When sustainability meets clothing choices

Where does my leisurewear come from and what are the manufacturing conditions like? These are just some of the questions Mary Jane Pettit, founder of Pioneer Clothing, wants more consumers to ask.

Whilst sustainable fashion and fast fashion are part of some conversations, refreshing the narrative is now as important as ever to incorporate the fact that it is not about sacrificing style one bit, but instead enhancing it through deeper meaning in design and manufacture.

Today, global garment production causes 20 percent of global clean water pollution (according to a European Parliament infographic) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that 98 million tonnes of non-renewable resources are consumed each year to produce garments. According to the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, around 80 percent of the people who make our clothes are women of colour.

The most mind-boggling fact is probably that there are currently enough garments in the world to clothe the next six generations (according to information on The Great British Sewing Bee show). Yet, every year, 80 billion new items of clothing are purchased (as published in the Environmental Health journal). Last but not least, some of the 3,000 chemicals used to make our clothes have been linked to harmful impacts on human health (Harper’s Bazaar 16th Oct 2020).

The shift towards making clear, conscious buying decisions and purchasing an item of clothing with quality, reliability and sustainability being at the forefront of everything should become as important as daily routines.

And from a clothing manufacturers’ perspective that means that every processed thread and every material should be strictly tested by independent bodies to meet high legal standards.

At the moment it’s very difficult — not to mention expensive — to buy any new clothing that doesn’t have a negative effect on the planet, but as awareness of global issues increase, so have solutions. Over the last decade, governments (especially in the European Union) have begun, slowly, to regulate fabric waste, pollution and emissions.

And more brands have found new, environmentally friendly ways to make clothes. Some of this effort starts with attacking supply chain problems, creating better systems for recycling or repurposing old clothing, or inventing dye processes that aren’t poisonous to waterways. But the field of material development has seen some particularly fascinating innovations, some of which Pioneer Clothing is adopting.

Cheaper synthetic fabrics, such as polyester, contain microplastics that shed into the Earth’s waters every time they are washed. Cotton, although a natural fibre, is farmed with high levels of pesticide, and in some regions, relies on forced and or child labour.

Mary Jane says that when we created Pioneer Clothing, we wanted the items to be highly ecological which reduce CO2 emissions, consume less water in the manufacturing process and where possible use renewable energy. Furthermore, we wanted them to be biodegradable and utilise fabric made with certified recycled content.

By partnering with Q-Nova by Fulgar we have achieved that but want more. We’re constantly innovating to ensure that one day we want our garments to decompose as nutrients back to the soil, so animals can feed on it.

Certainly, the sustainable fabrics community is on its way to making real, lasting change with different methodologies, whether that’s fibre made from seaweed or polyester spun in a different way that’s biodegradable, we’re all trying to do the same thing — make the planet a better place.