Consumer Studies Grade 12 Fashion & Clothing PDF

3.3 Identify consumer issues related to the impact of the selection and use of clothing on natural or economic environment. The learner must have a basic understanding and be able to formulate relevant guidelines for addressing the issue: - The effect of local production vs. clothing imports on...

3.3 Identify consumer issues related to the impact of the selection and use of clothing on natural or economic environment. The learner must have a basic understanding and be able to formulate relevant guidelines for addressing the issue: - The effect of local production vs. clothing imports on the South African clothing industry. - The impact of counterfeit goods on the natural and economic environment - The effects of manufacturing of synthetic and natural fibres on the natural and economic environment - Sustainable use of clothing -- reuse, reduce, recycle, revamp, upcycle **ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: CLOTHING** In this section we will discuss the impact of the clothing industry and consumer behaviour on the natural and economic environment. Environmental awareness should underlie all decisions made by consumers. Certain stores are using this as a marketing tool -- e.g. Woolworths. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Natural environment** -- the earth -- soil, water, air, organic, sustainable, reduce, reuse, recycle. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Economic environment** -- Business, income, jobs, money, profit & loss, piracy, brands, Fairtrade. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Sustainability** -- the ability to last or endure -- in terms of the environment -- it refers to the economical use of natural resources e.g. water, to ensure they will still be available for future generations. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **[THE EFFECT OF LOCAL PRODUCTION VS. CLOTHING IMPORTS ON SA CLOTHING INDUSTRY]** Local production of clothing: [ ] Importation of clothing: [ ] **\ ** **[PIRACY OF BRANDED GOODS / TRADEMARKS]** Brand piracy has been called the business crime of the 21^st^ century. Companies in the first world lose billions every year as a result of this unethical, illegal practice. Improved manufacturing processes and the globalisation of businesses have made it possible to copy and pirate a seemingly limitless number of products ranging from clothing and accessories to films, books and even proscription drugs. **A trademark** is any word, symbol, name or device that a person uses to identify and distinguish products. It is often the logo that the source or manufacturer of goods. E.g. Adidas 3 stripes; Lacoste's alligator; Nikes swoosh. Any use of a logo without the permission of the trademark's owner is a violation of trademark law. **Protection of trademarks & logos.** Trademark law protects the brand name or logo but not the item on which the logo is placed. This means someone can copy an item (create a replica -- *a copy that looks identical to the original*) and will only be sued for the trademark infringement (*i.e. -- to take over rights that belong to someone else*) **Brand piracy** is the unauthorised use of protected trademarks, brand names or logos and the imitation of labels, packaging or presentation of products. The main forms of brand piracy are imitation & counterfeiting. Imitations are copies of the original, but they do not look exactly like the original. A product is given a name similar to the original brand so the consumer may mistake it for the actual brand. **Counterfeits** are replicas of the original product. Adidas, Louis Vuitton & Levi Straus are brands that are victims of brand piracy. Counterfeit goods are usually imported into countries like South Africa but are sometimes manufactured in SA. However, they mostly come from the Far East -- China being a culprit. Counterfeit goods are usually sold in the informal market, but can be sold through retailers, over the internet, at flea markets and informal roadside stalls. These products are usually bought into the country in a stealthy manner eg in containers that are mislabelled with false documents and in the luggage of travellers returning from overseas holidays. It is difficult to stop the trade of counterfeit goods in the informal market and difficult to identify the distributers of these products as they use informal traders to sell their goods. **\ ** **Consequences of brand piracy** The consequences are far reaching and not only affect designers and manufacturers but also the economy and society as a whole. - The original manufacturer loses sales worth millions - The image of the brand is harmed - It inhibits the original manufacturer entering the market in areas where piracy of the brand exists. Consumers want to feel they have status by buying an "original" yet fake product. The cost of the original is far higher than the fake. So a price war is waged against the low prices of counterfeit goods. The registered trademarks can't compete. - Consumers lose faith in brands, especially when untested and poor quality goods result in damage and accidents. - It damages retailers selling legitimate products, resulting in missed opportunities to create jobs and actual job losses. - Counterfeiting deprives national economies of customs duties and tax revenues. **[THE EFFECTS OF MANUFACTURING OF SYNTHETIC AND NATURAL FIBRES ON THE NAUTRAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT]** **Fast fashion, the clothing equivalent of fast food, leaves a pollution footprint with each step of the clothing life cycle generating potential environmental and occupational hazards.** **The life cycle of clothing can be broken down into 4 processes through which a garment passes, from raw material to end of life.** **Step 1: Production of the fibre** **Step 2: Production of the clothes (processing)** **Step 3: Use, care and microfibre pollution** **Step 4: Disposal and End of product life** **The worst fabrics for the environment:** **[Cotton:]** As "natural" as cotton is -- it is the most pesticide intensive crop in the world. It is responsible for using 25% of all pesticides used each year in the world. This results in an enormous degree of chemical poisoning and damage to the environment. It also uses valuable land in countries such as India & Pakistan where there is an urgent need for land to grow food. Herbicides & chemicals are used to aid growth & mechanical harvesting and this further burdens the environment and takes its toll on human health. Production processes such as mercerising, bleaching and dyeing use chemicals that remain in the fabric after finishing and are released during the lifetime of the garment. Virtually all poly cotton, especially bed linen with "easy care", "permanent press" & "crease resistant" items are treated with toxic formaldehyde. At home, caring for cotton clothes is also energy intensive as cotton needs a higher washing temperature and ironing temperature than synthetics. [Synthetic fibres made from crude oil (polyester, nylon and acrylic fabrics):] **Clothing items made from these fibres are not biodegradable and is energy intensive. They reply on petrochemical industries and therefore are dependent on fossil fuel extraction. The reliance on and use of fossil fuels results in oil spills, methane emissions and wildlife disruption and biodiversity loss.** Polyester uses a lot of water for cooling and makes use of allergy causing dyes. **[Animal-derived materials (wool, leather and fur):]** **In the creation of wool, organophosphate dips are used to control pests and disease of the sheep's wool and can affect workers when shearing. Toxic chemicals use to preserve wool and fud if managed poorly or simply discharged can pollute waterways resulting in immense pollution. Leather is responsible for large amount of methane outputs, as well as the carbon footprint associated with the raising of cattle and transporting material.** **[FASHION FORWARD]** **"Eco Fashions" are defined as identifying the general environmental performance of a product based on its whole life-cycle, in order to contribute to the improvement and support of sustainability.** **Eco fashion --** takes the environment, the health of consumers & working conditions of people in the clothing/fashion industry into account. Eco fashions: - Are made using organic raw materials e.g. organic cotton, hemp & bamboo fabrics. - Have not been dyed using harmful chemicals. - Are often made from recycled & reused textiles. (High quality garments can be made from second-hand clothes or recycled plastic bottles.) - Are made to last -- longer lifespan. - Ensure the workers are paid a fair wage with decent working hours & working conditions and does not use child labour -- FAIRTRADE **Eco friendly fabrics --** have a low carbon footprint. They are produced from crops that do not require pesticides or chemicals to be grown. They use less water & energy to be produced & processed & create less waste. **Sustainable textiles** - organic fibres & fabrics produced from renewable sources e.g. bamboo or hemp. Dyes used are obtained from plants. The quantity of fertilisers & pesticides used to cultivate cotton is reduced by 25%. **The best fabrics for the environment:** [**Bamboo**:] Is a natural textile made from the pulp of bamboo grass. It is more sustainable than most textiles because bamboo grows fast & does not require pesticides to thrive. Bamboo plantations can be replanted every year to replace stocks. Processing bamboo into fibre requires only a few chemicals and these do not harm the environment. **[Hemp:]** Is grown for the fibre and the seeds. It is fast growing and considered a renewable resource. It is easy to cultivate, is pest tolerant & needs few agricultural chemicals. It produces high yields and enriches the soil with its deep roots. [Soya:] A fabric made from the hulls of the soya bean -- so it makes best use of the waste products of the food industry. Soya fabric has a lower environmental impact than synthetic fabrics. The plant itself is easily renewable and the fibre biodegrades quickly. In fact the fabric is so biodegradable that old clothes can be tossed onto the compost heap to decompose. (Cradle to Cradle) **Organic textiles:** These textiles are grown organically, without the use of herbicides or pesticides. They can be called "green" fibres but become less eco-friendly if chemicals, bleaches and harmful dyes are used in the manufacturing of the fabric. Dyes that contain heavy metals contaminate the soil and pollute the rivers. Such dyes can be replaced with natural plant-based dyes that do not expose the workers to harmful toxic substances that irritate the skin of the wearer. Organic blends or synthetic fibres are made from a variety of natural resources combined with non--harmful chemicals. Examples of materials are recycled wood, maize, soya & seaweed combined with eco-friendly Lyocell. Most of these fabrics are bio-degradable. A garment made from these fibres should display a label/logo from an organic certification body. *Blending organic chemicals & synthetic substances to make eco-friendly **synthetic** textiles*. **Non-organic textiles that are considered to be sustainable textiles** Even if fabric is not organic, it may qualify as sustainable. This means it can be produced from a crop that can be planted and regrown without damaging the soil, even if some chemicals are used during its growth. - Hemp & cotton grown with limited chemicals. - Silk from silkworms that are fed & treated in an environmentally friendly way & if the fabric is constructed without the use of bleach or chemical dyes. (Exploitation of individual animals often goes hand in hand with intensive farming practices that also damage the environment. E.g. Silkworms are either boiled or gassed to death for the silk from their cocoons.) - Animal fibres e.g. wool, mohair & alpaca. If the animals are treated well, live in humane conditions & not harmed while the fibres are gathered; their manure does not enter the water supply & no bleach or chemical dyes are used in the manufacturing process -- this is then termed a sustainable textile. **[ETHICAL CLOTHING PRACTICES]** This refers to the way clothing is manufactured, sold and what the company is doing for the community. If the workers are not paid a living wage or the working conditions are dangerous and below standard, the end product does not pass the fair-trade test. Companies that qualify as fair-trade establishments follow a manufacturing code of conduct that include: - Fair wages to the workers - Good working conditions - Do not use child labour - Comply with civil labour laws and safety laws. - They support environmental sustainability. Companies that are committed to eco-fashion also give back to the community. They recognise that everything on earth is interconnected and that we should share what we have with people in need. They help communities by: - Donating a part of their profit for charities & environmental action. - Working to improve the lives of third-world employees who grow the fibres for textiles or who make their garments. - Planting trees - Supporting local schools in rural and remote areas. There is a movement amongst some manufacturers & suppliers to reduce packaging. This will benefit the environment as there is less degradable and non-degradable waste on landfills. They have committed their companies to: - Avoid the use of packaging where possible - Reuse packaging many stores sell reusable shopping bags -- many of which have been made from recycling plastic bottles. - Reducing the amount of packaging used. - Using recyclable and bio degradable or compostable packaging materials. **[\ ]** **[RECYCLED TEXTILES]** Recycled wool -- woollen fabric / clothing is shredded and processed into fibre for respinning into yarn and woven back into cloth Recycled polyester -- plastic bottles made from polyester are recycled and converted into fibres and used to make zips and buttons. Garments made from 100% polyester can be recycled over again. In South Africa the greatest barrier to recycling textiles is the lack of equipment and technology needed to make new fibres from scraps of fabric. **[REUSE]** Vintage style fashions are popular. Shop in second hand charity shops and remodel these garments into unique, individual, original garments. **Upcycling** means taking an old garment or waste fabric apart and stitching it into something entirely new. Creating your own "look". Original, fun, trendy! You can also sell or donate your old or unwanted clothes and in this way help towards saving the environment or assisting the less fortunate with clothes. You can also restyle your own clothes showing your creativity and sewing skills. E.g. lace and embroidery on old ripped jeans. **REVAMP:** To revamp means to give new and improved form, structure and appearance to old clothes. Nine basic alternations you can do to revamp old clothes are as follows; 1. Shorten the hems on dresses, skirts, or pants. 2. Change buttons on clothes, or add more for decoration. 3. Take in jeans that are too big for you. 4. Add a slit to a maxi dress or skirt you don't wear. 5. Turn a crew-neck tee into a V-neck. 6. Turn the bottom of a t-shirt into a headband. 7. Turn a t-shirt into a strappy singlet. 8. Cut a t-shirt into an off-the-shoulder top. 9. Add lace/ dyes to a plain shirt you're bored of. **So what can you do?** - Be aware of what you are buying -- read labels -- make informed decisions. - Buy clothing made from some organic textile or made for a sustainable textile eg bamboo & flax. - Support stores who show a concern for the environment even if it is a marketing tool. - Support local designers & try & buy clothes that have been made locally. \- carbon foot print \- create jobs in our own country. - Do not just discard your old clothes -- donate to a worthy cause. - Support second hand stores and donate or buy to remodel vintage items. Start a new trend! - Recycle old clothing packing or purchase items that use less packaging. - Use detergents that work well at lower temperatures. - Extend the usable life of garments. - Purchase more durable garments.