The global market for infant clothing is enormous. With parents willing to indulge in their little one’s clothing, it is no longer surprising to see its market share balloon to US$ 135.5 billion in 2018. A significant factor for this is the growing trend of dressing up babies and showcasing them on social media platforms. Interestingly, these baby clothes are often worn sparingly, making them leave a significant carbon footprint. For this reason, many advocacy groups are calling on parents to invest in sustainable baby clothes like those from Baby Riddle to help curb the effects of climate change.
Here are some more reasons why you should invest in sustainable clothing for your babies:
Positive Impact
When you buy clothing, you should always factor in how each piece impacts other people. Does the manufacturer provide fair wages to the people making the clothes? For those who don’t know yet, the fashion industry has been continuously drawing criticism for workers’ unfair treatment. These people often spend long hours with meager pay and often in hostile environments. While retailers already invest in sustainable projects, they can’t continue doing so without support from consumers.
Climate Change Is Real
Aside from having a positive impact on people, you have to double-check if your baby’s clothes do not contribute to the planet’s destruction. You have to look at the processes and choose wisely. Some clothes undergo procedures that use up tons of chemicals. Polyesters, for one, often take thousands of chemicals to produce. Sadly, these materials are non-biodegradable and are not recyclable. What will happen if you dispose of the clothes? They end up in landfills where they stay there for hundreds of years. Incinerating them will equally be bad for the environment since the chemicals used to make them will only be released into the air.
Buying clothes made from natural fibers is not sustainable as well. Cotton shirts are often made with cotton grown with pesticides. Plus, it also involves a dyeing process that affects the planet, particularly the waste disposal system. The best option would be to buy clothes made with organic fabric, so you have an assurance that the environmental damage is minimal.
Impact On Your Baby
Investing in sustainable clothing can be easy on the pocket. The actual cost of organic clothing may be more expensive than regular clothes, but its effects on your baby can be well worth the investment. Babies have sensitive skin, and some regular clothes made with tons of chemicals can cause allergies and skin diseases. If you factor in the doctor’s visits, creams, and agony that your child has to go through because of these skin irritations, the cost can significantly increase.
Tips for Buying Sustainable Baby Clothes
Buy Second Hand
Buying secondhand clothes is a sustainable practice. When you buy used clothes, you prevent that clothing from going to the landfill. You increase its useful lifespan. It also helps lower the demand. When this happens, the fashion industry may have to trickle down production.
Stick to the Basics
Buy only what your baby needs. It doesn’t matter if your child wears the same clothing type several times a week. What’s more important is you can provide them with the necessary clothes to keep them warm.
Preserve Your Baby’s Clothes
When you take good care of your baby’s clothes, you can donate them or pass them down to future children. It prevents the unnecessary purchasing of clothes that only hurt the environment.
Sometimes sustainable living starts from the choices that we make. When it comes to our baby’s clothing, going sustainable is a worthy investment.
