Living Lagom with Hubbub!

Exciting news from our pals at Hubbub, who are taking a leap into the unknown. They're launching a vlogging channel that will deal with all things sustainable–and they need your help!

The new channel, fronted by Sarah Duvall, will be looking at the way simple changes can bring you closer to a sustainable lifestyle. This has extra benefits, of course–not least saving money, which is something I think we can all get behind in these cold dark weeks before the February payday.

The keyword for the blog is lagom–another one of those Swedish terms that we seem to be falling for. It means 'just enough'. In practice, the lagom life entails finding a balance between too much and not enough. Obvious, and surprisingly easy to achieve by making small lifestyle changes. Like making your own lunches from extra portions of dinner, or changing your lights over to energy-saving LEDs. Marginal gains that over the course of a year can save you hundreds of pounds, and make you happier and healthier as well!

So where do you come in? Well, as I said, this is a new venture, and the Hubbub guys need all the feedback they can get. If there's a story they should be covering, or if the approach doesn't quite fit, they'd like to know. So why not subscribe, join in the conversation and get involved? Check out the first video below, and see how lagom can work for you.

Growing The Skills For Organic Farming In India

The move towards organic farming of textile crops has to be applauded, but so far it has been a slow process. The problem, particularly in the cotton fields of India, is in retraining farmers that only know how to grow using pesticides.

Education, as ever, is the key. So it's heartening to see the C&A Foundation focussing on empowerment of organic farming in the heartlands of the discipline - the state of Madhya Pradesh. Here, over a quarter of the world's organic cotton is grown. It makes sense, then, that educators should be based here.

In November 2015, a new chapter was unveiled in the history of one of India's premier agriculture universities - the Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya. A three month programme aims to give educators the skills they need to pass on to the farmers of Madhya Pradesh the ability to change over to organic cultivation. The course integrates practical and theoretical modules, as well as industry exposure.

Ipshita Sinha, of C&A Foundation, says:

“We've found a great champion in the university, which is putting in some serious effort in driving this course, as well as a great champion in the state government, which is very keen on developing organic farming in the region."

Putting the focus on organic farming in India is a slow process, but it's great to see industry, government and NGOs working together to make it happen. Today Madhya Pradesh, tomorrow the world?

The Six Items Challenge - Join The Fashion Fast!

You know how it is. You have a wardrobe absolutely stuffed with clothes and yet somehow you always end up wearing the same stuff. Those go-to items that fit and feel the way you like. Your signature look.

What if that situation was a pledge you could make to help out other people? Could you, if it absolutely came down to it, spend six weeks in just six items of clothing?

That's the challenge that Labour Behind The Label are issuing to raise funds this spring, while kicking back at the demon of fast fashion. We're consuming more and more, while paying less and less. Cheap clothing promotes waste and enables the exploitation of the workers who are forced to work to punishing deadlines. By choosing to not buy clothes we don't need, we can make a stand. The Six Item Challenge is a fashion fast against fast fashion.

Now, don't panic. A pair of shoes is not going to constitute two items. Undies, accessories and footwear are exempt, as is active and sporting wear. This is not the Sack-Cloth And Ashes Challenge. Labour Behind The Label are asking you to think carefully about a capsule wardrobe, and how the same item can be used in different settings - from work to play to party. Which, to be frank, is a useful skill to learn.

Are you game? If so, hit up the link below to sign up. The Challenge will take place during Lent (that's March 1st to 24th April for you non-churchy types) so you have plenty of time to sort out your super six items.

Go lean with your clothing choices this spring. It might just train your brain into new ways of looking at your wardrobe.

http://labourbehindthelabel.org/get-involved/fundraise-for-us/the-six-items-challenge/

A Sustainable New Year From Selfridges

You may recall that this time last year Selfridge's flagship London store gave over its iconic window display to sustainable fashion. The Bright New Things promotion sought to highlight emerging designers and the work they were doing to support sustainability.

For 2017, they're at it again, with a whole new range of designers–and a clever hook to show just how broad a church the field has become. Material World takes eight different fibres and fabrics, and presents designers that are doing fascinating and innovative work with them.

For example, leather is represented by Swedish brand Deadwood. They specialise in recycling, taking inspiration from vintage styles to come up with a new take on an old classic: the leather jacket. Showing respect for the material while exploring the possibilities of its durability are good, strong ticks against a sustainability checklist.

On the subject of thinking laterally, Tengri, representing luxury fibres, have come up with a new twist on the usual suspects. Cashmere and angora have come under fire over the past few years with accusations of animal cruelty and over-farming of pastureland. Instead, founder Nancy Johnston has discovered the incredibly soft fibres of the Mongolian yak pelt have a decidedly luxurious feel. She calls the resultant fabric yakshmere, and it needs to be felt to be believed.

Material World is all about taking on the challenges we face in using the world's most popular fabrics and fibres, treating them with respect and finding innovative new ways that are less cruel, greedy or polluting. There are some really interesting ideas on display in the windows of Selfridges right now until the end of March. If you're in the area, go and check them out.

Or just have a look at the collection via the Selfridges Material World site here.

Concept To Coat In 25 Days

If you need an example of how fast fashion has changed the face of clothing retail, then you need look no further than a high-collared dark coat with a ring fastening that went on sale recently at Zara in the US. A month before it hit the racks, it was no more than a vague preference in a customer feedback form.

As the Wall Street Journal reports, it can take as little as 25 days for a broad concept–in this case, customers wanting more hardware on their outerwear (that all important ring fixing)–becoming not just a prototype, but an actual product on the racks.

The key is that all-important customer feedback, linked to a tightly focussed and centralised production based largely in Zara's home base of Spain. The coat was prototyped in the small industrial city of Arteixo, before a squad of pattern-makers, cutters and seamstresses got to work. A little under two weeks later, 8000 coats were on a plane at Barcelona. Destination: the racks at Zara stores across the States.

Other retailers are seeing the benefits to this tightly-integrated and streamlined system. US-based companies are beginning to move operations closer to home, using the Caribbean instead of Asia as manufacturing bases. This squeezes up that all-important transport window, getting new items into the shops much more quickly.

However, we have concerns. This fast-track model only works if corners are cut. Can we be certain that QA standards are as high as they could be, given the reputation for fast fashion's poor quality of fit and finish? After all, one reason that the clothes are so cheap is that they are deliberately designed not to last for more than one season. As Zara are redefining the length of a season into weeks rather than months, should we be surprised that clothes from fast fashion retailers don't suit purpose after the first couple of washes?

You have to wonder about the design process as well. A five-day window for prototyping seems awfully slim. It makes you wonder if designing for a limited range of sizes is part of the business plan.

Zara's parent company Inditex are clearly very successful at what they do, and their business model is envied across the sector. Global communication technology working in concert with a localised and tightly integrated manufacturing base have basically allowed them to redefine the way that clothing is designed, produced and consumed. However, as we all know, the fast-track process and its built-in environmental impact is not necessarily that great for anyone... apart from Inditex's shareholders.

Patagonia Does Black Friday Right

A fascinating sidebar to our earlier post about Black Friday alternatives also ties into concerns about the President-elect of the United States and his views on climate change (although these, like so many of his pre-election stances, seem to be changing by the day).

Outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia has been a long-time warrior in the fight against global warming. So they knew that the fight was really on once they heard the news that climate change skeptic Donald Trump was heading for the White House.

This Black Friday, Patagonia are taking a stand. They will donate all of their sales generated on that day to grassroots environmental groups. Over 800 organisations across the US are set to benefit from the gesture. And this is not chump change–Patagonia expects to clear over $2million in sales on Black Friday through their 80 stores and online.

Corley Kenner, global communications director for Patagonia, said:

"Following the election, the idea was generated internally as a way to demonstrate our deep commitment to environmental issues."

Meanwhile, a statement released on Patagonia's website draws a line in the sand:

"During a difficult and divisive time, we felt it was important to go further and connect more of our customers, who love wild places, with those who are fighting tirelessly to protect them."

Patagonia's stance can only be applauded, and other companies are already starting to follow suit. These are dangerous times, and it's important that everyone, from the business community to the conscious consumer, makes it clear that Trump's values are not ours. This Black Friday seems like the perfect time to start.

Step Away From The Black This Friday

One of the few American-style celebrations that hasn't made it across the Atlantic kicks off this week. Understandable, really, when you consider what Thanksgiving commemorates. However, the immediate aftermath of the big November holiday–the commercial gotterdammerung known as Black Friday, has started to gain traction here in the UK.

Now, there is an argument that Black Friday deals are a handy money-saver for Christmas presents. But for the most part, it's more a moment for untrammelled consumerist overkill. And frankly, the deals just aren't that great.

An increasing number of sustainable retailers and awareness groups are taking a stand against Black Friday, and putting their own twist on proceedings. They're taking the onus off taking, and back onto giving.

For example, outdoor eco-retailer United By Blue are launching Blue Friday, and inviting people to use the day wisely–by clearing a pound of trash from shorelines and waterways. By taking a few minutes to fill a trash bag, you'll be doing your bit to help keep the world a slightly more beautiful place. It's also a great way to work off some of that post-turkey bloat. Check out United By Blue's website for more deets on how to contribute, and maybe win a free mug!

United By Blue's Blue Friday

Meanwhile, Brighton is the place to be for Bright Friday, a day of events and fun that show how the consumerist message can be sidestepped in favour of something a little more sustainable. From textile workshops to a comedy showcase, there really is something for everyone.

Bright Friday also marks the launch of Faux, the world's first satirical fashion magazine. This will be rolling out nationwide. Keep an eye on #BrightFriday on all your favourite social media vectors for more info.

It's all too easy at this time of year to fall into the consumerist coma and spend, spend, spend... often needlessly. It's worth taking on the advice of Bright Friday and rolling it into your future relationships with the shopping fairies.

1. Resist the pressure of buying things you don't want or even need. Remember, the best bargain is not buying stuff you didn't want in the first place.

2. Rekindle love for what you already have.

3. Create memories rather than buying them by trying something you've always wanted to do.

I don't know about you, but that sounds like a fun blueprint for the retail-heavy weeks ahead.

You Can't Compost Clothing

A fascinating article in Magnifeco takes a stern line over an innocuous term - biodegradable. It turns out that the idea of natural materials easily breaking down when returned to the environment is not always the case.

A prime example is that of ancient relics, such as a 5,500 year-old shoe found in Armenia in 2010. Made from leather and stuffed with grass, the item is completely organic. Yet here it is, millennia after it was made, still recognisable as a man-made item. They knew how to make 'em to last in those days.

When it comes to landfill, things get even more complex. They are specifically designed to keep out the air, water and bacteria that are conducive to biodegradability. In short, it's a great way to stop the process in its tracks. Which means that no matter what your rubbish is made of, in landfill it will stay in good condition for many hundreds of years. Sounds counterintuitive, right? But 'entombing' your trash keeps some of the nasty toxic byproducts of decomposition, a delightful cocktail that scientists call 'leachate', out of groundwater. Everything stays in suspended animation. Safe, but a huge waste of valuable land resources.

In short, throwing away clothing is a sure way to keep it in the ecosystem for longer. Always consider recycling or donating, and let your charity of choice decide the best way forward for your unwanted garms. And don't forget, if you follow the Pier mantra of Buy Less, Spend More, Choose Wisely, then you'll be hitting the recycling bins less often anyway.

A Europe-Wide Plan For Sustainable Change

We need to get a handle on waste and sustainability in the fashion industry. Recent figures show that we throw away the equivalent of seven tonnes of unwanted clothing in the UK every ten minutes. The sector takes up five per cent of our carbon and water footprints, and is a massive hog on resources. We need a plan.

The thing is, we may just have one. The Waste And Resources Action Plan, better known to us as WRAP, have just signed five major clothing manufacturers to ECAP (European Clothing Action Plan), a Europe-wide initiative to reduce waste and work towards a more sustainable future. One name in particular stands out in the list of participants: Primark.

There are four main points to ECAP: designing and specifying products for longer life and closed-loop production; ensuring that less clothing goes to incineration and landfill; encouraging customers to buy less clothing and use it for longer; and improving innovation in resource-efficient design and service models to encourage business growth in the sector. All of these are fairly basic tenets in sustainable fashion. How long have we been talking about Buy Less, Choose Wisely?

The plan is for ECAP participants to divert 90,000 tonnes of clothing waste from landfill and incineration, save 1.6 million tons of CO2e, and make 588 million cubic metres of water savings. Help will come in the form of education into the current impact of their business models, and aid in development of new products using more sustainable resources.

Sarah Clayton of WRAP says:

“As the first participants of ECAP, these organisations are championing sustainable clothing across Europe. The wheels are in motion, but more can be done – we are looking to welcome and involve more brands, retailers, manufacturers, reuse and recycling organisations, charities and consumers in the plan to drive greater sustainability of clothing across Europe.”

ECAP aims to build on the success of WRAP's UK-based Sustainable Action Clothing Plan (SCAP2020), which has 82 signatories all working to reduce the environmental impact of the clothing industry. That plan has already had some astonishing successes–in the first year of operation, there was a 12.5% reduction in water impacts, and a 3% drop in carbon emissions.

Involving big names in an ambitious plan is great news, of course, but it remains to be seen how much of a success ECAP will be. But the will and enthusiasm to change from both business and government does seem to be in place. And that can only be a good thing.

From Threat To Thread

I've talked a lot over the past couple of months about ocean plastic, and how it's a great untapped resource waiting to happen. As new technologies develop around fibres and fabrics made from recycled petrochemical products, it becomes clearer that the island of junk floating somewhere in the Pacific could soon have miners descending on it like vultures.

The starting shot for that race might just have been fired. Sportswear giant Adidas, have, as I reported a few months back, teamed up with environmental initiative Parley For The Oceans to create a new shoe sourced almost entirely from ocean plastics. The uppers, normally made with synthetic fibres, have instead been woven from recycled plastic yarn. Meanwhile the midsoles have been 3-D printed from recycled fishing nets, one of the biggest problems in the creation of ocean junk.

All of which would be admirable. However, this is no limited edition vanity rollout, designed to make Adidas look good. The AdidasxParley shoe is reported to have a million-pair manufacture cycle. The plan is to get these shoes onto as many feet as possible, and prove that scaled-up sustainable fashion manufacture can work and be profitable. More importantly, that the shoes look good and feel comfortable. That shouldn't be too tricky. Let's face it–athletic footwear is mostly plastic these days anyway. Who cares where it comes from?

In a clever move, Adidas and Parley are also aiming to make ocean plastic-derived athletic wear a desirable item. They've launched football jerseys for AC Milan and Bayern Munich made from the stuff, that will be featured in special upcoming matches. That's going to get fans salivating, and spike up demand.

This is smart marketing, and really good news for the future exploitation of ocean plastics. Passionate football supporters will want these shirts, and will be prepared to listen to the story behind them. I think AdidasxParley may have just played a blinder.

For more, head to the Adidas site.

The Big Knitathon

With Halloween behind us, I think we can really feel the weather deepening into autumn. There's a properly frosty chill in the air. All of a sudden, the warm clothes are starting to move to the front of the wardrobe.

It's a great time of year to get knitting, if you have the skill–or even if you feel now it's time to learn. If you need a new pair of gloves or a nice scarf, or know someone that could do with them, then the inspiration is right there outside your window.

The Big Issue are hoping to tap into some of that creative energy this November, as they launch The Big Knitathon. They hope to raise funds from crafty folk to help out their vendors, who need to keep warm as the temperature drops.

Over the next month, you can set up events like knit-ins, or simply form a knitting circle to sell or raffle off goods. The Big Issue have a pack to help you get going, including knitting patterns, a collection box and even balloons!

They're also teaming up with Hobbycraft, who will be opening up their stores across the country on November 12th for a huge event day. It's going to be a big one!

If you're not a knitter, there's no need to feel left out. The Big Issue are happy to let crochet, cross-stitch and even paper-crafters in on the fun. If you have the yen to create and fancy helping out a really good cause this November, then this is the one for you. Louise and friends, who contributed last year, had this to say on the Big Issue Blog about their experiences:

"We found every free minute was taken up with knitting and the more we did it the more our passion for knitting was re-ignited. It was brilliant how much our nearest and dearest embraced our knitted goods and we were able to witness first hand the joy and warmth that handmade goods can give to others. We hope the money raised will go a little way to bring warmth to others."

For more information on the Big Knitathon, and to register for the Hobbycraft event on the 12th, get over to the Big Issue website. Needles at the ready, folks. Let's warm things up this November!

This Halloween, Do More With Your Pumpkins!

I'm going a little off-piste today, but there's an environmental message to deliver, so I hope you can bear with me just this once.

We're coming up on Halloween! For spooky-minded folk like myself, and indeed for millions of other people that break out the witch outfits and cobwebs once a year, it's a real fun time. But won't somebody please think about the pumpkins?

Sure, pumpkin-carving is a big part of Halloween-time. It's important to get your jack-o-lanterns out there. But it's not so much fun when you realise just how much needless waste is generated from all that knife action every year.

The problem is that people do their carving and then just throw away the flesh! Here's a dose of Halloween horror for you: 18,000 tons of edible pumpkin is simply thrown in the bin every October. It's a real shame. Pumpkin is delicious in soups, roasted, as mash, or in any number of delicious recipes. It's nutritious, cheap and incredibly versatile.

That's why our pals at Hubbub have set up Pumpkin Rescue. Started in 2014, it's an attempt to let people know that there's so much that they can do with all that tasty orange goodness. They're running guides so you can set up your own Rescue event, from a carve-and-eat party to a giant pumpkin festival!

Here at The Pier we fully support any initiative that gets us eating more of this cheap, easy-to-grow and versatile vegetable. Great pumpkin recipes are only a click away on the internet, so there's really no excuse. This Halloween weekend, get some pumpkin on the table!

For more ideas, check out Hubbub's Pumpkin Rescue page.

Listening To The Unheard Worker

I know sometimes I talk about ethics in fashion as if it's a simple and straightforward concept that everyone should understand. Let's face it: I've been doing this for so long now that it seems like an obvious thing to me. It's about the environment. It's about respect for the creatures and plants that provide our clothes. Above all, it's about the people who make our clothes.

It's always worth revisiting the ol' mission statement, just to be sure everyone's on the same page. As part of Fair Trade Month, Shamini Dhana of Dhana Inc. puts the whole notion under the microscope, and comes up with a pretty solid breakdown.

Shamini frames the whole situation in the context of a few simple questions. The first, and overarching one, is:

"Where is the connection and conversation today between the end customer and the people behind the scenes who make the products we consume daily?"

This has become an important question for those of us involved in ethical fashion. There are 60 million garment workers around the globe, 80 percent of them women. That's a fairly significant portion of humankind. And yet we know so little about them–how they are treated and paid. There's a fundamental disconnect in our heads between the people that make our clothes and the items themselves. However, this chasm is closing. People are starting to ask questions of the brands that populate our high streets. Those that choose to respond are tapping into a growing worldwide movement that wants to see the garment workers of the world treated with respect.

Involvement in this movement can be as simple as asking a few questions of your favourite brands. Who made my clothes? Do they receive a fair or living wage? How safe are their working conditions? If your brands can't answer those questions, then the immediate follow up is simply "Why can't you tell me?" A brand that's transparent about the people who make their clothes has nothing to hide about the way they are treated.

Brands like H&M and M&S regularly make a big fuss about their ethical treatment of workers, but it's all to easy to slip. As consumers, we have the right to know where our clothes are coming from, and how they are made. It's important to keep the high street on track for an ethical future. All it takes are a few little questions.

For more on Shamani's new incentive on listening to the unheard worker, check out this piece on Fair Trade America.

Ethical Sportswear On The High Street? You'll be Lucky...

Was anyone surprised by the revelations about the way Sports Direct treats its staff? Well, no, but even so, the revelations of monitored toilet breaks, harassment and medical emergencies on the packing lines brought on by overwork were still shocking.

The news has left many of us wondering whether there are better, more ethical alternatives to the active-wear giant. Sadly, according to a report by Ethical Consumer, high street sports apparel retailers are not doing their best by the people that work for them, or the environment.

An assessment based on sustainability basics like supply chain transparency, worker rights and and environmental reporting led to a pretty poor showing. In fact, the highest they could score any well-known store was a measly 9 out of 20, shared equally between Intersport and Trespass.

None of the stores surveyed could offer a clear supply chain policy, with the knock-on effect that none could hold that supply chain to account. Worse, only one brand, Decathlon, could confirm that they don't use zero-hour contracts. Go Outdoors openly advertise them, despite the fact that Sports Direct were heavily criticised for their use.

Activewear chains seem genuinely clueless on environmental concerns as well, with no clear policy in place for lessening the use of toxic chemicals in their products or avoiding ranges that involve the use of animal cruelty (like merino for base layers, for example). Only Decathlon had any sort of plan for softening the environmental impact of their stores. Silence from every other brand.

Your best bet, Ethical Consumer concludes, is to stay off the high street altogether if you want to shop ethically for your sportswear. Brands like Yew and Páramo offer great alternatives to the big brands with a properly sustainable outlook.

It's sad to think that so many of our big stores seem to care so little about ethical concerns. Until they start paying attention, it's best for those of us in the know to take our business elsewhere.

A Right Stitch-Up With Katie Jones

Sustainability is about making things last. You'd think that would be a no-brainer. Yet there are many voices out there that would like to persuade us sustainable fashion is still all about buying new things.

It's a nonsensical argument. Why would you throw a jacket out because the zip doesn't work, when you can easily get it replaced or repaired? My home town of Reading has seen two independent tailors set up within five minutes of each other. Both are doing a roaring trade. It seems like we do understand the notion of sustainability.

It's sad that we even have to outsource simple repair work, though. It isn't that long ago that most families had someone that knew how to use a needle and thread. These are essential life skills that seem to have been forgotten over the course of just a generation.

Fortunately, there are people willing and ready to teach us the error of our ways. In a video put together by the excellent folk at Fashion Revolution, knitting guru Katie Jones takes us through the easy ways we can repair or retask tired garments and bring them back out from the back of the wardrobe. It's an inspiring watch, and Katie's enthusiasm is clear.

Why See Now, Buy Now Is A Bad Idea

Fast fashion: it's so much a part of our 'buy cheaply and often' culture that we don't even stop to think about it. The whole notion of 'buy one, get one free' has encouraged us to spend on items we don't even need, satisfied that we've got a bargain.

This conspicuous consumption is a huge issue and it's not getting better anytime soon. If anything, innovation in prototyping and digital ordering is leading us further down the slope. The latest idea, launched at this season's fashion shows, is 'see now, buy now'. You don't have to wait for the newest designs to roll out to the shops. If you like what you see on the catwalks, you can order it and get it delivered there and then.

This, of course, puts enormous pressure on already maxed-out fashion factories, who are now expected to deliver just-in-time orders of new designs at an acceptable level of finish. What does this mean for the workers who are at the sharp end of the deal–who have to make the clothes in the first place?

The Fairtrade Foundation recently talked to garment worker and activist Nazma Akter, who has long fought for worker's rights in the harsh environment of Bangladeshi fashion factories. The whole interview is a must-read, but of particular interest are her views on the ever-increasing velocity of fast fashion. She says:

'Consumers have been encouraged, through a culture of “buy one get one free” deals to want ever-cheaper products and to want them now. But nothing in life comes for free. At the moment, women and workers are paying with their blood and sweat so consumers can enjoy cheap fashion. I don’t believe anyone really wants that. We all need to be able to eat well, have a decent life with access to education and healthcare. Let’s slow fashion down, and transform the industry to change people’s lives for the better.'

Sadly, many people simply can't see past the allure of instant gratification. Emma Watson, who has become something of a spokesperson for sustainability, recently launched a range of capsule clothing. That range was available on launch, and the publicity she gained from a big wave of press coverage ensured a quick sellout. This is exactly the problem that workers like Nazma have with western fashion, and it's certain Watson's suppliers would have been under intense pressure to deliver on time and budget. This is hardly a good example for a public figure who claims to care about worker's rights.

Our View: Nazma is a figure whose bravery and tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds should be celebrated. She's absolutely right about how our greed for more stuff, right now, has cheapened and marginalised the people who work so hard to deliver the clothes we covet so badly, and need so little. Emma Watson, sadly, is sending the wrong message to her legions of fans. The last thing we need is another collection of celebrity-endorsed clothing that we can buy without thinking about it.

Bagged Out: How The Plastic Bag Charge Is Helping Everyone

Our oceans and countrysides are littered with the detritus of our takeaway age. Discarded drinks cans, old gum, cigarette stubs and of course, plastic. Recent research has shown that the man-created island of waste floating in the Pacific is even larger than we originally thought. It seems like we're the victims of our own thoughtlessness, and there's precious little we can do to stem the tide.

Except we can, and we are, and it's taken one simple step to start rolling things in the right direction. Namely, the 5p charge on plastic bags to consumers that launched in the UK earlier this year. Figures have recently been revealed on the first six months of the charge being put in place. The results are remarkable.

Issues of single-use plastic bags from the major supermarket chains dropped by 85% from March to September this year. That's over six billion bags less. Marine charities like Surfers Against Sewage and the Marine Conservation Society are reporting beaches that are substantially, if not entirely free from plastic waste. Andy Cummings, campaign director of SAS, told The Guardian:

“It’s a fantastic success. The vast majority have adapted their behaviour without a check in their stride. There will be a phenomenal net benefit for the environment from 6bn fewer bags.”

It's astonishing that one tiny charge has brought about such a rapid sea change (sorry) in our behaviour, and there are added benefits too. That 5p levy on bags has earned charities nearly £30million in donations from supermarkets over the past six months–a vital fresh source of income as people are giving less directly to good causes. There's also been a boom in the market for sturdy multi-use bags. Made out of materials like hemp and printed with ethically-produced dyes, these are eminently sustainable items that will last for dozens of shopping trips.

But why stop there? If such a simple step can have such a massive change, then it makes sense to carry on and levy micro-charges on other major causes of man-made waste, like one-use coffee cups. There's definite interest in a change. Starbucks already offer a discount if you bring in your own cup, and helpfully sell reusable mugs in store.

I'm old enough to remember when glass bottles had a deposit on them and could be returned to stores to get that money back. This is an idea that bears resurrecting–in fact, it's still a thing in dozens of European countries. The whole process could even be modernised with reverse vending machines that will take your glass and aluminium and pay you back for them.

The raging success of the plastic bag charge should be a kick-start for a modern, pragmatic approach to recycling that uses a simple psychological trick to get us to do the right thing. Sadly, the government environmental body DEFRA at the moment is not in such a keen mood, preferring to see if the figures are a start-up bump or will translate into further success. But for many of us who use the UKs beaches and rural areas regularly, the benefits are already becoming clearer. For once, we're seeing a win-win for the environment that also benefits people in need. That's a very unexpected item in the bagging area, right?

Zara Goes Ethical?

In a move that has wrong-footed many commentators on the fashion scene, a new player has quietly launched a collection of sustainable clothing. New to the ethical scene, that is. This new player is possibly fast fashion's biggest name–Zara.

The #JoinLife Collection is a capsule range of sustainable clothes made from organic cotton, Tencel and recycled wool. The garments are stylish and comfortable, with a loose, eco-hippy vibe. Even the boxes that the clothes are shipped in comes from recycled material.

Zara have also announced a more wide-ranging ethical plan, which includes in-store recycling bins, eco-efficient stores and a general move towards a corporate policy that supports sustainable development and responsible worker management.

If this sounds at all familiar, you're not the only one to notice. The move seems to have come straight from H&M's playbook, whose Conscious Collection launch in 2012 was swiftly followed by a land-grab on the ethical side of high street fashion. Many observers still view this stance as green-washing, citing the limited nature of ethically-sourced garments in H&Ms range.

Is this new move by Zara just an attempt to steal a little of their Swedish competitors thunder? Perhaps. But we should also note that parent company Inditex's Annual Report, released early this year, made a lot of noise about sustainable development. It's possible that the #JoinLife Collection is just the first step on a path to a more responsible fashion industry. Because let's be clear–Inditex are one of the biggest players in the market, and if they're starting to take ethical fashion seriously, then everyone is going to pay attention.

Challenge Accepted!

As the autumn edition of London Fashion Week rolls around, so too does the Green Carpet Challenge. Launching in 2013, the annual event is designed to show how sustainable fashion can hold its own on the red carpet.

This year's event, sponsored by BAFTA, was the most glamorous yet, with a ton of fashion icons and movie stars showing up at British film's Piccadilly HQ. Host and queen of the scene Lilia Firth welcomed guests in a stunning William Vintage gown, along with her husband, actor Colin Firth.

And what a rollcall! Victoria Beckham and Vogue editor Anna Wintour hoofed it to London fresh from New York Fashion Week, while Keira Knightley and Helena Bonham Carter brought a shot of Hollywood sunshine to the proceedings. Keira teamed her cream dress with a fairly-mined gold ring from Chopard's Green Carpet Collection.

But the hit of the show for some, including ethical fashion writer Lucy Siegel, was the launch of a new range of bio-degradable mannequins from Italian company Bonaveri. Made from a sugarcane derivative called BPlast, the mannequins look and feel just like traditional dummies, but are made using a significantly smaller carbon footprint. Bonaveri says:

“It has been a difficult path full of surprises; but thanks to commitment and expertise we are able to offer our customers a product which is environmentally conscious and aesthetically impeccable."

The Green Carpet Challenge event, which also included a screening of The Last Monday In May, is another step up towards the influence of ethical fashion on the mainstream. It attracted gushing headlines across the planet, and highlighted how Livia and her company Eco-Age are luring in an audience with a little dose of glamour.

For more, and to check out a slideshow of images from the night, do slide over to Vogue, darling.

Both Sides Of the Story

The tone of our last couple of posts has been a little... well, bleak, I guess. It's hard to be light-hearted when the world seems to be collapsing around your ears.

The thing is, though, a lot of that attitude can simply be down to viewpoint. Shift that and things can take on a different, more hopeful sheen.

The reportage that is starting to build around the parlours state of fast fashion is good news for one reason. In order to solve a problem, you first have to acknowledge that the problem exists. And all of a sudden, the public has become aware of the massive issues surrounding the way we make and consume mass market fashion. As Orsola De Castro notes in a great article for The Huffington Post, the situation is comparable to the food industry. There have been huge changes over the past twenty years as we have woken up to the fact that what the big food business wants is not that good for us. Sure, there's still a long way to go, but legislation and public will is moving us slowly towards a more sustainable model.

There's a sense within the fashion industry itself that things need to change. As climate change becomes a clear and present danger, old methods can no longer be considered. Sure, we can sneer at the limited runs of so-called sustainable clothing from high street behemoths, or their tiny percentage of ranges shifted over to organic methods. But at the same time they are beginning to adopt practices and procedures that ethical superstars like Patagonia and Nudie Jeans have had at the heart of their business since the beginning. You have to start somewhere. The simple fact is that you can't turn a juggernaut around on a dime. These things do take time.

And there are increasingly encouraging signs of change, particularly when it comes to worker relationships with the big brands. No less an entity than Gap, long resistant to to any sort of supply-chain transparency, announced last week that they would be opening their records as to which factories they use in developing countries and markets. This is a huge step-change for a company who have lost a lot of good will for their stance on, for example, compensation for Rana Plaza families.

Now, you could argue that this is simply a PR exercise to put a bit of shine back on a tarnished public image. Or, you could view it as the first step in the right direction for an industry that has long been walking on a dark and dirty road. Either way, the end result is a positive one. If the destination is worth getting to, does it matter how you make the journey?

Look, this post is a bit of a meander, I know. But it's really important to try and hold onto a sense of perspective in an area where the situation can change very quickly. The View From The Pier can sometimes be foggy and hard to see clearly. But we do our best to give you a reasonably balanced idea of what's going on. There is despair, but there's also hope. We need to hang onto that.