Compostable Fashion – The better way to a sustainable wardrobe

What is compostable fashion, you ask? Well, it is more than skirts made from corn and boring, colorless shirts made from plain cotton. If we dig a bit further, we will find out that compostable fashion takes into account not only the environment but the health of consumers and the process from which these garments are made. I think it is an excellent concept!

In my search to find sustainable fashion, I came across an eco-friendly clothing brand that sells sustainable and ethical fashion:

Everyone knows PECKD for their fashion-forward and chic items. The PECKD Limited Edition Collection is no different. The collection is white, which is perfect for summer and right on-trend. I love it because the price is right and it’s made of fully compostable fashion. Not to mention the feminine, crafted details makes each one of these pieces special!

Eco-Friendly Clothing Brand Profile: PECKD

We believe that clothing should be made in the most environmentally-responsible way possible and that the best way to promote this practice is to do it in the marketplace.

Just as the willingness of a once-small number of consumers to seek out (and occasionally pay a premium for) organic clothing is now changing the face of fashion manufacturing and consumption, we believe that we can drive meaningful change in the world’s fashion-consumption habits, purchase by purchase.

Does this mean that we think we can consume our way to a better world? Emphatically, no. But we believe in two constants:

1. the natural human instinct to create new things
2. a better way to a sustainable wardrobe

By influencing the former and encouraging more thoughtful means of compostable fashion, the aim is to remove from the latter the negative environmental impact that makes consumption such an unsustainable practice.

And if, in the process, clothing manufacturers can also educate their customers and encourage them to give more thought to the other choices they make in their day-to-day activities.

Okay, so what makes the fabrics at PECKD “sustainable”?

Good question. And we’re glad you asked because this is what sets apart the fabric they carry. At PECKD, they apply a very tight “filter” to the products they allow into their collection.

In a nutshell, they consider three major categories when assessing a product. To be more specific, here’s a list of the criteria they apply.

Materials

The materials from which the garments are made — and their sources — are a crucial component to labeling them “sustainable”. Factors that they take into consideration include:

• Recycled Content/Recyclability: Is the product made from recycled or repurposed materials? Is it easily recyclable?
• Renewability: Is the product made from organic materials that can be regrown or otherwise replenished? Is it readily biodegradable?
• Substitute Materials: Is the garment less damaging than others of its type as a result of having replaced toxic materials with ones that are safer?
• Stewardship Sourcing: Does the product make use of materials from fairly-traded sources or low-impact sources such as FSC-certified forests?

Manufacture

• Alternative Energy: Is the product manufactured using a renewable energy source?
• Efficiency in Manufacture: Does the product’s manufacturing process make efficient use of energy, materials, and other resources?

Transport

• Efficiency in Transport: Is the product designed to optimize space and thereby decrease the energy required to transport it?
• Locality: Is the product produced in an area that’s local to the source of the raw materials?

Use

• Utility: Has the product increased efficiency by providing greater utility for the user?
• Durability: Is the product efficient in its use of materials by having a longer functional lifespan than other similar products?
• Efficiency: Does the product make more efficient use of energy, materials, or other resources?
• Alternative Energy in Use: Does the product use renewable energy to function?

Disposal

• Disassembly: Is the product designed to be easy to disassemble for repurposing, composting, and/or recycling?

Other

• Communication: Does the product communicate information that leads to better environmental performance, for example, by changing the behavior of its user?
• Social Improvement: Is the product designed and/or manufactured by people who take social profit from the work and/or money created?

PECKD goes to the trouble of finding products that adhere to their rigorous standards because they believe that people do care about the fashion statements they buy. Given a choice, they believe that a person will choose a fashion garment that’s made in a responsible manner over a similar one that’s not.

The goal at PECKD is to make those “responsible” choices more attractive and functional. They came up with an option to make design and fashion not just sustainable but compostable.

PECKD is the first of its kind designer range that is fully compostable. Check out some of the beautiful, environmentally responsible clothing available at Peckd.co, including style statements that are compostable clothing, 100% organic, and made without elastics and zippers.

Building a Greener Closet

These days it seems everything has gone green. From cars to candy, there seems to be an organic this or eco-friendly that everywhere you look. But can the same be said for your closet and the clothes within it? Surprisingly yes, it can.

Below are just a few ways you can build a “greener” closet by not only focusing on the contents within it but also the materials used to build it.

Resale and Thrift Shops

While wearing clothes made from 100% recycled materials or natural ingredients is an easy way to go green, it’s not your only option. Many people overlook the “greenness” of shopping at second hand, resale shops. Not only are you likely to score a sweet deal, BUT you are also helping to decrease your overall footprint and impact on the environment because you aren’t consuming MORE.

It can even be turned into a bit of a recycling habit. Anytime you go with the intent of buying something new for yourself, take in some older items you no longer use. This way, you keep the cycle going and prevent yourself from wastefully throwing useful items away. An added plus is that you can usually find unique, eye-catching products at thrift stores that you normally wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else.

Get Creative

Another great way to build a more sustainable wardrobe is to buy more pieces that can be repurposed and used as other types of clothing. For instance, there are many dresses that can also work as shirts or skirts. Also, take a look at materials you already have. Test your creativity by brainstorming new ways to wear a shirt you’ve had for a while. Pair items you would have never thought compatible and see what happens.

Bottom line—just have fun! Fashion doesn’t have to be complicated or by-the-book. As long as your vital parts are covered, no one will really give your clothes a second thought. Plus, if you are decreasing your impact on the environment at the same time—even better!

Be Picky About Your Material

As ironic as it might seem, I’m not talking about the materials making up your clothes—but rather the materials that make up the physical structure that is your closet—or wardrobe—or armoire. Most people don’t give this a second thought—after all, it’s just a means to an end, right?…WRONG. Now, if you are in a home or apartment that is already fully-equipped with all of the closets and armoires you need, this isn’t so much for you. However, for those of you that are looking to expand or even custom-build their closets, it’s important to consider the materials you are using.

Rather than just choosing any old wood, you should first consider from where it comes. For instance, if materials are FSC certified, it means it was harvested in a conscientious way and usually contains recycled materials. Also, bamboo is becoming another popular option for building and construction. It provides strength and durability unmatched by most other options, meaning it will go the distance, just like your clothes! Plus, it is fast-growing, so using this over other types of wood is less detrimental to the environment because it replenishes itself so quickly.

So whether you change the way you shop or what you put in your closet, these are just some easy tips on how to make your wardrobe a little greener. Give them a try—mother nature will thank you.

PECKD: A Compostable Fashion for Sustainable Living

Shopping for clothes connects with other people, and it allows us to find out what’s new and exciting. Of course, we find some joy from finding the right clothes or gifts for ourselves or someone.

What is the life span of the fashion findings we buy? Eventually, the clothes we purchased will outlive their usefulness. Then what? Do you throw them away? Are they made in a way that they’ll sit in the landfill for hundreds of years before it degrades? While undergoing that stages, will they release toxins and poisons into the territory?

These are some serious heavy way of thinking, and they can sap the satisfaction from a recreational day of clothes shopping.

Many are aware of our consumptive behavior, yet that does not keep us from buying clothes. We’re raised to be shoppers, and it’s a tradition that runs deep.

So, we are looking for an answer to the problems specified above; we should be taking another perspective. Rather than asking everyone not to shop, that is, of course, unrealistic, what if we change the mindset of shopping?

Let’s say if we shop in a place that had already thought for all of us? A place like PECKD where we buy clothes that are entirely appealing on all levels, and that is also manufactured in a way that we don’t need to feel guilty about disposing of them?

This is the basis of the idea for PECKD, an online store based in India. To read more about their commitment to sustainability and what differentiates the products in their collection, see their Compostable Fashion page.

Check out their shop and continue to check back often, as the offerings are ever-changing, and you don’t want to miss out!