Earth Day: Sustainable Fashion - April Learn & Explore Lesson

Tapa cloth is made of the inner bark of mulberry trees. This natural fiber cloth is popular in the cultures of several South Pacific islands.

These natural resources are mined, extracted and processed into petroleum-based chemicals, polymerized, and spun into synthetic fibers. This process has caused pollution, environmental, and human impacts globally. Seen here (from left to right): Bituminous sand (oil sands – Alberta), Coal (Nova Scotia) and an Oil-bearing limestone (Alberta). 

Fashion accessories (like this plastic tote bag designed by Peter Max -b.1940) is made from Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). In addition to synthetic fibers, plastics have become mass-produced and utilized in many consumer and manufacturing industries.  As Fashion trends rapidly change, so too does the production and waste. 

Plastics have become integral to the modern sporting industry. Constructed for durability, flexibility and safety. There has been a recent movement to re-use and upcycle sporting equipment, supporting sustainable practices. 

All around the world, Indigenous people have similar techniques for art and garments. Weaving is a technique with shared similarities dictated by the nature of cloth and fabric, but with cultural differences such as designs, patterns, materials, and tools. The Ainu (Indigenous peoples of Japan) weaving tools pictured here are made of wood.