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We dream of a good life for our children. We want them to receive a good education, grow up in a good environment and lead a happy life. However, our children's future is influenced not only by what we offer them, but also by our decisions.  Choosing sustainable clothing for them is also one of the important questions that determine the future of our planet and therefore that of our most valuable fellow human beings.

So what is sustainable children's clothing? Sustainable children's clothing is actually a part of sustainable fashion. Sustainable fashion is a movement that aims to minimize the unwanted effects of fast fashion. While the fashion industry is one of the most developed sectors in the world, it is also one of the most polluting. About 8% of all global carbon emissions and 20% of wastewater come from the fashion sector, and this sector is expected to cause a 50% increase in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 [1].

The fast fashion approach adopted by many global brands is one of the main reasons that increase the negative impact of the sector on the environment. Fast fashion is a term used by the clothing industry to mass-produce the latest fashion trends and high-fashion designs at a low cost and quickly get them to retail stores when demand is highest. Fast fashion aims to maximize profit share by making maximum use of labor, capital and natural resources. Instead of presenting new collections only at the beginning of the season, brands launch a new collection almost every seven days and support consumption with discounts. So what are the negative effects of fast fashion on the environment?

Water consumption:

The fashion industry is responsible for an annual water consumption of 79 trillion liters and contributes to about 20% of industrial wastewater [2]. Cotton also plays an important role in this consumption. To produce 1 kilogram of cotton, 10,000 liters of water are needed. In other words: About 2,700 liters of water are consumed to produce a cotton T-shirt [3]. Choosing organic cotton in clothing production reduces this water consumption by about 91% [4].

Textile waste:

92 million tons of textile waste are generated every year due to fast fashion and constantly changing trends [5]. Most garments that cannot be sold during the season and are no longer available because they are out of fashion are destroyed. Controlled production by brands and the recycling of unused or out-of-season clothing can be an effective means of preventing this waste.

Carbon emissions:

The clothing industry ranks second in carbon emissions after the petroleum industry, which ranks first. From the production of cotton to the delivery of the final product to the store, approximately 3,781 liters of water are used to produce one pair of jeans. This corresponds to approximately 33.4 kilograms of carbon emissions [6].

Unfair working conditions:

Around 75 million people worldwide work for the fast fashion industry [7]. Due to cheap labor and a lack of oversight, these workers are typically selected from developing countries and employed at very low wages, long working hours, and under unhealthy conditions.

Sustainable fashion, on the other hand, aims to minimize all of this environmental and social damage caused by fast fashion by applying concepts such as fairness, sustainability and recycling at every stage from production to marketing and sales. Clothing brands that favor an ethical and sustainable approach to fashion are trying to reverse the damage of fast fashion through the following strategies:

• Use of organic cotton in the production phase
• Creation of fair working conditions for employees
• Use of non-toxic dyes
• Designing seasonal collections
• Production of clothing on pre-order
• Recycling and remarketing of used clothing
• Avoid plastic packaging

Sustainable children's clothing brands also adopt the ethical understanding of sustainable fashion, dreaming of a sustainable future for both the little ones and the environment by consciously using our planet's resources, choosing organic materials and creating fair working conditions.

As a GOTS certified brand, we also believe in the importance of sustainability in fashion. First of all, we prefer to use organic cotton for our products to avoid artificial pesticides and fertilizers used in cotton production. Because these chemicals pollute the environment by leaching into the soil and water and can affect the health of farmers and those who wear clothing made from this cotton. In contrast, only natural fertilizers and pesticides are used in the production of organic cotton. Therefore, organic cotton does not harm the environment or health. As already mentioned, organic cotton also significantly reduces water consumption. It also uses 62% less energy, emits 46% less CO2 emissions and causes 26% less soil erosion [8].

In addition to using organic cotton, we are on the path to becoming a sustainable children's clothing brand by creating fair and safe working conditions for our employees, developing an environmentally and people-oriented social responsibility project and working with pre-orders to avoid overproduction. We know that the secret to a good future for our children lies in sustainability... and it's up to us to support it.

 [1] https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/water/water-14-01073/article_deploy/water-14-01073.pdf?version=1648528212

 [2] https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/water/water-14-01073/article_deploy/water-14-01073.pdf?version=1648528212

 [3] https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/consumption/clothing/cotton-farming-water-consumption

 [4]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/organic-cotton

 [5]

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340635670_The_environmental_price_of_fast_fashion

 [6]

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/09/23/costo-moda-medio-ambiente

 [7]

https://www.solidaritycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Garment-Textile-Industry-Fact-Sheet.8.2019.pdf

 [8]

https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/clothing/cotton-farming-water-consumption