Here’s Why We Should Consider Reducing Waste with Our Fashion Choices

We all know that the issue of reducing waste is an important topic of discussion in the field of fashion. Most of us have also heard this frightening statistic: 100 billion clothes are produced every year, 92 million tons go to landfills. In the midst of our hectic and often very stressful lives, it can be difficult to keep these considerations front and center in our click-and-buy rush, but we really don’t need to go. HE far out of our way.

I’m a bit of a Shopaholic (in a serious Olivia Rubin realm right now…), so I’m the first to admit that I don’t only shop from eco-friendly brands, but I’m making an effort to add them to my list. mixture. when i hear about Mill and Seaweed reminded me why.

The brand started by addressing the question: Where do clothes come from? And where do they go after the trend cycle sends them to the trash? They set out to create a brand that exists on a longer timeline than the trend cycle for people who are changing their lives to be more in tune with the cycles of the world. His clothes are literally classics: designed to be part of the world’s ecosystem forever.

To get more insight into the mission and why we need to switch from caring “in theory” to “in practice”, I spoke with founder Alex Feldstein.

“Mill and Moss brings together farming communities, informed consumers and restorative production processes to improve our soil, our relationship with each other, and our relationship with the world,” says Feldstein. “Our clothing connects the wearer to the grower, providing a link between fashion and agriculture that many forget.”

He states that 60% of the clothes sold today are made of plastic. “Mill and Moss is determined to change that number by producing plastic-free clothing made from 100% natural fibers. About 5 million metric tons of synthetic microfibers are released into our waterways from washed clothing. About 9 million microfibers are released every time we wash laundry.”

Plastics are not only bad for the environment but also for our bodies, which is something I know very well because I needed IVF for both of my children due to a hormone disrupting syndrome called PCOS and many think microplastics are the cause. our environment. “Microplastics are now found in the placenta and in our bloodstream. We are constantly eating, drinking and breathing these particles.”

Feldstein continues to list a number of shocking statistics: The average consumer buys 60% more clothes than 15 years ago, and 90% of all clothes produced each year end up in landfills. The average American consumer throws away about 80 kilos of textiles per year. “We believe less is more, creating carefully selected, sophisticated, wearable pieces that can withstand trends and seasons.”

It’s hard to discuss the environmental effects of fashion without touching the social.

“There are 40 million garment workers worldwide, 85% of whom are women,” says Feldstein. “Only 3% of the fashion produced in the United States, and more than half of all clothing, is produced in countries with few rights protecting workers. Seeing this atrocity, we manufacture our clothes in the United States in safe environments, when our workers are paid above minimum wage. People shouldn’t suffer while making clothes.”