Sustainability

Sustainability has many definitions and is a concept used within many industries including textiles/fashion. It can be described as:

• the ability to use materials without being completely used up or destroyed.
• involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources.
• the ability to last or continue for a long time.
• supporting longterm ecological balance.

It is important for students to understand sustainability within society and practice sustainability within the classroom.

Traceability is becoming more in demand by consumers in this generation. Consumers want to ensure they are shopping sustainably and this requires companies to provide their customers with the information to make an informed decision. Traceability can be defined as:

• allowing consumers to verify the history, location, or application of an item.
• the capability and implementation of keeping track of all production stages.

The best way to make students ethical shoppers is to inform them of the global issues relating to non-ethical companies and easy ways to become an ethical shopper and how this can better our planet. Display the steps of becoming an ethical shopper somewhere in the classroom:

þ Buy seasonally and locally

þ Shop with a conscience

þ Read the fine print

þ Get informed at Shop Ethically

Check out this Prezi or use it in your classroom to show fashion labels that reflect sustainability.