Lucille Wood
- May 24, 2024
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Sustainable Fashion: Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Traditional Handbags
Introduction to Sustainable Fashion
Welcome to eco-fashion! Ever since the very notion of footprints came on the scene with the realisation that our lifestyles bear consequences, we are becoming increasingly eco-conscious, and sustainable alternatives to many of the things that surround us are growing in popularity. In this article, we will look specifically at handbags. Traditional materials may not be as appealing as eco materials, so as a fashion extravaganza, sustainable fashion adapts for a more conscious wardrobe. Thus, there is a growing movement to replace leather with materials such as cork, seagrass and, of course, synthetic fabrics such as polyurethane, and vegan leather (also known as ‘appleskin’) which was created using apple waste from juice manufacturing. Moreover, there is a trend to replace handbags made of fur with those that use PLA, a cloth made of corn starch; feathers with pineapple leaves, bamboo or seagrass; and silk with cocoon fibres. It is an exciting time to be living green, and the sustainable fashion industry is not only gaining momentum but there are several brands leading the way. Handbags are one of the most personal accessories that women wear. Typically, women want to provide for their families, without further polluting the environment. Thus, there is a growing movement to replace handbags made of leather with cork, seagrass and synthetic fabrics like polyurethane, and vegan leather (also known as ‘appleskin’) which was created using apple waste from juice manufacturing.
The Impact of Traditional Handbags on the Environment
The leather-based design we carry for daily use does have a cost by impacting the environment immensely as in achieving the leather animal hide, many volatile and harmful chemicals are used in the process which causes water pollution and cutting of trees for land expansion. Moreover, the intensive culture of the animals for leather farms emit extreme gas pollution which is considered extremely significant among the greenhouse conditions.
Many of the fabrics traditionally used in handbags come from synthetic materials that are made from petroleum-based products like plastic or nylon, which can lead to high carbon emissions during production and hundreds of years to degrade in a landfill once discarded.
Carrying handbags from the factory to stores also increases carbon footprints; a lot of these bags are shipped from distant places, which increase carbon footmarks. When consumer demand for fashion one-season-trend constantly increases, the circular of production and wasting expands, leading to more harm to the nature.
Wearers can trample down an infinitesimal amount of earth by selecting handbags fashioned from repurposed materials or organic fibres while amplifying the numbers practising a sustainable ideology in fashion.
Eco-Friendly Materials Used in Sustainable Handbags
Notably, the choice of materials helps make sustainable handbags environmentally friendly; most eco-labels use a range of materials such as Adria, corn, eucalyptus, hemp, organic cotton and recycled plastic, as well as using other animal parts such as cork. The reasons are obvious.
From Ethical Consumer Magazine:
Organic cotton, grown without fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and synthetic chemicals, increases soil health and saves water. It also benefits butterflies, bees and birds and supports crop biodiversity. Similarly, for warmth, hemp is stronger and warmer than cotton while needing little water and no pesticides to grow; it is also antimicrobial, completely biodegradable and remains beautiful when wet. Cork can be harvested without harm to the tree – cork eventually regrows on the cork oak tree without damaging the tree itself – and handbag production also saves or reuses excess material.
 They are converted into yarn, which can be turned into handbags (like the Hadley and Anna) with a lower carbon footprint than those made from virgin plastic materials. If you fancy a new clutch bag then they are a great way to boost your eco-credentials without compromising on style at all.
Ethical Production and Fair Trade Practices
 Sustainable fashion must be built on ethical production and fair trade. This is about creating beautiful clothes and accessories from the best materials for us and our planet whilst caring for the people who have made them.
 Ensuring working conditions, wages and transparency up and down their supply chain is why many sustainable handbag brands try to achieve that goal in their production. In this way you support a more ethical industry if you choose to buy one of their products.
 Responsible sourcing is also part of these fair trade practices: it means using more environmentally friendly fabrics such as organic cotton, recycled polyester or vegetable-tanned leather – all materials that reduce our impact on and increase sustainability within the fashion industry.
 In supporting a handbag that is produced in an ethically sound way, you are both making a statement of taste and you are supporting ethical labour practices in the fashion industry. Your choices can help to improve the lives of communities across the world.
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