Less clothes. More impact!

Four things you might not know about the fashion industry:

1. 2/3 of clothes made every year end up in landfill within 12 months
2. Fast fashion is the most polluting industry on earth after oil & gas
3. By 2030, the fashion industry is projected to output 15% of all global carbon emissions.
4. Aussies send roughly 23kg's of textiles to landfill each year. Yikes!

A Sydney company putting an end to disposable fashion...

We can reduce the carbon footprint of clothes we already own by 30% by simply wearing them for an Extra 9 months! - Wrap Uk

Citizen Wolf is on a mission to give your existing wardrobe a longer life and end disposable fashion for good with their 'Black Fridye' program. The program encourages people to take an old piece of clothing and dye it black, extending its life and minimising your impact on our beautiful planet. What started as an anti Black Friday initiative in 2018, has turned into a multi-industry coalition of brands determined to elevate awareness around sustainability and conscious consumption. *get in quick because their re-dye program closes Friday the 3rd of December at midnight*

How does it work?

All of your stained (hello yellow sweat marks on a white t-shirt) or old pieces can now be given a fresh new look! Simply send to the legends at Black Fridye and they'll over-dye your item black at a low cost so you can keep loving it for years on end!

1. Purchase your re-dye vouchers here.
2. Send Black Fridye your clothes, they accept any brand or style of clothing
3. They dye them black right here in Aus (Sydney), saving you time and money!
4. Once dyed, your clothes are re-united with you so you can love them for longer
   

The whole process takes roughly 2-3 months. It involves washing and drying garments at a high temperature to set the dye properly and make the garments completely colourfast. Producing longer lasting results than over-the-counter home dyes!

What can they dye?

Any garment from any brand in any colour. Well...depending on fabrics! Natural plant-based fibres work the best (hello cotton, hemp, linen). Cellulosic's like bamboo, Tencel or viscose are also accepted alongside other natural fiber blends. Delicate fabrics are not recommended as they may warp or change texture (Sorry silk!).

Patterns and stains should turn black, however, there are no guarantees as it depends on composition! For example, screen-printed patterns/logos wouldn't work too well here!

What can't they dye?

Anything synthetic or protein-based will not dye, this includes, polyester, lycra, elastane, wool, fur, silk or leather.

Blended compositions may end up patchy as the natural fibers will absorb the dye but the synthetic petro-fibers wont. However, Black Fridye has tested jeans made from 98% cotton and 2% elastane with success, they just don't recommend a higher percentage!

Trims (buttons, zips, labels, and stitching threads made from polyester won't dye either. They suggest going over polyester stitching in permanent marker if this is the case!

The Fri-dye impact...

Last year they saved 1,850,904L of water when compared to virgin production, which equals 27 backyard swimming pools! The process reduces carbon emissions by 95% compared to buying new clothes.

By re-dying one t-shirt you can save 5.1kgs of carbon and 2,695L of water! Did we mention you'll save money too!? It costs $19 to re-dye your t-shirt instead of buying a new one!

Sustainable fashion tips...

You can reduce your impact every day by following these simple tips:

1. Repair what you have: Dust off your sewing kit or contact your local dress maker if it's a challenging fabric
2. Re-dye: Initiatives like Black Fridye are perfect for stained pieces that are still completely functional! It gives them a fresh new look too!
3. Rent or buy secondhand: I am obsessed with rental and secondhand marketplaces (helloooo Facebook and Depop).
4. Shop with your values: when buying new clothing, choose to support brands that align with your values (e.g. Do they give back? sustainable initiatives? are they transparent?)
5. Fabric type & end of life: Try for natural fibers that are compostable at end of life (cotton, linen, hemp etc). 

Every step counts! Share this blog with your fashion-loving bestie!