals to replace harmful chemical dyes is a very mindful initiative, benefiting both the environment and workers.