As many people are now much more aware of the waste that is created from the products we chose to buy, people are now buying much more sustainable as a way to help the environment. This was due to the documentary called Blue Planet narrated by David Attenborough on the BBC. This was to raise awareness about pollution and how it is affecting our planet, especially our oceans and animals in said oceans. Consumers then became more aware of their shopping habits and started to cut back on their single use plastic but also be more sustainable in every part of their lives such as fashion.
H & M were ahead of the time as they started this line in 2009 where they use recycled clothing to make new clothing. One of the new fabrics they use to create their clothes, is a fabric called econyl. This fabric is made from recycled nylon and plastic which they get majority of from the ocean and on beaches. They also have recycling bins in their shops so that people can bring their old clothing, so those clothes can be used to make new clothing for the conscious line, perhaps even be a part of your next purchase. However, they still sell fast fashion products which are low quality products. This means that they are thrown away after one or two wears either from being out of trend or that they are damaged to a point that they become unwearable.
Other brands that were affected by this change was McDonalds. They swapped out their plastic straws for paper straws. However, they are much better for not hurting the animals in the ocean, like the plastic straw did to the turtle, but they still cannot be recycled. They do biodegrade, but the problem is that the paper is too thick so that it can’t be processed which means that it needs to be put in the general waste bin. Consumers are also disliking the straws as they dissolve and become unusable after a short period of time, sometimes even before the customers are finished with their drinks. Other restaurants such as Pret, have also done the same thing and are now providing their customers with paper straws rather than single use plastic straws.
I personally think that other brands should be using recycled fabrics as a consumer viewpoint you cannot tell any difference between a recycled fabric and a new fabric. I would feel much better about buying the product if I knew that it was a recycled product rather than a fast fashion product.
Sarah Ervine - Fashion Marketer 