In today’s time, fashion is an ever-changing and rapidly evolving medium. It’s a universal fact that new replaces old, and as simply people change, fashion also changes. Because of this rapid growth and change in trends, often fashion can be frivolous. And while fashion is a vital part of our lives these days, the production and consumption of clothes frequently leave a global footprint of waste and pollution.

Case in point, according to industry estimates around 100 million tonnes of textile waste is generated each year, and more than a million of it per year comes from India’s household sources. Textile waste remains to be the third-largest source of municipal solid waste in India, as per Indian Textile Journal.

Given the current situation, it’s high time we put a bigger emphasis on a few sustainable solutions, which can be spearheaded by consumer durables players and certain advancements in technology, or intuitive clothes care.

The emphasis lies on not just fashion or manufacturers but also there is scope for consumer durables & fashion industries to work towards implementing sustainable solutions not just at the manufacturing level but also from a technological point of view. There is a need to start conversations around not just buying sustainable fashion but also prolonging the life of clothes through an informed approach towards washing.

Finding the right solution

Usually, clothes are worn less and are thrown away way before they lose their essence. In fact, clothes in most scenarios are worn not more than 10 times and this practice not only uses up time and money, but also impacts the overall carbon consumption. The right care can start with more sustainable laundry practices.

Waterless dyeing is one technique that may be used to reduce the harmful wastewater output from the clothing industry, which accounts for 20% of the world’s industrial water pollution. Another step that can be undertaken is reducing the detergent and using liquid instead of powdered detergents. Turning down the temperature can help as well.

Breaking the pattern with technology that cares

Technology has come a long way, in fact certain washing machines feature technological advancements to take good care of clothes and at the same time require less energy and water. They’re also kinder to the clothes, ensuring your fabric to stay chic for a longer time.

Most washing machines have preset wash programs, such as ‘care drum’ ‘cushion-like drum’, and ‘gentle wash’, ‘wool care’, ‘tumbling in reverse’ to make clothes last. These drum technologies in the washing machine ensure that your clothes are fully cleaned without being harmed by the washing drum and offer substantially gentle fabric care, resulting in less wear and tear on the garments.

Another great solution is sustainable fashion. It refers to producing clothes and accessories in an intuitive yet eco-friendly way. For instance, the use of biodegradable fabrics, recycled materials, repurposed garments, local production, buying second-hand, or eco packaging are a few practices that will direct us towards sustainable clothing.

By modernizing care technology for all fabrics and inspiring better care habits, we can halve the environmental impact of aftercare and prolong the average life of garments with the use of hi-tech features. Being a part of this transition will bring us one step closer to benefit the society and the environment.

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Disclaimer

Views expressed above are the author's own.

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