It seems like the entire world is concerned with eco-friendly products.
From recycled plastic ware (plates, cups, forks, spoons, etc.
) to recycled paper bags, CD sleeves, even product packaging, the whole commercial industry is talking about - and selling - recycled and recyclable products.
It's not just the paper, metal, and plastic industries that are on the sustainability train.
Even clothing manufacturers are starting to get smart and are adopting sustainable practices that appeal to their consumers.
There are several ways you can see this trend when you know where to look.
Here are just a few of the ways clothing designers and manufacturers are adding sustainability to their product lines.
Recyclable Materials At the rate people are recycling things, you'd think everything in the world can be repurposed into something new.
Fashion designers find really creative ways to use old metal and plastic in their products.
There are many small jewelry boutiques popping up that exclusively sell jewelry made from recycled bits of metal, and people pay top dollar for them, too.
Metal isn't the only thing being recycled for clothing, though.
Many designers are also using old fabrics to redesign totally new and amazing lines of clothes.
This is especially popular for designs that hearken back to a bygone era while still representing the chic styles of today.
Cotton: Is It Really The Fabric Of Our Lives? You'd think because cotton is a plant and can be grown pretty much anywhere that it's a "green" material.
Sustainability is inherent in its existence, theoretically.
There's a problem though: the World Bank says that cotton alone is responsible for more than 16% of the release of insecticides in the world.
That's not very environmentally friendly.
As a result, you'll see a lot of organically grown cotton clothing in many designer boutiques these days.
It is going to drive up prices a bit, but it's better for the earth.
Additionally, many designers are looking at alternatives to cotton for cloth production.
Materials like bamboo, hemp, soy, and corn are being processed to make sheets, clothing, and shoes.
Yes, a wood can actually be soft enough to sleep on! Cruelty-Free Clothing Another aspect of ecological clothing is making sure no part of the design, manufacture, or distribution of the clothing was dangerous or unfair to anyone involved.
The sweatshop manufacturing has no place in today's trend, and child labor is abhorred.
Even cruelty to animals is an element you'll never find in the ecologically friendly designer's network of production partners.
The times are changing, and in a good way.
While it'll be very hard to completely eliminate the sweatshops, child labor, and massive waste of the large clothing manufacturers, one by one we can make a difference in the fashion ecosystem.
By staying educated about the environmentally unfriendly practices of the big names, and by spending more of your time and money supporting the smaller, sustainable fashion designers, we can send a message to the world that fair practices are a necessity, and that we'd rather be naked than dress ourselves in their destructive clothing.