When you first think of water saving it’s easy to just think of water waste that we can see. Having a quick shower instead of a bath, turning taps off or fully packing your dishwasher before turning it on. The water footprint created by the fashion industry is often overlooked because of the heavy focus on carbon emissions. The manufacturing of clothing creates a virtual water footprint which includes every litre of water used across the supply chain. The chain starts with the growing of cotton crops to the consumer at the end who has to wash the clothing.
Water is the foundation of life but alarmingly the supply of fresh water is being used up quicker than ever expected. The phrase shopping is thirsty work is true for both the shopper and for the planet. The fashion industry relies so heavily upon water, that there are a few changes we can make to our shopping habits to waste less. When shopping for a new item lookout for water saving certifications, these certifications indicate when an item has been manufactured with minimal waste and water usage. In addition, the following certifications belong to clothing that doesn’t create water pollution from chemicals and dyes, so water remains clean and can be recycled.
The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is a well known certification used by many brands across the globe. This not-for-profit organisation runs the largest cotton sustainability program in the world, with a focus on a holistic approach, BCI have three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. With these three pillars the BCI system has a positive impact on the environment, the people who grow the cotton and the future of cotton farming. BCI promote water stewardship, teaching farmers how to use water more sustainably. For example, using freshwater within sustainable limits, ensuring maximum water productivity and sharing water equally between uses and users both locally and globally.
This is just one example of a water saving certification which is found across our brands, other ones to look out for are Blue Economy design, Dope-dyed yarn, Bluesign standard and Higg index. Finding sustainable items can be daunting when you’re presented with pages of clothing options, so we’ve made it easy for you to shop sustainable products on our website by using the sustainability filter.