Showerthought: I think the push for 'sustainable' fabrics is missing a key point

I was at a big design fair in Charlotte last year, showing a jacket I made from a new recycled polyester blend. A woman pointed out that while the fabric was 'green,' the complex dye process I used was incredibly water-heavy. She was right. I had focused so hard on the material tag that I ignored the bigger picture of how it was made. Has anyone else had a project where the 'eco' choice wasn't so simple?

3 comments

3 Comments

julia_carter6122d ago

Oh totally! I bought organic cotton yarn once, but then found out how far it was shipped and felt so silly.

kai_chen222d ago

Ugh that's the worst feeling. I mean we try to do the right thing and then it turns out there's some other problem we didn't even think about. I bought local wool once thinking it was better, but then read about the land and water use for the sheep. Feels like you just can't win sometimes.

amy_martin22d ago

...and then you find out the sheep were fed on imported grain from half a world away. I swear every time I try to do something good I end up accidentally funding some other disaster. It's like ethical consumption is a game where you get a new problem every time you think you've solved the old one. At this point I'm half convinced the most eco-friendly choice is to just stop buying stuff altogether and live in a cardboard box.