Earth Day 2020

     Happy Earth Day 🌎 2020 mermaids! In this past week’s live sale I mentioned some alarming facts on how the fashion industry impacts the environment. I wanted to write a blog post about it as well because a lot of people are unaware of the correlation. I’ll also talk about the measures Lotus y la Luna is taking to reduce our carbon footprint.

     Let’s start with the slow fashion movement and what that means: “slow fashion is an awareness and approach to fashion which considers the processes and resources required to make clothing, particularly focusing on sustainability. It involves buying better quality garments that will last longer and values fair treatment of people, animals and the planet.” Coined by Kate Fletcher of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion. So why should we even be concerned with any of this? 

Here are some reasons why:

*In 2015 the Fashion Industry was responsible for 92 million tons of waste sent to landfills

*A typical pair of jeans takes 900 gallons of water to make

*A garbage truck’s worth of textiles is discarded EVERY SECOND

*Extending the life of a garment by 9 months reduces energy footprints by 30%

*The Fashion Industry produces 20% of GLOBAL WASTEWATER and 10% of GLOBAL CARBON EMISSIONS (that’s more than the amount produced by all international flights)

*The wastewater from the industry is being dumped directly into natural bodies of water- with high amounts of lead, mercury and arsenic 

*If everyone in the US chose ONE secondhand item over a new one THIS YEAR, it would save 6 BILLION pounds of carbon emissions 

That is why you should be concerned....so what are we doing here at Lotus y la Luna to reduce our carbon footprint? Well for one we are a certified Ocean Friendly Establishment....meaning we don’t use any single use plastics in the shop...we also donate to the Surfrider Foundation to help keep our beaches and oceans clean and for local water quality testing. We have also started carrying more eco friendly pieces that are small batch made in settings that don’t pollute the environment around them. We also have started carrying more handmade, fair trade pieces that are ethically and sustainably made. Also, we have been very mindful on WHERE the clothing is made, who made it, were they affecting the environment around them, and how far did the item have to get shipped. Higher quality pieces have also been important to because the sustainability and lifetime of a piece of clothing means it’s less likely to end up in a landfill somewhere.

    We still have a ways to go here and I’m constantly trying to find new ways to reduce our carbon footprint....but know that YOU are making a difference when you shop with small, eco friendly businesses 🌎