As the antagonist of fast fashion, slow fashion is gaining momentum in countries like Spain, although its growth is still far from the first. In late 2021, images of a ‘clothing graveyard’ in the Atacama Desert in Chile caused an uproar in the news and on social media.

The United Nations (UN) maintains an alliance program for sustainable fashion. In 2019, the UN Conference on Trade and Development revealed that the fashion industry is the second most polluting in the world. “The clothing industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water each year, which is enough to meet the needs of five million people.” That’s not the only thing, half a million tons of microfibers are thrown into the sea every year, which is equal to 3 million barrels of oil. Textile waste can take 200 years to decompose.

A recent agency report EFE He believes that slow fashion is gaining momentum in Spain, advocates thoughtful and combined clothing purchases and promotes smaller, quality wardrobes.

In Ecuador, the concern for circular fashion is positioned in several projects such as buying clothes for other use, not necessarily in flea markets but in virtual stores, applications and using social networks.

Circular fashion companies like NiftyMark have even won recognition: a Latin America Green Awards recognition and seed capital from Fonquito 3000 in 2021.

The highest award for responsible consumption will go to the planet. Reality is in everyone’s eyes, and taking care of a big house is a general task so that the “cemetery of clothes” does not multiply. Industry would contribute by guaranteeing more sustainable production, government by improving legislation and compliance control, and citizens by favoring a less rich wardrobe, a daily life where what is used is unimportant compared to how much is contributed to the world. (OR)