Volunteering for Fashion Takes Action this fall, I was fortunate to be part of WEAR 2016 (World Ethical Apparel Roundtable) held November 1st and 2d in Toronto, a conference hosting over 40 speakers from all areas in textile apparel, recycling, sustainable and ethical issues.

One of the main topics was transparency in the supply chain and waste management. It was very informative and of some relief to see that companies, organizations and governments are taking measures addressing the voluminous problem of waste. It was also eye opening in the sense that green is not just black and white and that the way towards sustainability is much more complex than can be imagined. The biggest barrier is that it requires involvement at every organizational level from manufacturers, companies, consumers, policy makers to public opinion. They all live in different universes having each parallel goals.

The impression that remains is the incredible disparity with how urgent the matter is to how little there is actually being done. Textile is the second worldwide most polluting industry right after the oil industry. "The world consumes 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year. This is 400% more than the amount we consumed just two decades ago. (…) The average American now generates 82 pounds of textile waste each year. That adds up to more than 11 million tons of textile waste from the U.S. alone"*. Big problems need even bigger actions. To start seeing real change and benefits to the environment and society, efforts need to be made at a significant larger scale. Radical changes in waste management and strong policies need to be implemented to stop our economy from creating the social and environmental mess we are digging us in.

If I don't have all the answers to solve the issues, I have many ideas on what can be done from individual actions to corporate and government operations. I will share them in this blog in the hope that many will steal and improve my ideas.

*“Environmental Impact | The True Cost | Learn More.” Accessed November 14, 2016. http://truecostmovie.com/learn-more/environmental-impact/.