What?! You may say. Well, this motto came up when I googled myself a couple of times. I must have added that to an eco-site. But in fact, when I think of it, it really sums up what I believe in. First, there is a double morale regarding plastic. Here in the UK, they are trying to get people to buy less plastic bags. Yes I know they are usually used only once and then thrown away, so I am all for it. However, when I try and find clothes in clothes shops I find that at least 99 percent of the stuff in there is made of polyester or acrylic, and in some cases of viscose. It means that people are buying garments made of plastic and how is this supposed to be helping the world?? It's very clear that women buy the latest in fashion, use it once or twice because it's cheap, then recycle it so it ends up somewhere in Africa or with the poor in their own country. God knows where they end up after that - as some form of landfill no doubt, probably where it's definitely not supposed to be.
It totally pisses me off that you can only wear crap clothes if you're poor. You have to be incredibly rich to be able to buy decent materials. In fact, it's unbelievable that I have to fight for my right to wear proper clothes! And on top of this there are the global concerns of sustainability. Plastic can never be a sustainable material unless you use it were it really serves a function for a long time to come.
I think the idea of wearing plastic close to your most sensitive body parts is horrendous. First, you are dealing with a very bad energy. Basically, things made of oil tend to be this way. It hinders the flow of your own bodily energies. Secondly, if you're in fire, the plastic clothes will melt in a split second and stick to your skin forever. Not only are you creating more work for the plastic surgeons, but you are also creating the most horrible damage to yourself. Incidentally, cotton takes a long time to burn down. And as I said before, what happens to your underwear when you toss them? Surely you don't recycle them for the purpose of charity!
For god's sake, if you want to make a difference, start with yourself! Start with the thing that is the closest to you. I am not really a typical eco-warrior, because I don't see things in black and white most of the time. I think that the best I can do is to take care of my share, I don't have to carry every body else's responsibility on my shoulders. Both Martin and I are (at least we think we are!) quite level-headed about the pros and cons of various choices we make as consumers in a Western society. But I do have my gripes and polyester clothes is definitely one of them!! I'm in fact so sensitive to plastic that I can tell how big a percentage of polyester is in a material just by touching it and feeling how strong the electric currents are (and yes I am not kidding!). I want to add that viscose is not a great alternative, while it is better because it's made of cellulose, it's fabricated in a really toxic environment, and it doesn't feel good to my touch either. I can only wear it if I wear cotton underneath.
I tolerate up to 20 % polyester in a garment, and in fact I don't really have much of a choice since there is polyester even in woollen clothes. I admit that in the cases of very low percentage it does improve on the durability, so it may be warranted.
So, start with your most intimate choices and decide how you can better the world from that point of view. That is my five cents!
Artwork: Abstract digital photograph by author, all rights reserved
Artwork: Abstract digital photograph by author, all rights reserved
