How Can You Tell if a Clothing Item is Sustainable and Eco-Friendly?

There’s been a huge rise in interest in sustainable fashion recently. With brands realising this, how can you distinguish sustainably manufactured clothing from clothing items simply packaged to look like it? There’s a growing number of brands packaging their clothing to look as if what they’re selling was produced in a sustainable and eco-friendly way. While many claim to do this for aesthetic reasons, it’s still most definitely a form of greenwashing. 

Another thing to note is that just because the item is eco-friendly doesn’t mean it’s sustainable, and vice versa. Now just because the item you’re about to buy claims to have sustainable materials, doesn’t mean it didn’t contribute to carbon emissions or clothing waste. A truly sustainable clothing item has been through both ethical and environmental manufacturing processes. 

To give you an idea if a clothing item is sustainable and eco-friendly, here is a list of where and how to check them.

Check the Label

Clothing labels are very informational, yet often overlooked. From reading this little piece of fabric often sewn to the clothing’s inner backside, you can see:

Manufacturing Location

As I said above, sustainability is a balance of ethical and environmental manufacturing. Make sure the clothing item isn’t made in countries without labor laws or are known to exploit labor workers. Often, manufacturers from these countries also use toxic dyes and ignore proper waste disposal. 

The best way to make sure your clothing item is sustainable and eco-friendly is to look for ones locally made. This way, you’ll know it has less carbon footprint and is ethically made.

Materials Used

Clothing labels also indicate what materials they use, and its percentage. If it’s anything but sustainable fabrics, that clothing item is neither sustainable nor eco-friendly, no matter how small of a percentage they used.

Care Instructions

The care instructions on the label are a basic guide on how to make the clothing item last. Checking how to clean, store, and wear the item will give you an idea whether it’s sustainable and environmentally friendly to keep.

Research the Brand

A more thorough way to know whether a clothing item is sustainable and eco-friendly is by checking out the brand. Research whether it’s a green-certified company. Keep an eye out for what the media and ethical groups are saying about it. And lastly, check who their suppliers and manufacturers are.

Make sure that the company or brand you’re buying the clothing item from is transparent when it comes to these things, as well as with their worker treatment and conditions.