The COST of
CLOTHING
Is it Worth the Wear?
Let’s talk about what we consider the biggest fashion faux pas: the industry’s impact on climate change. Responsible for approximately 2-4%, or about 1.2 billion tons, of man-made carbon dioxide emissions annually, the fast fashion industry pollutes the air more than global aviation. With the presence and potency of fast fashion brands, that number is set to grow, making a seemingly benign industry one of the most harmful to our environment.
The term “fast fashion” refers to an approach to clothing design that emphasizes getting the newest trends from catwalks to consumers as quickly – and cheaply – as possible.
The fashion industry is overly saturated, and overworked. Yet, fast fashion’s hold on society has remained strong and prevalent due to a plethora of conveniences, ranging from size inclusivity to more affordable price points.
Yet, the cost of style goes far beyond that on a price tag. And the price is paid by the planet.
In the United States, the number of garments purchased has tripled since the 1970s. Globally, more than 80 billion items of clothing are purchased each year – the majority of which will be thrown in the landfill. A remarkable 85% of textiles are dumped annually, with the equivalent of a garbage truck of clothing being burned or dumped in a landfill every second.
All that waste adds up, and the sum is staggering. According to Mckinsey’s 2018 Fashion on Climate report, the fashion industry was responsible for 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gasses, equalling the annual emission from the economies of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom combined.
Furthermore, the industry is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply.
Furthermore, the industry is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply.
The desire to always be up to date and up to trend has led the fashion industry to become one of the largest polluters of our environment and – consequently – one of the industries that requires significant change.
In recent years, there has been a rise in public desire for sustainable, “slow fashion” brands.
Cue: niLuu.
We believe you can have luxurious quality pieces while still caring for the environment and all living creatures.
niLuu takes active efforts in neutralizing our footprint, honing in specifically on zero waste production. By using Ipeker as our partner, our process uses water from the industrial zone’s purification plant, implementing zero waste production by using all water used throughout the process, and functioning in facilities that only use clean energy.
Our core beliefs are ingrained into our fibers. Literally. niLuu’s Vegan Silk is made using Cupro, a fabric woven from Bemberg yarn that is 100% Certified-Vegan, cruelty-free, and biodegradable. Cupro is made from cotton waste, made using the teeny fibers, known as linter. You know the saying. One man’s trash, another treasure. And for us, Cupro is a trove.
When discarded in a landfill, Cupro will break down naturally, losing half of its original weight in just two months. And when we’re looking at those landfill numbers and carrying the one, that’s a lot less waste.
Furthermore, our Ecovero fibers are certified with the EU Ecolabel and generate up to 50% lower emissions and water impact compared to generic Viscose fabrics.
For us, caring about the Earth is an everyday thing. But today, we want to increase our efforts.