ECOGUILT

When I was a little girl, I noticed my mother would pick up items at the store and check the tag indicating where the product was made. Her ultimate goal was to find as many items for purchase that were marked “made in America.” I never understood her intentions until I grew older. Every once in a while, I look at where the products I buy are from and it has made me wonder how these products are made, what materials are used and how many people it takes to make one product.

When an individual comes across a “made in America” tag on clothing, they might be quick to assume this tag represents sustainability and equality. However, according to anti-fast fashion organization Remake, “in 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor found that 85% of L.A. garment factories violated federal wage and hour laws.” In reality, these “made in America” tags do not really represent free and reputable manufacturing. Rather, they present a facade of sustainability and ethical consumption. The term eco-guilt, in relation to personal or societal standards of sustainable living and environmental behavior, describes feelings of remorse or regret that we may have when we do something environmentally harmful. Eco-guilt affects us even in minor actions, like the feeling of shame when tossing a recyclable bottle into the trash can, knowing it could have been thrown into the recycling bin. Feelings of ecoguilt can even extend into our retail shopping and supermarket experiences. To be a conscious consumer, we must be intentional with our purchasing decisions and realize the impacts it may have — for better or for worse.

As college students, many of us intentionally buy cheaply made clothes. Shein is an online retailer offering cheap, accessible clothing. While on the surface these sites may seem too good to be true, the reality is much darker. According to Study Breaks, Shein “issues about 500 new items a day.” These poorly made garments contribute to the destruction of the environment as clothing gets thrown out after it deteriorates. In addition, Shein lacks transparency regarding their supply chain. While Shein’s website claims the company does not use any child labor in their production, it neglects to mention that child labor laws vary significantly from country to country — meaning it would not be considered child labor for a 14-year-old to work in Bangladesh.

In an effort to make more ethical purchases, one can explore whether the brand is cruelty free, uses sustainable production practices and gives fair benefits to employees. Ideally, an ethical fashion industry is one where fresh water usage is monitored and limited, harmful chemicals and textile wastes are reduced and the purchasing of organic materials and recycled clothing is supported. While making the choice to shop ethically may initially seem easy, an argument against buying new, sustainable clothing is the price tag they often come with. How can we expect to shop sustainably if the cost of an

WORDS: JENNIFER BLOCH & KARI EICKHOLDT PHOTO: RACHEL HITCHCOCK GLAM: EVELYN CAMPAU STYLIST: HALEY POAG LOCATION: HYACINTH HOUSE ethically made shirt is so high? And though this may be the case for certain brands, there are many sustainable fashion brands that fit within a college student’s budget. Pact, Rent the Runway, Boody and Happy Earth are just a few companies that are not only sustainable but also budget friendly.

Sustainability efforts are in part dependent on what environment you live in and how your area preserves Earth’s natural resources. The clothing, footwear and textile industries contribute intensive labor toward the clothing supply chain made up of factories where the products are made, the distribution of raw materials and the distribution of goods from producers to consumers.

According to “A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future,” the Ellen MacArthur Foundation reported “less than 1% of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing, representing a loss of more than USD 100 billion worth of materials each year.” In an effort to combat the loss of materials and contribute to protecting the environment, both individual companies and consumers should look at purchasing recycled materials and clothing items instead of buying new.

Without realizing, people buy and wear clothes that contribute directly to the depletion of the environment, its resources and the people who benefit from it. And while the clothing industry may never be 100% environmentally friendly, as consumers, we can make small strides to reduce our eco-guilt and help the world move towards a more sustainable future.