"I have a vision, that one day we can see a world of perfect sustainabilty..." -Dr. Lindsey Leanna Reents

When reflecting on my capacity for future consciousness, I would like to think I am an optimist; however, after thinking, I feel as though am I a bit of a pessimist. I too would like to think that all of these changes we are making will benefit our environment but in the grand scheme of things, we still have so much to learn about sustainability. The future is impossible to predict. Who is to say that in 50 years scientists won’t find that in our attempts to become sustainable we have only furthered ourselves into this unsustainable mess? The topic of sustainability is somewhat like cancer. You cannot predict it’s forth comings as well as how to effectively treat it. In essence, we are trying to fix our environmental issues (cancer) with Advil. We absolutely know that this is no cure for such a disease.

 In order to change my pessimistic outlook, I will need to see results from our actions. Without results, who’s to say our extreme efforts are paying off? Even just small results will affirm that our actions are indeed improving mother earth. I will need to change my attitude in order to optimistically see these changes. My vision for the future would be that all consumers were aware of their environmental impact and that companies with such extensive advertisements would realize that they are encouraging over consumption which will in turn hurt our environment. I vision a world where people are not greedy and power hungry. If people were to live modestly instead of trying to impress their neighbor, maybe our societies would not over consume. I would like to see a world where we knew our environmental impact; that science was so advanced, we knew exactly what our environmental impacts were.   

After reading about all of the hurt we are doing to our environment just through the apparel and interiors industries, other aspects of our lives are doing the exact same thing but possibly in a worse way. I agree with Alan Durning in his article, Limiting Consumption, when he says that consumers over consume because of low prices, these prices should reflect the environmental costs as well. I think consumer knowledge would play a big role in fixing and shaping up our environment. If we knew exactly where we stood in terms of sustainability, we could change much more than we can now.

The mental mode as of now is that our societies, no matter how hard they try will not and cannot help our environment. They believe we are doomed from the start. Because of this mental mode, we are seeing no changes. These patterns of thinking need to be changed. In my vision, people of the world need to see and believe that what they are doing is in fact harming our environment. If they knew their impact and the consequences things would be different. Mental modes will need to shift in order for my vision to be put into action. One mental mode that will need to be implemented is that life is not a competition. If our mind sets were not always focused on being the trendiest, richest, and greediest, our environment would not be in such a world of hurt right now. Societies around the globe will need to believe and practice that their efforts, no matter how big or small, will impact our environment in some way. People will have to understand that no matter what they do, all of their actions do impact something or someone around them. For societies to understand this and practice it, my vision would be being put into action. If people understood what they were doing, I think the sustainability of our environment would change. Do they really want their future generations to be negatively affected by their actions?

If societies were told today that competition were not an issue, people would fight this belief. Everyone wants to feel significant. Everyone wants to feel like their hard work is paying off. If your hard earned money was not being put to use by over consumption, what would we have to show for our efforts? I think many people would stop trying so hard at their jobs. They would not want to work as hard because their earnings in essence do not matter. If they do not have the biggest house on the block and do not feel as though their hard earned money is being put to use, what’s the point? People will have to sacrifice their egos in order for this vision to work. The political willingness to implement new changes is a factor that is lacking when it comes to the sustainability paradox. (Visioneering: an essential framework in sustainability science).  If people were first willing to fix their snowballing actions we would start to see a sustainable future even today.

In order for others to follow and implement my vision, they will need to understand that they are impacting our future generations as well as their generation. Being healthy is important to most. If they find that their harsh environmental impacts are harming themselves (the most important thing to them) as well as their loved ones and their future relatives I think they would be more aware and apt to change their actions. It was stated in “Thinking Ahead: The Value of Future Consciousness” that if we are not more future conscious, our species will not flourish or survive. If people understood the severity of this they would change their actions. I feel that the greediness and self-fulfilling prophecy of most is the driving factor in over consumption. If their attitudes were to change my vision for the future would begin to unfold and a sustainable future would be ahead.

Buy Me! I'm made from 100% recyclable material...Not So Fast.

Are you falling victim of product greenwashing? Unless fully educated on the matter, the answer to this question is probably yes. Unfortunately, many consumers around the globe are seemingly buying eco-friendly products. While the package and manufacturer claim the item is in fact eco-friendly, this may just be a marketing ploy to draw in uneducated, "do-gooder" consumers who would like to think they are helping their environment.

     Some typical ploys used by manufacturers included pictures on packaging that result in false advertisement. For a mommy-on-the-go, when going grocery shopping, seeing a box of dishwashing detergent or laundry detergent claiming, "Made with 20% more recyclable materials than before" may seem like a good idea in theory. Little does that mommy-on-the-go know that the manufacturer may have just gone from using 2% recyclable materials to 3%. While the ad is true, the environmental impact is not as helpful as it seems on the packaging thus, resulting in false advertisement. 

      Companies also use advertising strategies that use fluffy eco-friendly terms which also make the consumer feel like they are doing their part to become more sustainable. The use of these terms make the product look eco-friendly while their product is hardly that. By using vague vocabulary that gives no credibility, it is not hard to see that these claims are just clever marketing tools being utilized by companies to get consumers to buy their product over another. Because companies realize that becoming more environmentally friendly, lying to customers and using false advertisements is a sneaky strategy companies are using today to capitalize.

      Some companies are just flat our lying to consumers. In order to keep from falling victim to these advertising ploys, here are a few examples of good and bad marketing strategies:

BAD:

The Essentials

PRANCING LEOPARD ORGANICS is a sustainable, multidimensional and philanthropic apparel company dedicated to eco-conscious living.  With fashion-forward styles inspired by Yoga, Pilates, Dance and Fitness as well as luxury organic cotton fabrics, Prancing Leopard Organics represents the ultimate in exclusive apparel for fitness and leisure.

Ethic-Chic

To benefit both the wearer and the world, Prancing Leopard choses organic fabrics.  Their goal has been to find the most beautiful fabrics, combining natural organic fibers with comfort and performance.  Prancing Leopard apparel is made with sustainable fibers to support organic farmers and sustainable farming practices.

This company, found from ecouterre.com, Prancing Leopard, may seem like it is producing an eco-friendly product. The company uses words fluffy words and vagueness to draw in the customer. By saying that they are creating a product geared for those who practice yoga and Pilates, they are already conveying to the consumers to believe they are eco-friendly. Because most perceive yoga and Pilates to be a holistic way to work-out, this is simply not the truth. The company also uses words and phrases like "most beautiful" "organic" and "natural" that paints a picture in the consumers mind that the product they are buying is eco-friendly. By saying that they are a philanthropic company, that also gives consumers the idea that they are geared for environmental friendliness. They are also very vague in how they portray their "organic" and "natural" products. Cultivating fibers that are organic and natural are sometime just as bad for the environment as cultivating conventional fibers. Their use of fluffy words and vagueness lets me know that this product is also using a clever advertising strategy to gain customer loyalty.

GOOD:

Melissa shoes from Brazil are 100% recyclable, made of a special material, MeliFlex, a mono-material which can be disassembled and recycled. These adorable ones, designed by Italian Gaetano Pesce, are made of a series of plastic discs, joined only at their edges. In the past Melissa has had shoes designed by Zaha Hadid, and the Campana Brothers.

This ad, found from TreeHugger.com, is very credible. Here, what you see is what you get. They give specific examples how the materials used are sustainable. They do not use clever word choice to draw the consumer in. By utilizing a product that is bought and used by most; this product, which will be heavily utilized, is in fact trying to help our environment.

      I believe that the standardization of environmental claims will improve true transparency of companies. I feel that companies are wrongly capitalizing on consumers who are not educated on sustainability. The consumers who think they are doing good for the environment are actually being tricked and lied to. If standardization were to be fully utilized, consumers who actually care about our environment would be rightfully served

Can Cotton Become More Sustainable?

      Harming humanity with pesticides, using up more water than we can even imagine, and contaminating our soil are all ways cotton is harming our environment. Do any of these above issues sound sustainable to you? Right now, cotton is the most widely grown and used fiber in the world. Because it is so popular, the plant is becoming a global grower very quickly. While yes, mass production is a good thing for the apparel industry, it is proving to be very harmful to our environment in more than one way. Though cotton cultivation is very unsustainable for the environment as well as for those living in our environments, farmers and cotton producers are trying to find ways to become more sustainable.

      Since cotton is becoming so popular to grow, cheap cultivation is a way that most think is the way to go. Because of this mindset, China has become one of the leading cotton cultivators. Their cheap cultivation methods make their method an attractive one for cotton producers. This, however, is becoming consequently harmful and dangerous for their farmers. Their extensive use of pesticides are causing their farmers to become ill and are even causing casualties among them. Why would we want to harvest such a seed that will possibly kill those growing and producing it? This is an aspect of cotton cultivation that needs to be better addressed and fixed.

      Cotton is also a very thirsty plant. Because of this, irrigation systems, and other water systems that use natural water sources are being utilized and are also causing destruction on our pure, natural water. The overuse of water is a major problem when it comes to irrigating cotton. According to the text, The Sustainability of Cotton, 60% of all water used for irrigation is not reaching the cotton plants. This ineffective use of water needs to be monitored more heavily so that unused water is not being wasted. Our natural water sources will be gone sooner than we know if this problem is not more heavily researched.

      As of now, cotton cultivation is hazardous to our environment as well as to our health; but, we have an optimistic outlook for our future. The video, Cotton & Water: White, Blue and Green, believes that with their knowledge about the insustainability of cotton growth and production, they have the tools and knowledge to help fix the problems. They have come up with ways to better utilize their water usage. For example, researchers have found that to soften denim, they no longer need to use water and chemicals. Through the use golf balls and a drying machine the denim softening technique is more sustainable because they are conserving water while not using harsh chemicals. Farmers from the video are also becoming aware of their inefficient use of farmland and are coming up with ways to irrigate their cotton without using so much water and finding ways to control their usage of pesticides.

      Though cotton production right now is very unsustainable, farmers and manufacturers are doing their part to become more environmentally friendly. Through their attempts to minimize their uses of water and also help keep the soil from salinization (soil contamination), they are taking steps in the right direction. Right now, cotton production is very harmful to mother earth. In thirty years, however, with advanced knowledge in sustaining cotton, cotton farmers and producers are optimistic that they will find a way to use less than half of their water consumption. By making cotton more sustainable, our world will reap the benefits. Becoming more sustainable means to make our world more healthy and will in turn make it a better place to live for an extended amount of time.

Dear colleage, Thank you for your concerns, however...

      When thinking about sustainability, most think completely natural is the way to go. While yes, this is true and would be ideal for anyone who is looking to go green; it is not always the perfect solution or even practical in today’s societies. Many do not realize that most everything done in the apparel industry, whether it is done naturally or conventionally, have environmental impacts that may cause harm to our society. As a designer in the apparel industry, it is helpful to take the traditional way of producing garments, and instead of completely changing these methods, finding new ways to utilize these steps to become more sustainable. Before making the abrupt decision to ditch synthetic fibers totally, we need to out weigh our options to see if and how we can modify using synthetics to become just as sustainable as going organic and entirely natural. 

      As we are finding, the apparel industry is one that is guilty of harming our environment. With all the steps and energy used to create fibers that turn into fabrics that turn into entire lines and collections of clothing, it is difficult to become sustainable in any way. This industry is one that wastes hundreds of tons of fabrics and fibers on a regular basis and also uses harsh chemicals to produce its fabrics. I see where my colleague is concerned and understand exactly where she is coming from. I too, would like to become more sustainable. However, using synthetics, while not always the best route to go, can be just as harmful as using fibers that were produced organically. For example, organically grown cotton may be seen as sustainable but, it still needs to be processed. It seems impractical to grow cotton organically and then process it conventionally, which is still doing harm to our environment. This is not to say I do not believe in becoming more organic. Our does environment need to be replenished and be better taken care of.  We just need to think of more effective ways to use our inorganic products to become more sustainable.

      I believe it is important to see the grand scheme of things. We need to look at and weigh out all of our options before we make any brash decisions. It is stated in credible and relevant books like, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, by Kate Fletcher, that much of our environmental impact is largely affecting us in the consumer care portion of production. I think as a designer, I can help to alert my consumers on how to become more environmentally friendly when caring for their garments without expunging synthetic fibers. I can also do a better job on finding alternative ways to produce and dye the synthetic fibers I do use. When it comes to dying fabrics, a new, more environmentally friendly way to dye them has been discovered. Caroline Ducas, a sustainable materials specialist, who is highly credible, is promoting Avitera. This is a new way to dye fabrics that uses 4 times less water and reduces production time from 7 hours to just 4. Ducas claims that this method is 50% more water saving, 50% process time saving, and uses 70% less energy.

      Because the apparel industry is dominated by polyester and cotton, it would be wise for me to better and more effectively utilize these materials to be more sustainable. Also shown by Ducas, there is a more effective ways to dye polyesters called CO2 dyeing. Putting C02 under high pressure, the C02 becomes liquid so that it can be used to dye polyesters. A dry process of discoloration using laser technology will also help synthetics to become more sustainable because they are not using the harsh chemicals to remove colors. Better utilizing our use of water is a trend that researchers are finding will help us to become more sustainable. Ducas also found that increasing the speed with digital printing would help to reduce energy use when producing garments. Though digital printing is not a new idea, this process is much quicker and cheaper.

      While I do believe I could use more organic materials, some synthetics do just as much harm as other materials that are not completely organic by nature. Materials that are being produced in a more green fashion are sometimes not as durable as they could be.  As stated in the text, for example, though low water use cotton may minimize its water consumption, it is proving to be of poorer quality due to inefficient utilization of water. This, in turn would be counterproductive. Producing garments that are not durable and unable to withhold several times of being worn would cause consumers to go elsewhere to buy their clothing. It is my duty to use more sustainable methods when it comes to using any type of fabric, organic or conventional. If consumers were to go elsewhere, those other garment companies, who are more than likely unsustainable, will make these environmental issues worse due to increased production because of high demand. If consumers were to continue to buy my clothes while I am choosing to become greener and more sustainable, I would be creating awareness while also making conscious decisions to use my fabrics more sustainably. While yes, I could and will utilize more organic fabrics such as hemp, wild silk, and even polylactic acid, completely ridding myself of synthetic fibers would be silly because I can utilize them in more effective ways to become more environmentally friendly.