On the 21st of March it is international day of the forests. Forests are an important aspect in our lives, it may not be obvious to us and we definitely take them for granted, but they help the world go round. A forest is a complex ecological system in which trees are the dominant life-form. The fashion industry has a big impact on forests and deforestation, and this is something that sustainable fashion practices will slowly change.
Before we discuss the impact the fashion industry has on our forests, this is why forests are so important to our ecosystem.
The biggest thing that forests do is help us breathe as they pump out oxygen. 7-8 mature trees provide enough oxygen for one person, for a year. The process of photosynthesis is what provides most of the earth's oxygen. Without plants or forests we would not have enough oxygen to survive.
The forests clean the atmosphere and keep us cool. They soak in the carbon dioxide and store it. This helps with climate change as it removes the excessive Co2 emissions from the sky, which is causing global warming. Co2 is in the atmosphere to keep us at a temperature that is livable. Without it, we would be below freezing. With everything we do in modern day society, we are adding to the Co2 levels, causing the atmosphere to get hotter. The more trees we cut down, the less help we have removing it from the atmosphere, the worse global warming will get.
Forests clean up the air pollution as well. This is not just Co2, but carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide as well. These are harmful gasses and can affect people's breathing. In excess these can cause life threatening problems and people can die. By cutting down the forests these gasses are increasing in the atmosphere causing more health issues.
These are just 3 major things that forests do to help us live, and this is exactly why we need to help restore and save our forests.
Deforestation is one of its most significant environmental impacts, as forests are cleared to make way for the fast fashion industry.
Each year over 200 million trees are cut down to be transformed into textiles for clothing. These trees are logged, processed with chemicals, dissolved into wood pulp, and then transformed into fabrics like viscose, rayon, lyocell etc. As the demand for fashion increases and the sales increase, so does the destruction of the trees.
As a sustainable fashion brand, we carefully select our fabrics so minimal impact is made on things such as forests. However we take responsibility for our actions and give back to the environment. For every order we get, we plant a tree. This may seem like a small act but as mentioned, 7-8 mature trees provide enough oxygen for one person, for a year, so every tree matters. We don’t want to take away from the environment, we want to help it and protect the world we live in.
We work with a brand called One Tree Planted. One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Their projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and environmental organizations to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Reforestation helps to restore forests that have been degraded by human activities or environmental disasters, provide jobs for social impact, and restore biodiversity habitat.
Many projects have overlapping objectives that contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Beyond their reforestation projects, One Tree Planted believes that engaging people who want to get their hands in the dirt is critical to raising environmental awareness. That is why they also organize volunteer events, offer educational materials, and provide ways for businesses to give back. By focusing on collaborative sustainability from the ground up, they hope to make a lasting and positive difference for the planet.
On the international day of the forests we will be planting 2 trees for every order placed, in order to double our impact and help make a difference.
So what can you do when you go to buy clothes?
Look for brands that give back to the environment and use sustainable materials. You then know that the clothing you are wearing has not caused deforestation, and destroyed the environment when being made. Be more conscious when you don’t shop locally. Find a brand that ships carbon neutral so you know that the emissions made in delivery have been taken care of and the environment has not been impacted.
Join us and do something to give back to the forests, not only on the 21st of March, but as much as you can. We can protect the world we live in and make a difference together.