It’s all good and well discussing major issues that we face when it comes to making the change towards a more sustainable future. Be it sustainable energy development, governmental waste management, international organic farming standards, and more. But the fact is, we, as consumers, are responsible for a lot more in our basic lives, than we realise. Just as an example, 80% of CO2 emissions from the lifetime of a t-shirt come after purchase. In the washing and drying process. If everyone on the planet started to wash cold, drip dry, then that would mean a 60% drop in CO2 levels from the fashion sector! It quickly becomes clear then that choosing a life of love requires us to change just about every aspect of our lives, to change how we spend our days. But it doesn’t have to be as scary as we think it may be. The bottom line is, we need to step away from the current consumer society, and shift our lifestyles toward more sustainable activities. Here are just a few simple ways that you, today, can start making a change.
Even downshifting from a higher paying job toward something that earns less but has a more sustainable, beneficial impact on the world. Some things are more practicable than others, but even the slightest chang will have a massive impact on the sustainability of your life. If 1% of the world population made a simple change such as transport choice, and left the car at home, the reduction in CO2 levels would be colossal. The inevitable question does arise – 'but will I be happy living this new way?' Fortunately, the answer is a resounding yes! Happiness studies have exploded over the last decade and have found a great deal of evidence linking altruistic and sustainable behavior to happiness: At least two studies of groups that chose to change their lifestyle to achieve personal values such as "environmental friendliness" and "voluntary simplicity" found that both experienced higher levels of well-being. (Bok 22) So, there it is. Just a simple change is a start, we don’t have to wait for governments and corporations to fall in line. As consumers, we have the control over the market. If we make the change, the rest will follow.
0 Comments
I have always had a soft spot for clothes. T-shirts, jeans, vintage and all manner of alternatives to the usual high-street norm. I've pretty much spent my whole life in and out of charity and thrift stores, hunting for a new bargain or a forgotten style. Fashion is an insatiable industry, it is never complete...never fulfilled. There will always be another tee, another dress, another shirt. The industry puts such a drain on humanity and the planet, that to really be sustainable, and to benefit our futures, we really need to re-assess how we not only buy our clothes, but more importantly, how we create and develop them. In the process of setting up We. Our Future, we came across this book, Shaping Sustainable Fashion. Edited Alison Gwilt and Timo Rrissanen, who are both highly respected fashion designers and educators, the book opens up your eyes to everything you didn't know about where clothes come to, and what it means, not only for the industry, but for the world, should we not seek a change to our fashion needs. If you want to get involved in the sustainable fashion revolution. This is pretty much the best place to start. This book covers all aspects of the fashion industry, and will open your eyes on a lot of areas you may not even know about. From source, to transport, to dyes, to stitching, to printing, manufacture, distribution, there isn’t an aspect of the clothing industry left out. It is a real eye opener to how companies like Rapanui, as well as big designers, are working hard to change the face of the industry. It may not be the cheapest, but it is an essential read should you be entering the world of sustainable fashion. Buy the e-book now and save some trees while you’re at it. :) Setting up a start up is not the easiest thing to do, and from experience, we can say that the reward of helping change the future for the better far outweighs the stress and work load we have to put in. That said, we finally have all areas of the operation up and running. Follow our social media, FB, Twitter, Instagram - @weourfuture #weourfuture Also, as we previously mentioned, our webstore is fully up and running, so you can start shopping now, and help make a change towards a more sustainable future. The store is pretty simple to navigate. We currently only have two categories, Mens and Womens. More sections will come in time, but to launch we wanted to primarily focus on our message, and work on quality over quantity. Some of our designs will be available in various colour options, to the left of each product page you will see the different styles and you can have a browse to see which you fancy – that said, it is more economical and ecological to print on white tees, leaving more money available for charitable works. So if you are torn between white and another option, pick white every time, so you can give more to our sustainable future. Postage and sizing is simple. With Rapanui, they provide all sizing information, and if something isn’t to your liking, they also offer freepost returns. Postage is affordable too, there is a free postage option in the UK, plus low cost EU and international shipping available also. Watch this space for our future plans and releases, including: Charitees – where 100% of the sales profit goes direct to NGOs. Kids wear – yes we will be launching a childrens range in the near future. New Products – Currently we only stock tees and sweaters, but more variety will be available in the coming months. So there you have it. If you fancy making a change… The facts are plain to see. We can only share with you what we discover on our journey. It's down to you to make the decision whether you want to help make a change for a more sustainable future.
Our official store is now available online. With a launch selection of 14 original products for Men and Women, all ethically sourced, organic produce, printed in a wind powered factory. We.Our Future focus on original print design in mens and womens streetwear. Using top quality materials and ecological water based inks, our t-shirts, sweaters and other various garments, are of the highest quality, whilst retaining our strong principals for a sustainable future. Though our launch range is small, we are focusing on quality over quantity, and will be working towards a more expansive collection over the coming months, including our exclusive series of limited edition Charitees. Original designs printed for short periods with 100% of sales profit delivered direct to NGOs, in a bid to generate awareness for hard working organisations that are aiming towards the same goals of a more sustainable future. |
ArchivesCategories |