Hong Kong is one of China’s gems. It is not only breathtaking to look at, but it is also an extremely vital member of the global economic community. However, with any metropolis comes problems that fit in scale to the number of people that inhabit it. One such problem for Hong Kong is the amount of textile waste that it produces (253 metric tons a day). Tackling the type of change necessary to reduce that number is very difficult for numerous reasons, the most prominent being that there has never been an effort to do so until now.
Several weeks ago, an organization called Redress along with with some of Hong Kong’s most prominent designers (Dorian Ho, Cecilia Yau) organized a fashion show with clothes made only from second hand materials. The effort was an attempt to persuade the people of Hong Kong and integral members of the territory’s fashion community that pursuing sustainability in the fashion industry is both necessary and chic.
This is the first push of many that needs to take place if the amount Hong Kong’s textile waste is to be drastically reduced. However, with Redress’s efforts, the first and most vital step has taken place to affect change: the public has been informed of the problem.
Be sure to do your part and make the United States a more sustainable country by using scrap fabric, as well as organic and natural fabrics when sewing.
