The best sustainable fashion brands are made from plant-based biodegradable fibres (organic cotton, hemp or linen) and made to Fair Wear standards, sent in zero waste packaging. Cupro is another new material that is made from the cotton off-cuts of the fashion industry, and looks and feels like silk (which causes silkworms to either be boiled or even ‘peace silk’ involves many starving on the ‘cutting room floor’. You can donate unwanted fur coats to your local wildlife shelter, where volunteers will cut them into squares, to use as ‘surrogate mums’ for orphaned baby wildlife.
If you have synthetic fibre clothing (and that includes recycled polyester or plastic bottles), launder in a microfiber catch bag which can capture some of the microplastics that break off (however it does not catch them all, and even when binned, they could cause harm if it rains at landfill). So best to spend a few pounds extra when replacing, on natural biodegradable fabrics.
- WEARTH London is a lovely online zero waste store, selling a fine range of the best sustainable fashion brands from small makers nationwide, all sent in zero waste packaging. If you shop often, it’s worth joining their scheme to redeem orders against earned points.
- ETHCS is a simple affordable ethical clothing brand. Everything is vegan, organic and Fair Wear certified, with 40% of profits going to animal charities. You can send them back used items for credit against future items, and these clothes are then sold at a lower price to people on a budget. Leftover stock is made into reusable face masks (not for medical use).