One of the major decisions a bride-to-be will face is what to wear on the big day.
Finding the right wedding dress can be a surprisingly stressful experience; especially given ‘the dress’ will be the focal point for many guests and onlookers.
Like any important decision, there are a lot of factors to take into account: style, shape, cut, colour, fabric, train, veil and of course, budget.
Most of us dream of floating down the aisle in a designer gown but don’t like the price tag that comes with it. And why should we pay over $5000 for a dress we’ll only wear once! (note; considered poor form to re-use for your second or third marriages!).
With 100,00 marriages registered in Australia every year, that’s up to 100,000 wedding dresses being produced for just one day, then forever exiled to a box at the top of the wardrobe – often with the dim hope of being worn by willing offspring on their special day.
This seems like an awful amount of wasted material produced, for little return on investment.
Before rushing out and choosing the wedding gown of your dreams, think for a second about how the dress has arrived at the shop. What processes, environmental inputs and outputs have been endured to bring you ‘the dress’, and what choices could you make to reduce this impact.
Some of the environmental impacts of the textiles industry include:
Air Pollution -
Textile mills produce atmospheric emissions, resulting from boilers (nitrogen and sulphur oxides), ovens (hydrocarbons) and storage tanks. These processed can emit formaldehyde, acids, softeners & other volatile compounds.
Water Pollution -
From washing of fibres to bleaching, dyeing and washing of finished product, there is not doubt that textile manufacture is an energy intensive process. On average it can take up to 200 litres of water to produce, dye and finish one kilogram of textiles. The resulting wastewater is filled with chemicals and can cause damage if not properly treated before being discharged into the environment.
Solid Waste Pollution -
The bulk of waste produced in clothing manufacturing is non-hazardous and comes from the cutting room floor. Scraps & off-cuts of fabric and yarn, storage materials and packaging waste all contribute to the environmental impact of production.
It’s clear that this large industry has a high environmental impact, so how can it possibly improve, and how can you make choices which will support this improvement, and help the environment?
There are solutions for your wedding dress - firstly think of the principals: Avoid, Reduce, Re-use, Recycle:
Avoid – Well, you could avoid wearing a dress all together – that would make for an interesting day. ‘Naturalist’ ideas aside, the general assumption here is that most brides will want to wear something akin to their dream dress on the day. In this case, for most, avoiding the dress in not really an option.
Reduce – There are several ways to reduce the environmental impact here – less materials perhaps (see above comment), but certainly reducing the distance the dress / material had to travel to get to you can help the environmental impact. (See Locavores Inset p. xx) You can also reduce the impact of the material used for your dress.
Re-use & Recycle – Here is where some real environmental savings can happen - as well as $ financial as well. Try finding an old dress (recycle it) either a hand-me-down (very sentimental) or a second-hand one even from EBay. Take it to a tailor and have it altered to suit you.
If you are set on having an original design, there are fabrics which are kinder to the environment than others. There are some great wedding options emerging, such as organic tweed suits and Hemp Silk (60%/40%) Charmeuse, perfect for wedding gowns.
Whilst silk is an environmentally friendly natural fibre free of chemicals, it is worth considering the ethics behind production. Many silk workers in developing nations are subject to deplorable conditions and child workers. Look to organisations like Oxfam, Traid Craft, and Silken Dalliance where they can recommend ethical suppliers.
Leah Kelly designs are created using natural fabrics of hemp, as well as silk, and hemp/silk
blends and she has become a sought after designer for weddings and special events. All her work is custom-made. Her website address is http://www.leahkellybydesign.com.au
