Our plastic world and a guide to plastic-free shopping: intro & clothing
Without major change, experts predict there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050. In honour of plastic-free July, our we take a look at the scale of the problem and our first piece, point to some ways to shop for plastic-free clothing.
By Lucia Cockcroft, yoga and mindfulness teacher and co-founder of Yoga at the Mill, a Chelmsford studio offering classes, retreats and workshops.
YATM is fundraising to support the Marine Conservation Society (MSC), a UK charity tackling plastic waste in our oceans. Our next live streamed Deep Rest Retreat in September is in aid of the MSC, and our JustGiving page for the charity is here; huge thanks for any donations.
The word ‘yoga’ (‘union’) refers to the belief that all things, and all beings, are deeply inter-connected. With this sentiment comes the necessity for compassion (‘ahimsa’ or non-harming) towards ourselves, others and our extraordinary planet.
As more and more species are driven to extinction by human behaviour, wars continue to be waged and the climate emergency deepens, the world needs compassion, care and mindfulness with pressing urgency. As the Dalai Lama famously said, ‘My only religion is kindness’.
Launched in Australia in 2011 by the Plastic Free Foundation, plastic-free July is a yearly event challenging people to refuse single-use plastic and go plastic-free for the month. It is also part of a fast-growing movement, escalated by the transformative work of Sir David Attenborough, to bring awareness to these issues. After all, without awareness, there is little possibility of change.
In the first of two blog pieces on the subject of plastic-free shopping we take a brief look at the scale of the problem, and take a spotlight to the clothing industry to ask: how to shop sustainably and plastic-free for yoga clothing?
Our plastic world
The facts are shocking. Over the past 50 years, world plastic production has doubled with only 9% of plastics currently recycled.
One million marine animals are killed by plastic pollution each year - and as marine life ingests plastic (horrifyingly, the average person eats 70,000 microplastics each year) it has woven its way into our food chain. Over 50% of single-use plastic waste is produced by just 20 global organisations. Horrifyingly, if plastic waste continues as it is, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050.
From food wrapping to cosmetics, and now even found in microparticles in the air we breathe and in the rain that falls, plastic - seen and unseen - is everywhere.
It’s not just the larger pieces of plastic that are so devastating. Microplastics measuring less than 5mm across are intentionally added to a startlingly long list of everyday products, including cosmetics, medicines, nappies, paint and detergents.
Recently there is even evidence that it is raining microsplastics (go here), which at least the UK has attempted to address by banning products containing them. However, to say the problem is endemic and urgent seems a vast under-statement.
So what can we do? Shopping for clothes
For the purist ethical consumer the clearest path is to stop buying new clothes altogether, instead seeking out bargains in high street charity shops, online (check out Thrifty and Loveyourclothes) or through clothes-swapping parties.
For new clothing purchases, there are a mind-boggling range of considerations: animal welfare, fair pay, carbon emissions, transparency, recycling and workplace wellbeing. And that’s before the plastics issues!
Estimated to be worth about £62.2 billion in 2021, the fashion industry is vast and so has a massive role to play in sustainability. Perhaps surprisingly, the sector accounts for 15-30% of all plastics found in the oceans, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Despite a fast-growing seachange (with the likes of Zara and H&M offering recycled materials and in-store recycling) spearheaded by the savvy consumer, many big brands still have a long way to go and make plentiful use of plastic in and around products.
Plastic packaging, organic cotton and bamboo
The consumer talks and the most powerful way to say ‘no’ to plastics is to avoid buying anything we know to contain it or be wrapped in it. Be mindful that vegan leather may not be the answer, often containing petroleum-based, non-biodegradable polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU).
Seek out brands that use certifiably organic cotton or fast-growing bamboo and which do not use plastic packaging. Bamboo is super-stretchy and comfortable and perfect for yoga clothing! Other major benefits of bamboo are that it’s so fast-growing and doesn’t need chemicals such as pesticides or fertilizers to thrive.
Sustainable clothing, wellness and home company Thought uses ‘zero plastic in labelling and packaging’ whilst sourcing ‘natural, sustainable yarns that use less water, fewer pesticides, and create less CO2’. For more on their ethical policy and for handy plastic-free lifestyle tips, go here.
Friends of the Earth commits to being plastic-packaging free and boasts a great online clothing store Threads of the Earth, whose wares include recycled post-consumer organic cotton T-shirts. Impressively, the organisation will refund you £5 for any worn item returned, contributing to a ‘circular’ system where products can be repeatedly returned and re-used.
Our own personal favourite UK clothing company is Bam, whose lovely bamboo and organic cotton yoga and lifestyle clothes come wrapped in fully compostable bags.
UK brand Asquith is another favourite of ours (check out their indispensable Harem pants), and has just met its 2021 target to transition away from plastic packaging, instead using “fully recyclable and biodegradable kraft paper, made from trees from sustainable forests. For every tree used, two are planted in its place.”
Similarly to Threads of the Earth, all clothing at Rapanui is designed to eventually be sent back and new products are made from this material. Check out its organic recycled range here.
And for recycled leggings ingeniously made from plastic bottles check out clothing brand Free Spirit.
Whilst sustainable clothing alternatives are rapidly springing up, there’s a long way to go before shopping for new clothing is synonymous with plastic-free living. We would love to hear of your favourite brands and tips.
Next up: shopping for plastic-free cosmetics and toiletries!
Yoga at the Mill is fundraising in support of Marine Conservation Society, with our JustGiving page here.
