Sustainability: Fashion

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries, with a carbon footprint outweighing that of international flights and shopping combined. It is responsible for 10% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of global wastewater, and uses more energy than the aviation and shipping sectors combined.

In a report I shared earlier in the year, it states that:

• Reducing purchases of new clothes is the most effective action to reduce the carbon footprint of fashion consumption.

• If no other actions such as repairing/mending, washing at lower temperatures, or buying second-hand, purchases of new garments should be limited to an average 5 items per year for achieving consumption levels in line with the 1.5-degree target.

This is easier for adults but much harder when you have growing children like I do. Even if you limit purchasing new items, what do you do with the outgrown clothes? Buying less might be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s all work together to make a positive impact as a community.

Please join the ES Spirit Wear Second Hand Market which can help you solve a part of the growing fashion consumption issues!

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ES Spirit Wear Second Hand Market: 

ASIJ Boosters, in collaboration with the Elementary School’s Sustainability Club and PTA Sustainability,  welcome all families to join us in establishing our first ever Spirit Wear Second Hand Market. 

[Second Hand Market collection]

Dates: April 3rd ~ 12th

Collection box: Entrance of ES Donut Building

** Collecting outgrown and pre-loved ASIJ Spirit Wear. Please make sure to wash them!

** Collection box and signs were made by the ES Sustainability Club

[Second Hand Market]

Dates: April 13th and 14th

** Collected items will be made available on a first come first serve basis on April 13th and 14th during Leaders of Our Own Learning Conferences. 

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How much clothing do we really need?
(posted on January 30, 2023)

Have you considered the very real connection between fashion and global climate change?

A new report from researchers at the Hot Or Cool Institute connects the dots for us.

G20 leaders define in the Paris Agreement, their mutual goal of keeping global temperatures from rising more than 1.5°C by 2030. This target is set to maintain life as we know it on the planet: to avoid extreme heatwaves, the oceans rising, and the destruction of 70 to 90 per cent of coral reefs. But did you know that our current fashion consumption trends (especially fast fashion) are headed towards doubling their carbon emissions by 2030?

Not all countries contribute equally to this rising concern. For example, Australia, Japan, the US, and the UK have the highest per capital carbon footprint with respect to fashion consumption. India, Brazil, China, Turkey, and Indonesia have the lowest per capita carbon footprint.

So how can each of us take action today to reduce our fashion carbon footprint?

• purchase less new clothing, limit yourself to 5 new items per year

• buy second-hand clothing

• repair and/or mend your existing clothing

• buy less, buy better, and buy only what you need

• look into renting, exchanging, or otherwise upcyling your fashion

What do you think? When you put it in numbers, it’s easier to understand, isn't it? Does it seem feasible? How many new clothes did you buy last year?

Repair your clothes!
(posted on November 6, 2022)

As the weather gets colder, it’s time to get those Fall/Winter clothes out! Here are some resources and inspirations for extending the life of your favorite things. This is an updated list from last year’s newsletter with new additions! (most of the website are only in Japanese.)

Clothing: Cleaning, Repairs and Alterations:

• Rejouir (specialty and designer items cleaning, Azabu-Juban)

• Big Mama (repair and alterations, multiple locations)

• Melanie Uematsu (tailoring, Setagaya)

• Uniqlo > RE.UNIQLO STUDIO (repair & remake, Setagaya Chitosedai store)

• Sarto Ginza (repair, remake & alteration, Ginza)

Denim:

• Denim Repair Owati (Setagaya)

• Union Pastime  (specialty denim hemming, Naka-meguro)

• Jeans Repair (repair by mail, Chiba)

Jewelry:

• Tokyo Pearl (Ginza)

Shoes & Bags:

• The Asakusa Cobbler (Asakusa)

• Mister Minit (multiple locations)

• Riat! (multiple locations)

• Supika (Moto Azabu)

• Kawaken (Azabu Jyuban)

Smartphones:

• REPAIRMAN (multiple locations)

Second Hand September
(posted on September 13, 2022)

Repair your clothes!
(posted on November 6, 2022)

As the weather gets colder, it’s time to get those Fall/Winter clothes out! Here are some resources and inspirations for extending the life of your favorite things. This is an updated list from last year’s newsletter with new additions! (most of the website are only in Japanese.)

Clothing: Cleaning, Repairs and Alterations:

• Rejouir (specialty and designer items cleaning, Azabu-Juban)

• Big Mama (repair and alterations, multiple locations)

• Melanie Uematsu (tailoring, Setagaya)

• Uniqlo > RE.UNIQLO STUDIO (repair & remake, Setagaya Chitosedai store)

• Sarto Ginza (repair, remake & alteration, Ginza)

Denim:

• Denim Repair Owati (Setagaya)

• Union Pastime  (specialty denim hemming, Naka-meguro)

• Jeans Repair (repair by mail, Chiba)

Jewelry:

• Tokyo Pearl (Ginza)

Shoes & Bags:

• The Asakusa Cobbler (Asakusa)

• Mister Minit (multiple locations)

• Riat! (multiple locations)

• Supika (Moto Azabu)

• Kawaken (Azabu Jyuban)

Smartphones:

• REPAIRMAN (multiple locations)

Second Hand September
(posted on September 13, 2022)