Second installment of our column “Did you know that? Curiosities from the green world“.

Let’s continue with more trivia (and related tips) that will enable you to be increasingly aware of the impact of your actions on the environment and help you to live, day after day, a more environmentally sustainable life.

Eco-friendly fashion: oxymoron or reality?

We are really happy to say that this is not a utopia: fashion can (and therefore should always) be environmentally friendly.

There are, in fact, many types of textiles that can be produced, grown and processed with reduced environmental impact.

Between old acquaintances and technological novelties, we have identified at least a dozen fabrics and have chosen 5 particularly interesting ones.

So here is our TOP FIVE of the best environmentally sustainable fabrics:

1 Lyocell

It is a recently invented synthetic fabric. It is made from the processing of eucalyptus wood pulp. Excellent, due to its breathable and antibacterial properties, for the production of sports garments.

2 Econyl

An all-Italian invention: these are nylon yarns made from the collection and processing of various types of synthetic waste, from fishing nets to recycled plastic.

3 Qmonos

Created in Japan from the combination of microbes and genes found in spider webs, this fabric is a totally biodegradable, extremely lightweight and ultra-durable silk.

4 Flax

is produced from the plant of the same name, which requires very few resources to grow. Better still, of course, if it is organically grown flax. It should also be noted that flax grows even in poorly fertile soils, and can absorb a lot of carbon dioxide

5 Bamboo

It is among the fastest growing plants, consumes little water, harvests without killing the plant–what else?

So is it enough to buy clothes made from those fabrics to dress “eco-friendly” and have a clear conscience? Um, not really.

A very big problem today is that, compared to the past, we buy many more garments and wear them for far less time. But how much?

Here are some numbers that better clarify the scope of the phenomenon:

40 %

This is the increase in the amount of clothing per person purchased in Europe since 1996.

50 %

That’s how much less time we wear our clothes for in Europe today, which means that our closets are now overflowing with little or no used clothes.

26 KG

This is the average consumption per person per year of textiles in Europe today.

<1 %

That is the amount of clothing actually recycled in the world today.

But what is the reason for this change in habits? Why are our closets full of clothes worn very little? It seems that so-called “FAST FASHION” is to blame.

The expression FAST FASHION refers, in fact, to all those large clothing chains that are FAST pouring a large quantity of DESIGN CAPS into the market, at relatively low prices.

To achieve this, very often, these large chains have to resort to compromises that are enemies of sustainability: synthetic fabrics, reduced-quality processing, production and disposal processes that do not take into account their actual environmental impact, and so on.

That is why with the advent of FAST FASHION, we also began to talk about COST PER WEAR (CPW).

The formula generally used to explain what Cost Per Wear is is this:

CPW = PURCHASE COST + MAINTENANCE COST : NUMBER OF TIMES THE GARMENT IS WORN

Quiet. Now let’s try to understand together how it works.

Assume that you buy a pair of good-quality pants for the sum of 150 euros and wear them a total of 100 times a year, for a total of 3 years.

Let’s also assume that we spend 20 euros between washing and any repairs (for example, the hem needed to “fit” that pair of pants to our measurements and so on).

The CPW of that pair of pants will be equal to the total cost of 170 euros (150+20) divided by 300 (total no. of times we wore them): the final CPW will therefore amount to about 0.56 euros.

What if instead of those pants we had bought another pair, perhaps for 25 euros, but of lesser quality?

Well, there is a real possibility that those same pants will not last more than a year and that, because they are not particularly comfortable or beautiful or considered no longer “fashionable,” they will be worn a smaller number of times, perhaps only 40 times.

Even if we were to assume that we did not need to make any repairs and spent only 5 euros in washing, we would have to divide the total 30 euros (25+5) by the 40 actual uses and thus arrive at a final CPW of 0.75 euros .

These “fast fashion” pants, seemingly so cheap, would instead impact our wallets more, as well as the environment.

Quality and durable materials cost money, very true. But it is equally true that garments made from quality, durable materials can generally be used longer, thus turning the initial purchase into a bargain for the environment as much as for the wallet.

If we add to this the fact that, often, clothing items destined to have a lower CPW come from the very companies that are actually concerned about their environmental impact by also adopting ethical and sustainable production processes, you should no longer have any doubts about where/how to do your shopping.

Keep this in mind the next time you find yourself shopping.

To limit your environmental impact (as well as safeguard your wallet), pay more attention to what you buy, always tending to consider not only the price of the garment on display, but also its possible Cost Per Wear.

And to wash your new eco-friendly fashion garments, always prefer equally eco-friendly detergents.

You prefer the force of nature. Choose Green Puffer eco-detergents.