#environmentlyfriendly

Becoming environmentally friendly has become a concern to society in recent. There are many ways to help become more environmentally conscious in all aspects of life, including costume.

Textiles is the second most polluting industry in the world after oil. This is because to get from the raw material to the end garments creates a lot of pollution. the industry’s upstream processes rely heavily on the world’s finite resources which include land, water and energy. There is a lot of textiles waste when making garments. These are a few things that can be changed when making a garment that will make it more environmental friendly;

Bamboo fabric

Bamboo is renowned for being one of the most Eco-friendly materials on the market. As bamboo is a fast-growing grass which can be harvested after 2 to 3 years, meaning it doesn't need to be replanted, helping to improve the soil quality. It can also be gown without fertilisers or pesticides. 

Bamboo fabric is very soft and is used in baby clothing, bed linen and towels.

However the manufacturing process has a few methods that use chemicals to cook the leaves and shoots, as well as the formaldehyde based glue that is sometimes used to bind strips of bamboo together. It is better to go for the newer methods which produce organic bamboo fabrics without the chemicals. 

Organic cotton 

Cotton is a natural fabric and is therefore seen as an Eco-friendly fabric but in the making of cotton a lot of chemical are used. Both insecticide and pesticides are used which affect the health of the workers as well as polluting the ground and water supply. Formaldehyde is also used in the manufacturing process which stops the cotton from creasing. 

It is better to go for organic cotton as it is grown without the use of chemicals or GMOs. Organic cotton only comes in cream, light brown and pale green and are dyed using natural or vegetable based dyes. 

Organic cotton is used in baby blankets, reusable grocery bags and towels.

Hemp 

Hemp is very similar to bamboo as it is also seen as one of the most Eco-friendly materials. Hemp is a high yield crop which helps the soil quality and can be gown without herbicides or pesticides. 

Hemp is durable and strong and is used in backpacks. but can also be proceed to be soft which is ideal of clothing. 

Thread

(Figure 1: rPET gutermann thread)

This is a gutermann thread made out of plastic bottles. 

These were just a few example but there is many more. So before buying anything to make a garment think about where it has come from, what impact this has had and if it Eco- friendly. 

Here are some example of Eco- friend materials being used in a garment

Emma Watson is a icon when it comes to environmentally friendly, sustainable garments.

Here are some  Eco-friendly garments  she has worn;

(Figure 2: Emma Watson )

This gown is made from the end of line fabrics which is sourced from a family run business based in London. End of line fabrics often can not be sold and are destroyed because of this reason. Emma Watson has given the fabrics a new lease of life.

(Figure 3: Emma Watson)

Every item of this outfit is environmentally friendly and is verified by the London Sustainability Consultancy. the garment is made from Lenzing Modal fabric, which is a fibre made from beech wood sourced from a sustainable forestry plantations in Europe. 

(Figure 4; recycled gown)

This is one of the most iconic dresses worn by Emma Watson. This is a black and white recycled gown from Calvin Klein worn to the Met Gala event. The trousers were made of recycled plastic bottles, the zips were made form recycled materials, the inner bustier was crafted from organic cotton and organic silk was used for the lining of the gown 

Figure listing

Figure 1: ‘ rPET gutermann thread’ http://www.bhg.com/shop/diy-and-crafts/fabric-trim-and-notions-a2131801775.html (19/03/2017)

Figure 2: ‘Emma Watson’http://elitedaily.com/entertainment/film/emma-watson-london-premiere-dress-cinderella/1802467/ (19/03/2017)

Figure 3: ‘Emma Watson’ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/emilia-wickstead-creating-emma-watsons-fairytale-eco-friendly/ (19/03/2017)