on the Earth is widespread and overwhelming: the water it requires; the chemicals and their discharge into the natural environment; the mining of metals for zippers and embellishments; the mass amount of waste; the degrading effect of industrial agriculture on soil and biodiversity. And yet, the devastating impact of fashion on forests is kept comparatively quiet.
More than 200 million trees are logged each year to be transformed into cellulosic fabrics like viscose, rayon, lyocell, modal, cupro, and Tencel. Many of these are from old-growth forests, of which less than 20 percent remain in a capacity large enough to maintain native plants and animals. Furthermore, according to afrom the non-profit organization Canopy, the chemically intensive process through which the material for rayon and viscose is created wastes as much as two thirds of a tree.
It’s clear that we need real action and fast. It is time for the fashion industry to look internally at our supply chains, and ask ourselves: What environmental toll is happening at the expense of profit? What can we do to reverse this? Some fashion brands, who ultimately benefit from ending deforestation—Nike, ASOS, Swiss Textiles, Varner, New Look, H&M, Primark, Marks & Spencer, and Adidas, to name a few—have called for increased regulation. Adidas, for example, joined 26 other companies in 2020 in acalling for EU-wide, cross-sectoral mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation.
While brands need to act internally, the industry also has a powerful, global voice that it can use for good.
Not just clothes. The palm oil industry is very corrupt and an incredibly large problem yet palm oil is being put into much of our food. No more palm oil!
The biggest war for feminism is happening in Iran, right now. If you're living on earth & you're being silent, you don't get to talk about women rights anymore! mahsaamini
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