Magpies & Peacocks and Social Responsibility
This page will help you navigate through the 'business' of fashion, the inherent problems with the textile and apparel industry has a whole, and act as a resource for information on how we (and you) can make a difference!
Adding to the Five Fast Facts list on the left – the Fashion industry is also responsible for green house gas emissions that exceed those of international flights and maritime shipping combined. Largely unchecked supply chains allow for toxic chemical run off from pesticides and dye/tanning houses to poison fresh water supplies, and a system of fast and cheap fashion provides an incubator for massive human & animal rights violations globally.
Fashion is now fast and cheap and increasingly poorly made, resulting in 12.5 million tons of it per year hitting landfill in the united states alone – that’s $100 Billion USD of reusable material lost to landfill each year!
So with a system so broken how can you possibly make a difference? Well below are a few great Action Heroes, Movies & Movements and Reads & Resources for you to dive into. The truth is while the industry licks its wounds and starts to hold itself accountable we can all play our part – as educated conscious consumers, as avid recyclers, and as activists and advocates for our planet!
Action Heroes:
UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion is part of the United Nations Environment agencies. The fashion sector have a critical role to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The fashion industry is currently a $2.4 trillion-dollar industry that employs around 60 million people worldwide—most of them women.
Magpies & Peacocks is proud to be part of The United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion which is an initiative of United Nations agencies and allied organizations designed to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals through coordinated action in the fashion sector.
Sustainability encompasses social issues, such as improvements in working conditions and remuneration for workers, as well as environmental ones, including the reduction of the industry’s waste stream, and decreases in water pollution and contributions to greenhouse gas emissions.
Fashion for Good: We love this as a resource! Our friends at FASHION FOR GOOD do a great job here – click on the graphic to find out how you as an individual can Take Action to Change Fashion!
Fashion Revolution
Fashion Revolution: "We believe in fashion – an industry which values people, the environment, creativity and profits in equal measure, and it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that this happens. Our mission is to bring everyone together to make that happen. On 24th April each year, Fashion Revolution will bring everyone in the fashion value chain together and help to raise awareness of the true cost of fashion, show the world that change is possible, and celebrate all those involved in creating a more sustainable future. As a global movement uniting around an annual campaign, over the next 5 years we believe we will build considerable momentum and achieve incredible impact together. We recognize that, in many cases, Fashion Revolution will bring together organisations and people that, outside of Fashion Revolution, remain competitors. There are now over 80 countries worldwide taking part in Fashion Revolution."
The True Cost: Movie
Movies & Movements:
The True Cost: is a groundbreaking documentary film that pulls back the curtain on the untold story and asks us to consider, who really pays the price for our clothing? This is a story about clothing. It’s about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry is having on our world. The price of clothing has been decreasing for decades, while the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically. The True Cost is a groundbreaking documentary film that pulls back the curtain on the untold story and asks us to consider, who really pays the price for our clothing? Filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums, and featuring interviews with the world’s leading influencers including Stella McCartney, Livia Firth and Vandana Shiva, The True Cost is an unprecedented project that invites us on an eye opening journey around the world and into the lives of the many people and places behind our clothes.
River Blue: Can fashion save the planet? Through awareness, we evolve. Following international river conservationist, Mark Angelo, RIVERBLUE spans the globe to infiltrate one of the world’s most pollutive industries, fashion. Narrated by clean water supporter Jason Priestley, this groundbreaking documentary examines the destruction of our rivers, its effect on humanity, and the solutions that inspire hope for a sustainable future.
Through harsh chemical manufacturing processes and the irresponsible disposal of toxic chemical waste, one of our favorite iconic products has destroyed rivers and impacted the lives of people who count on these waterways for their survival. RIVERBLUE brings awareness to the destruction of some of the world’s most vital rivers through the manufacturing of our clothing, but will also act as a demand for significant change in the textile industry from the top fashion brands that can make a difference.
Green Dreamer Podcast featuring M&Ps founder Sarah-Jayne Smith