The world of the eco-friendly clothing industry can be confusing!! Suddenly everyone's talking about Plastic-free this, Stacey Dooley that, and all things 'ECO' - but what does it all MEAN?!
We already use fair wear clothing, but our main goal for 2019 is to get ROR as eco-friendly as possible...
Online discussion, advanced technology, and trending documentaries (you HAVE to watch Stacey Dooley's look into the fashion industry!) have made it clear that not only do we need to think about what we're buying; we also have to ensure the entire clothing process is fair, sustainable and most of all good for everyone involved.
With that in mind, we thought we'd help get the process started, and the first thing was to let you guys know what's going on! Like we said; this is something we've been working towards over the past few years (we're totally WOKE). We're fully committed to becoming a sassy l'il brand that's ethically made - and that's what we want ROR to be known for <3
So! Enter the Urban Dictionary of Eco terms! Sit back, get a coffee and be prepared to become an expert in all things vegan, sustainable and organic and what this means in the textiles biz.
Sustainable: Ok, we're gonna throw you in at the 'deep end' and start off with a tricky one!! Sustainability, means making something in a way that doesn't just consume everything in sight and leave behind a wasteland. Did you know that to produce cotton for your tops and denim, actually uses up a hell of a lot of water?? Yup. Google the Aral sea - it's crazy. To be sustainable in the textile industry, means to use sustainable materials, such as organic cotton from crops that are grown with low impact on the environment, that are biodegradable and are enviro-friendly throughout its life cycle.
It also covers the way in which the clothing is made, such as workers conditions, the factories in which they are processed and takes into account everything under the umbrella of the clothing process.
Organic - You'll recognise this from shopping down the veg aisle at your local supermarket, right?! Much like it's food friend; organic in terms of clothing means the cotton has been grown with no artificial pesticides or chemicals, meaning that it has a very low impact on mother nature. Great news for the earth, for the farmers who work with the cotton daily AND for the people who live nearby to large cotton farms and often use the same water for drinking and washing.
FYI Organic cotton rules.
Eco Friendly - This term covers an awfulllll lot of topics and can be banded about like nobodies business when it comes to clothing. The main things it should be describing are the ways in which the clothing making process has been carried out. Generally it means that; the process has had reduced, low or no impact on the eco system!
How to use daily: Be an eco friendly hun by bringing your own bags when when you go shopping instead of plastic bags. * FYI, it totally reduces Co2 emissions and wastes in landfills* Yass!
Fair Trade - This is AWESOME. When it comes to clothing, this is the BEYONCE of manufacturing!! A phrase has been around for years and is very simple >> it means trade between companies in developing countries is fair, and they are paid what they are due.
Fair Trade supports cotton farmers and workers in the clothing supply chain through their Seed Cotton Standard. It works with manufacturers and workers to bring about better wages and working conditions. This is a trending topic right now due to big companies not following this ethos. Many use low cost factories in developing countries, taking advantage and paying less - which is NOT cool.
Fair Wear - We are super dooper proud that all our T shirts, sweatshirts are FAIR WEAR and approved by the Fairwear Foundation. This means the workers in the factories that make the clothes are there by choice (NO slave labour) they are paid a fair wage, get reasonable working hours and safe working conditions.
A lot of workers leave their rural homes to gain employment in large factories, the Fairwear Foundation ensures that the factories look after their workers and help to avoid any horrible incidents like the Rana Plaza catastrophe - if you haven't heard of this, Google it. You'll never buy anything that's not Fairwear again.
Vegan - Vegans aka Really strict vegetarians. Poor vegans have been coming under a lot of stick for the past few years... But it is becoming more common for people to try and live an 'animal free' life. By that, we don;t just mea avoiding cats and dogs, but not eating any meat, or wearing anything that may have come from an animal, eg leather, silk.
Something we're working on right now is to make a range of clothing that is totally and completely VEGAN. (watch out for some super cute embroidered designs coming your way!!)
We've been looking at all areas of our business and are fully committed to looking at the effect that our production is having on the world. Hopefully these definitions will help you figure out what all this fashion chat is about, and make you more conscious of what you;re adding to your shopping basket.
Keep an eye on our blog for some Eco and ethical brand that we think you'll love, as well as some other hot topics up for debate.If you've got any questions or comments, join the conversation below... Love Team ROR xx
