Dirty Toxic Cotton isn’t the name of the punk band. It’s far worse than you could ever imagine. The fashion industry is now responsible for being the second largest polluter on the planet. It is a trillion dollar industry that can produce runway inspired clothing at a very low price. The general public can’t seem to nor do they want to invest in quality because they can purchase things that look fashionable. A generation of people believes their clothes shouldn’t last. Throwing clothes away has now become a way of life. We’re dumping more clothes into landfills that are costing us our health.
Toxic Fashion Isn’t Cheap
Our clothing is manufactured with 8000 chemicals, and since the largest organ is our skin. Guess where these chemicals are going? Straight into our blood stream compromising our immune system and our health. What are the possible effects? Synthetic chemicals have been linked to cancer, infertility, low sperm count, brain disorders, Parkinson’s Disease to name a few. We’re walking around wearing clothing that’s silently harming us, at the cost of fast affordable fashion.
Cotton or as I like to call it Dirty Toxic cotton farming is the most common issue known to consumers. It’s a natural material that people like to buy because it breathes well and it’s light to wear. A no iron or wrinkle-free shirt is laden with a chemical called perflourinated chemicals. These chemicals make your shirt wrinkle free, but they also disrupt your hormone function, are carcinogenic, and reduces your immune system.
So what can you do to reduce the chemical intake fast-fashion offers you?
- Investing in your clothes will reduce the number of chemicals going into your system.
- If your garment requires no care, wrinkle free, perspiration retardant or anything similar. Don’t buy it.
- Buy cotton clothing from ethical clothing shops or vintage shops. Buy crisp white men’s shirts from vintage dealers and get them tailored. These sh
- Buy clothing made from natural fibres such as hemp, bamboo, organic cotton, silk, flax, and wool.
- Don’t get overwhelmed. Start reducing the amount of fast-fashion in your closet. Dirty toxic cotton clothes don’t retain their colour or shape for long, get rid of them as soon as possible.
Start demanding more transparency in fashion. Illness is a high price to pay to be fashionable. Decent people deserve decent clothing at a fair price, made by people who get a fair wage in a safe environment.
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