This year the theme for Earth Day was “Invest in Our Planet.” Women’s Wear Daily (Widjojo, 2022) shared ways that fashion brands celebrated:
- Online personal styling service Stitch Fix partnered with Green Matters Natural Dye Company to launch a sustainably made, size-inclusive capsule collection. Stitch Fix then donated all proceeds from the collection and $25,000 to reforestation organization One Tree Planted.
- British designer David Koma worked with the brand Koral to create a luxe-leisure collection made from Koral Blackout fabric. The biodegradable fabric, produced sustainably in the U.S., is made with solar panel technology. It uses local water, which is then treated and returned to the environment, and is designed for durability and longevity.
- Gypsy Sport and The RealReal partnered to create a capsule collection made completely of repurposed blue denim.
- Ugg introduced its second carbon-neutral Spring collection, as well as a Fall collection made from sheepskin sourced from farms practicing regenerative agriculture. The brand also partnered with One Tree Planted to plan 3,950 trees in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. and 10,000 in England.
- Brand Reformation, which recently introduced RefRecycling to exchange pre-loved pieces for store credit, also released Earth Day T-shirts. Half of the shirt proceeds went to Canopy, which seeks to protect forests, species, and climate. In addition, the other half of proceeds went to nonprofit initiatives helping the Earth.
Earth Day Every Day
Earth Day is, in fact, recognized as the largest secular observance in the world. More than a billion people participate each year, endeavoring to use it “as a day of action to change human behavior and create global, national, and local policy changes” (History, n.d.). However, while April 22 was Earth Day, we can and should continue to invest in our planet daily throughout the year. Of course, we must continually reflect on our own sustainability progress and encourage innovation across multiple polluting industries. In reality, every day is Earth Day, and we must do our part to protect our environment.
Sustainability Tips
EarthDay.org provides 52 tips to help people make a difference all year. These include, for example:
- Plog (jog and pick up litter).
- Switch to paperless billing.
- Use reusable utensils and dishes.
- Buy local.
- Plant trees.
- Use a reusable water bottle.
- Switch to reusable bags.
- Compost.
- Purchase sustainable fashion.
Our Planet and ProTecht® For A More Sustainable You
Investing in our planet matters to ProTecht®, which pertains not only the fashion industry, but also consumers, in making apparel and home textile products more sustainable. The innovative technologies included in the ProTecht® portfolio extend the product’s lifecycle by improving the longevity and maintenance of textiles, thus increasing the value of consumers’ purchases. In conclusion, by purchasing products with built-in sustainable performance, consumers can use the power of their wallets to promote more eco-friendly objectives among product developers.
References
EarthDay.org. (n.d.). 52 ways to invest in our planet. https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-tips/
History. (n.d.). Earth Day. https://www.earthday.org/history/
Widjojo, C. (2022, April 22). How brands are celebrating Earth Day 2022. Women’s Wear Daily. https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/2022-earth-day-brands-celebrating-1235162751/
