CEP Calgary x April: Sustainable Fashion

Living in Calgary, we all know that it's no big secret the oil industry is the number #1 source of emissions. What might surprise you is the industry that tails that - textiles! That's right - clothing is #2. It turns out "the apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions and remains the second largest industrial polluter, second only to oil" (Forbes, 2015). To drop a few numbers to share the extent this really is:

- "Nearly 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make the world’s polyester fiber, which is now the most commonly used fiber in our clothing. But it takes more than 200 years to decompose." (Forbes, 2015)

- "The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter of freshwater resources on the planet." (Forbes, 2015)

- "A quarter of the chemicals produced in the world are used in textiles." (Forbes, 2015)

Woah. We agree! Our eyebrows are raised in shock, too! We decided to take on this topic for our April event and discuss all things sustainable fashion and textile waste. Join us for a conversation with local industry experts from The North Face, SweatSociety and Alberta Apparel. CEP will be hosting a panel discussion around the impact that fashion, and the apparel industry, has on the environment. We will explore the challenges companies are facing, upcoming trends to move towards sustainable and ethical best practices, and what the reality is around textile waste - how much do we produce, where should it go when we're done with our garments and how much clothing actually gets a second life?