Gullingsrud’s and Perkin’s chapter provides a detailed guide of how to be more aware of the ways in which the fashion industry can be more sustainable. By laying out the different aspects of how the industry affects the earth and people, we are able to understand what choices can be made to lessen the impacts and what to consider when aiming towards more sustainable and ethical practices. They offer Cradle to Cradle as a solution, which is a new way of thinking that can better the industry, which designs not to lessen the negative impacts, but to intentionally leave a lasting, positive impact.
This ties back to a previous lecture, in which we discussed that the solution isn’t to only use less, because it only delays the ultimate consequence, which is running out of our resources. Using less resources and being more conscious of our individual impact on the earth is a step in the right direction, but resources are still finite. However, by using Cradle to Cradle, we can design clothes that don’t simply take up materials, but leave a positive impact on the planet. Clothes can be made with safe materials that can be reused in the future as “food” for other systems, leaving a “legacy” of products that come from the same materials. This would be a great solution to the immense amount of fabric waste and air/water pollution that happens every year. By using materials that are safe for the earth, workers, and wearers, the entire system of fabric production and wear is positively affected. Like nature that breathes new life into organisms through natural waste, Cradle to Cradle enforces better allocation of energy and resources to breathe new life into many products, generating as little waste as possible. This system doesn’t rely on using less, it utilizes good design to ensure that materials are used to their fullest potential and better the environment around them.