Sustainability Materials That Will Be Used - School Uniform

    In this blog, I want to research the sustainability of the fabric that will likely be used for the school uniform. Why is sustainability important for school uniforms? Because school uniforms will be produced in large amounts, using fabrics of excellent quality, the products will last longer and not be harmed if the uniform is broken. Due to the already large amount of clothes being wasted, using sustainability materials can help to reduce fashion waste and make nature healthier. In addition, according to Brown (2021) that, "During the decomposition process, textiles generate greenhouse methane gas and leach toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil." This means using material that is not sustainable has a significant impact on environmental health.

    P.S. the school uniforms are for spring and autumn seasons, so that the material will be thick and warm.

    Robe or Cloak

Basket Weave Wool

    Basket weave wool is a sustainable material. According to Linwood Fabrics and Wallpapers (2024) that "Wool has fabulous properties that make it a naturally eco-friendly fabric..." Because wool is not using harmful chemical, instead it used water repellent and it will be useful for spring, autumn, and winter to keep warm.

    Skirt or Trousers 

Plaid Worsted Wool

        

    The skirt or trousers will be made of wool and other materials. Wool material is taken by animal welfare and traceability regulations or organic farming methods that make wool the most environmentally friendly fabric (Fabrics Galore, 2022). Fabrics Galore (2022) mentions that wool is considered a sustainable fabric because it can be biodegradable and uses few chemicals throughout the production process.

    Shirts or Blouses

Cotton

    Cotton is a sustainable fabric. According to Nizzoli (2020), cotton balls of puffy fibres contained in cotton are compostable and biodegradable; however, if the cotton is mixed with certain chemicals, the sustainability of cotton will be lost. In addition, to avoid the excessive use of chemicals, it can change to use organic cotton because organic cotton will not be genetically modified, the manufacturing is not dependent on harmful substances or pesticides, soil regeneration, using water-based dyes, and use less water because depends more to rainfall and groundwater; these make the organic cotton is better for the environment (Nizzoli, 2020). So, that is why I chose cotton or organic cotton as the fabric for the shirt or blouse for the school uniform.

    Vest

Cotton With Lycra

    

    Furthermore, the fabric used for the school uniform, primarily for the vest, is cotton with lycra. According to Nguyen (2024), Lycra fabrics are not highly rated as a sustainable material because fabric production uses a lot of energy, produces a lot of pollution and reduces non-renewable fossil fuels. However, Islam (2024) mentions that cotton lycra fabrics are excellent in stretchability, durability, and breathability. Also, it is resistant to fading and creases. To help lycra fabric be more sustainable, we can recycle the material to improve the duration of the usage, make procedures for recycling and safe disposal, and enhance the usage by optimising the washings. 

    Reference List

Brown, R. (2021). The Environmental Crisis Caused by Textile Waste. [online] www.roadrunnerwm.com. Available at: https://www.roadrunnerwm.com/blog/textile-waste-environmental-crisis [Accessed 12 May 2024].

Linwood Fabrics & Wallpapers. (2024). Sustainable fabrics: everything you need to know. [online] Available at: https://linwoodfabric.com/blogs/inspiration/sustainable-fabrics-everything-you-need-to-know [Accessed 12 May 2024].

Fabrics Galore. (2022). Is Wool a Sustainable Fabric Choice? | Fabrics Galore London. [online] Available at: https://www.fabricsgalore.co.uk/blogs/fabric-news/is-wool-a-sustainable-fabric-choice [Accessed 12 May 2024].

Nizzoli, G. (2020). Is Cotton Bad for the Environment? The No-Fluff Truth! | Sustainable Fashion Blog| Project Cece. [online] www.projectcece.co.uk. Available at: https://www.projectcece.co.uk/blog/445/is-cotton-bad-for-the-environment/ [Accessed 12 May 2024].

Nguyen, Q. (2024). How Sustainable Are Lycra® Fabrics? A Life-Cycle Analysis. [online] Impactful Ninja. Available at: https://impactful.ninja/how-sustainable-are-lycra-fabrics/ [Accessed 12 May 2024].

Islam, N. (2024). Cotton Lycra fabric | Everything you need to know. [online] Time of Textile. Available at: https://www.timesoftextile.com/cotton-lycra-fabric-everything-you-need-to-know/ [Accessed 12 May 2024].