Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Is sustainable fashion a myth?

Sustainable Fashion Brands

Sustainable Fashion Choices

A sixth-grade social science textbook that I read described India as a piece of fabric, with countless threads coloured in a myriad of majestic shades, woven together. This metaphor holds exceptionally well when put into the context of our <keyword id="22706215" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="handloom-industry" source="keywords">handloom industry</keyword>. India has a rich history of handlooms and weaving cultures. The culture of handlooms is so intricately woven into Indian culture, that there are whole towns dedicated to the same: <keyword id="248532" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chanderi" source="Orion">Chanderi</keyword> in Madhya Pradesh to Pochampally in Telangana and a dozen more! Unfortunately, the handloom industry in India is dying. The struggle is multi-faceted, ranging from a declining workforce to fierce competition from <keyword id="20496028" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="power-looms" source="keywords">power looms</keyword>. Hence, five years ago, August 7 was proclaimed <keyword id="22677698" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Handloom-Day" source="keywords">National Handloom Day</keyword> in response to this crisis and to heighten public awareness. This date holds special historical significance, commemorating the initiation of the Swadeshi Movement in 1905—a pivotal act of defiance against British colonial rule. <h2>When did this industry come into existence?</h2>According to archaeological findings, the origins of handloom in the Indian subcontinent may be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization. The Mughal Empire was known to support and patronise <keyword id="20258864" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="weavers" source="keywords">weavers</keyword>. The support from the royal patrons resulted in the invention of new textiles such as ‘Mulmul’ and ‘Banarasi Brocade’ among others. This era witnessed a heightened worldwide demand for Indian textiles. In the 17th century, India produced 25% of the world’s textiles, with Bengal accounting for more than 50% of textiles and 80% of silks imported by the Dutch from Asia. <h2>What led to the decline of the <keyword id="19934660" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-handloom" source="keywords">Indian handloom</keyword>?</h2>The East India Company's entry fuelled the industry's initial decline, which started in the 1830s. The weavers were obliged to sell only to the British, and that too at exceedingly cheap prices, virtually putting them out of business. On the other hand, Indian cloth was taxed excessively to promote machine-made British clothing. The Industrial Revolution in Britain strengthened their indigenous textile industry, giving rise to new markets for cheaper textiles. In India, the collapse of the Mughal aristocracies meant no access to royal patronage. As a result, textiles like Khadi and muslin had little demand in the market. Circling back to the present, the industry is facing both similar and new challenges. Fabrics made on power looms are cheaper and faster to produce, in comparison to handloom fabrics. The industry is largely unorganised, and the wages are shockingly low. 67% of <keyword id="22706216" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="handloom-workers" source="keywords">handloom workers</keyword> are earning less than the minimum wage every month. Faced with economic challenges, the older artisans are thus forced to encourage the newer generation to choose an alternative career path. This migration of the workforce from a traditional sector is evident from the fall in the number of weavers less than 35 years of age- from 26.13 lakh in 2009-10 to 16.07 lakh in 2019-20. The majority of weavers do not have access to banking facilities, let alone institutional credit. Furthermore, if one manages to accumulate credit, there is a mismatch between the supply and demand forces due to the lack of awareness about handwoven textiles in the current generation. <h2>Initiatives for revival</h2>The cultural significance of the Indian handloom isn’t just limited to its beauty and extravagance, but it extends to our independence struggle as well. The Swadeshi movement immortalised the charkha and advocated for the use of indigenous goods. Following independence, the Indian government took many measures to revive the handloom industry. In 1953, India’s Parliament approved the Khadi and Other Handloom Industries Development Act. In 1955, the All India Handloom Fabrics Marketing Cooperative Society was formed to promote the sale of fabrics produced by handloom cooperatives across India. The National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) aimed to provide financial assistance for marketing and production. The Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme offers health and life insurance to weavers, to ensure social security. The organisation commenced a fortnight-long exhibition, “VIRAASAT” dedicated to celebrating the 10th National Handloom Day began at Handloom Haat in Janpath, New Delhi on Saturday, 3rd August 2024, and will conclude on 16th August 2024. The Handloom Mark scheme was introduced to authenticate handloom products, thus enabling weavers to gain better market access and ensuring that consumers get genuine products. Moreover, the India Trade Portal also mentions that the GOI plans to provide financial assistance of Rs. 30 crore to at least 10,000 handlooms. Various state governments also regularly conduct handloom expos and fairs, providing platforms for weavers to showcase and sell their products directly to consumers. <h2>Contemporary Brands and their love for Indian handloom</h2>Modern, popular designers such as <keyword id="8264" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sabyasachi" source="Orion">Sabyasachi</keyword> and <keyword id="21493890" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ritu-kumar" source="keywords">Ritu Kumar</keyword> are known to work closely with weavers and have been doing their part by bringing worldwide attention to the handloom industries. Recently, <keyword id="1472101" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ajrakh" source="Orion">Ajrakh</keyword> was brought into the limelight when Alia Bhatt wore a custom Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla Ajrakh saree to Joy Awards in Riyadh. However, it’s not just the fashion moguls who are working towards the revival of this industry. Contemporary indie brands are partnering with local weavers, and creating awareness about their work. The emergence of such indie brands and their association with local artisans is beneficial for both entities. For instance, Joskai Studio derives its name from ‘Joskai’, a woven piece of cloth worn as a part of the traditional costume of the Tiwa community of Assam. They work with artisans in northeast India, specifically from the weaving village of Saualkuchi in Assam. Rouka by Sreejith Jeevan is a Kerala-based brand that works strictly with weavers from Kerala, specifically Chendamangalam and Kuthampally. <h2>Employment and Exports</h2>According to the Indian Trade Portal, the Indian handloom sector is the country’s second-largest employer after agriculture in rural areas. The Handloom Census 2019-20 mentions that the industry employs about 35,22,512 workers across the country, with women forming 77.29% of the workforce. India is the second largest exporter of handloom products in the world, with exports valued at $ 353.9 million in 2017- 18, as per EXIM bank's working papers. The major handloom export centres are Karur, Panipat, Varanasi and Kannur where handloom products like bed linen, table linen, toilet linen, floor coverings, and embroidered textile materials and curtains etc. are produced for export markets. During April 2021-February 2022, India exported handloom products worth 1693 crore, as per Indian Trade Portal. Indian silk scarves also form a sizable chunk of total handloom exports, in addition to home textiles like carpets, rugs and mats, which constitute over 13.6% of India’s total handloom exports. <h2>The Path Forward</h2>The mere existence of organisations and allocation of funds isn’t enough to sustain the legacy of India’s rich handloom industry. Big corporations working with local weavers ensure employment but don't protect them from exploitation and meagre wages, leaving them vulnerable. The people in power ought to come up with strategies that ensure the trickle-down effect of the schemes and funds. The new generation of buyers has a greater purchasing power than the one before them. Marketing focused on bringing Indian handloom practices into the limelight can do wonders in this case.

Fabric of a nation: Sustaining India's handloom legacy in modern times

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian army to increase its troop size by 180,000.</li><li>The increase would make Russia's army the second largest in the world, behind only China's.</li></ul>Russian President <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-russia-plans-to-comprehensively-upgrade-its-navy-2024-6">Vladimir Putin</a> wants to grow his country's armed forces, but experts say his ambitions could come at the expense of Russia's economy.On Monday, Putin ordered the army to increase its troops by 180,000, per a decree published by the Kremlin.This will raise the overall number of Russian military personnel to 2.38 million people, with 1.5 million of them being active soldiers.The expansion, which will take effect in December, would give Russia the world's second-largest army, behind only China and ahead of the US and India, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-orders-russian-army-grow-by-180000-soldiers-become-15-million-strong-2024-09-16/">per Reuters</a>, which cited data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.This isn't the first time Putin has sought to expand the army since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The Russian leader ordered an increase of 137,000 troops in August 2022, followed by an increase of 170,000 in December 2023.Nick Reynolds, a land warfare research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said the increase is consistent with Russia's ongoing war planning.In February, Reynolds coauthored a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/russian-military-objectives-and-capacity-ukraine-through-2024">commentary</a> that suggested that 2025 would be a make-or-break year for Russia. Russia believes it can sustain current troop and equipment losses through 2025, with the belief that "victory should be achieved by 2026," they wrote.That's not implausible if Ukraine's Western allies don't keep supporting it, they added. But after 2026, Russia will begin to run out of existing stocks of tanks and armored fighting vehicles and will have to rely on producing new ones.The gear coming off the production line "will still be substantial," Reynolds told BI in an interview on Wednesday. "Just significantly less than they are now."That raises the question of how Russia can resource its even bigger army when it is already stretched."Where are the resources going to come from? How is the recruitment going to work?" Reynolds said, adding: "There are still some serious questions about how they will be equipped."It's also hard to see how the current training pipeline could support the expansion, he said.The increase in the army comes at a perilous time for Russia, which has to balance its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-ukraine-war-moscow-military-spending-inflation-worker-shortage-2024-2">military objectives in Ukraine</a> against the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-growth-recession-labor-worker-shortage-inflation-sanctions-west-2024-9">toll the war is taking on its economy</a>.Russia has "adapted much better than predicted to some of the pressures it's been put under," Reynolds told BI. But despite this, he said, "inflation is through the roof. The cost of living is through the roof."Other experts BI spoke to said that while Putin might still be able to grow Russia's army, it may only add more strain to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-lacks-workers-ukraine-war-labor-crisis-worker-shortage-2023-12">already-stretched Russian labor force</a>.Artem Kochev, an economist at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, told BI that Russia's labor market would be less affected if military recruitment is done in a targeted fashion."Currently, new recruits can be split into two groups: indebted people with low socio-economic status, and prison convicts," Kochev said. "They either participate in the less productive branches of the economy or are not part of the labor market at all."Russia has recruited so many inmates that it has started to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-shutter-prisons-inmates-ukraine-war-2024-3">shut down some of its prisons</a>, with one local official telling lawmakers in March that some prisons had to be shuttered because of "a one-time large reduction in the number of convicts," per Russian newspaper Kommersant."As long as recruitment stays within those two groups, the impact on the labor market will be limited," Kochev said, but noted that, even then, enlisting new recruits would still pose a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-defense-military-war-spending-drains-resources-other-sectors-2024-1">sizable fiscal burden</a>.In July, Russian media reported that new recruits in Moscow would <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-military-troops-new-recruits-ukraine-bonus-high-death-rate-2024-7">receive a bonus of 1.9 million rubles, or about $22,000</a>, if they signed a contract with the Russian defense ministry.That package is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-sign-up-bonuses-reaching-on-par-with-us-military-2024-7">on par with the bonuses offered by the US military</a> to their recruits, which range from $20,000 to $50,000.And even if money weren't a problem, Russia would still find it difficult to achieve its recruitment goals without hobbling its own economy."Taking another 180,000 people out of the labor force would have a serious impact on the economy," said Benjamin Hilgenstock, a senior economist at the Kyiv School of Economics Institute.He added: "The labor market is already extremely tight with the unemployment rate dropping to 2.4% in June, which is basically full employment, and nominal wage growth now above 15% year-over-year."The hunger for more troops has seen Russia turn to an unlikely source — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-forcing-african-migrants-and-students-to-fight-in-ukraine-2024-6">African migrants and students</a>.In June, Bloomberg reported that Russian officials had threatened not to renew the visas of African migrant workers and students if they didn't join the Russian Armed Forces.Jeremy Morris, a global studies professor at Aarhus University, told BI that Russia's economic problems could overshadow its military challenges if left unattended."Authoritarian societies like Russia seem calm and controlled, but destabilization can happen quite abruptly," he said.

Putin is embarking on an aggressive hiring drive to rejuvenate Russia's army. But he can't sustain it, experts say.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Gen Z fashion trends are sustainable, intentional, and just a little bit silly and ugly.</li><li>"Wrong shoe theory" and Kramercore are part of a reaction to economic and climate turmoil.</li></ul>Your shoes really don't match your outfit — and I mean that as a compliment.It's called "<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@allisonbornstein6/video/7235753295267040554" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrong shoe theory</a>," and it's yet another Gen Z fashion moment that might seem counterintuitive at first. The concept, named by stylist Allison Bornstein, is to match your outfit with a type of shoe that might seem dramatically misaligned — like sweatpants with pumps."This is a very easy way to mix up your looks without needing to buy anything," Bornstein, the author of the forthcoming "<a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-60349-20&amp;h=0c09a513fc3ae7c80d40e4e19ff92a68d87bf819a61847563746d1f4b695607e&amp;postID=64c947a0fa4d08025229ba17&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWear-Well-Reclaim-Rediscover-Getting%2Fdp%2F1797221426" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WEAR IT WELL: Reclaim Your Closet and Rediscover the Joy of Getting Dressed</a>," told Insider.It's the latest movement that showcases Gen Z's priorities when it comes to how they present themselves: They want to be intentional — like going with the less obvious choice for a shoe — and they don't take themselves seriously. Long gone are the days of wearing a matching blouse and a statement necklace to the club; being purposefully ugly and silly is in. At the same time, as with many of the challenges that Gen Z encounters, there's an eye toward sustainability and <a href="https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/content/genzmillennialsurvey.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looming climate doom</a>. Why buy new shoes that'll end up in the landfill when your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walking-shoes-millennial-gen-z-status-symbol-covid-wfh-economy-2021-3">normcore comfy sneakers</a> will do? "With the younger generation, I feel like they really value individuality and looking different from other people," Bornstein said. "This method for getting dressed really just promotes that uniqueness and how you can switch it up very easily and very cost efficiently, and create something totally different and totally not straightforward."It's no wonder, then, that Gen Z is embracing another similarly kitschy and thriftable aesthetic: Kramercore. As <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/07/kramercore-fashion-trend-seinfeld/674666/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Atlantic's Amanda Mull reports</a>, everyone wants to dress like Kramer this summer. Yes, Kramer, the Seinfeld character constantly bursting into the room to inform everyone about his latest side quest. Think zany button downs, fun collars, slightly cropped pants, and loafers. If it's already in your closet, throw it together for whatever the day brings.As Mull posits, Kramer's eclectic aesthetic fits the current moment: A mishmash of older style that's still timeless, a reaction to an uncertain world — Kramer could be up to quite literally anything — met with just a bit of fun. As the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/04/weekinreview/the-nation-the-arbiters-of-tv-style-how-to-fashion-a-character.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Times reported</a>, Kramercore frenzy already struck the nation once in 1994, a few years into the show's run. Back then, Kramer fits were flying off the shelves — so much so that the show's costume designer lamented to the Times that she couldn't find any clothing for Kramer. "Fashion-wise, we've really created a monster," Seinfeld costume supervisor Charmaine Simmons told the Times in 1994.That hunger for Kramer clothing came against an economic backdrop that might sound familiar: In 1991, there had been a <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1994/06/art1full.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">short recession</a>, taking particular aim at white-collar workers and <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1995/08/art5full.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increasing income inequality</a>. But, come 1994 — when Kramercore reached such a fever pitch that the costume designer was struggling — the economic scale had tipped toward workers and away from Wall Street, as the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-01-01-fi-15454-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Times reported at the time</a>. The 1994 stock market floundered, but consumers were eager to spend on real goods.That certainly has some parallels with the pandemic-scarred economy, where Gen Zers in particular experienced rounds of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-millennials-financial-futures-jobs-economy-money-pandemic-recession-2023-4">financial booms and busts</a>. As a generation that's piling up <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/credit-card-debt-record-high-pandemic-spending-savings-2023-7">credit card debt</a>, and is particularly attuned to the climate crisis, dressing and spending is loaded for Gen Z. It makes sense that some are drawn to cheap, attainable styles like picking out the wrong shoe, or having someone curate <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/07/29/gen-z-thrift-style-bundles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sustainably-sourced style bundles</a>. Bornstein said it's part of a reckoning some people, especially millennials, experienced with their closets during the pandemic, asking, "Why do I have all this? What is this for? How is this helping me?"That led to a real paring down and a return to basics and minimalism.Some were "missing that personality," Bornstein said, and are now asking themselves "what's going to set me apart? How can I add back in my personality?"Whether it's a closet crisis or a climate crisis, Gen Z's response has often been to lean into the absurdity, and for some that means emulating Kramer — thick white socks, bowling shirt, and all.

From 'wrong shoe theory' to Kramercore: Why Gen Z wants their fashion to be sustainable — and ugly

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sophie Strauss, 30, is a stylist based in Los Angeles.</li><li>She works with "regular people" and focuses on sustainable fashion.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/sophiestraussstyling/">Sophie Strauss</a>, of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sophiestraussstyling.com/">Sophie Strauss Styling</a>. It has been edited for length and clarity.As <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/school-psychologist-personal-stylist-side-gig-nyc-2021-9">a stylist</a> for regular people, I get lots of clients who are caught in a trap created by the fashion industry. The "regular" people — those who aren't wealthy or famous — try so hard to understand the rules of what's stylish, usually set by celebrities and fashion houses. But as soon as normal people grasp a rule, the rules change again.People end up feeling like they're on a treadmill, constantly running toward the goal of being stylish but never actually getting anywhere. Conveniently for our capitalist society, this also keeps people constantly purchasing new clothes to try to get closer to the arbitrary idea of fashion.I take a very different approach. I define style as the expression of your preferences and creativity through your clothes. It boils down to a simple question: do you like it, or do you not?That sounds simple, but adopting that definition of fashion often means learning new skills, and addressing a lifetime of discomfort or even trauma around clothing. Ready to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stylist-updated-clothing-wardrobe-body-positivity-2023-12">change your relationship with clothing</a>? These four questions can help you get started.<h2 id="ab71f5c4-3f25-4bfc-b4cc-2022ed1b1c49">What do you like?</h2>This question is so simple. And yet, people rarely ask themselves <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stylist-shoppings-tips-building-capsule-wardrobe-2023-12">what clothing they like</a> (and what they dislike). We're not taught to do this when it comes to our clothes. Instead, we're taught to look for what's on trend.I use a restaurant analogy. When you choose from a menu, you're thinking about your specific tastes, limitations, and likes. You don't select the same meal that everyone else is eating — if you did, you'd probably be disappointed! Yet, too often, that's exactly how we approach fashion.<h2 id="687c71a2-f650-4afa-b4aa-317482774273">What do you want to say about yourself?</h2>Clothes are communication. They send a message to you, and to those around you. So, what do you want to say about yourself?The answer to that question can be long-winded — no one can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stylist-corporate-image-consultant-explains-how-to-do-quiet-luxury-2023-11">encapsulate their style</a> in just a few words. The most important thing is that you're true to yourself. If you wear clothes that aren't affirming of who you are, it's like opening your mouth to speak but hearing the wrong voice come out.<h2 id="5d00c675-1669-4142-9515-3070c22cad18">What do you want from your clothes that you're not getting?</h2>Most people who come to me have a problem with their current clothes. Sometimes, the problem is very concrete: their body, gender, or job has changed, and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-know-if-your-clothes-dont-actually-fit">clothes no longer fit</a>.More often, something just doesn't feel right. For example, people will tell me they want to feel more polished but then say they feel like a kid playing dress-up in more adult outfits.Consider why that is and what exactly isn't right about your outfits. Often, clients need to blend their personalities into the styles they perceive as adult or professional.<h2 id="913ffba4-f3c5-443d-ba93-4a905f6a1372">Why do you want to get rid of these clothes?</h2>Many clients have a binge-purge relationship with clothes and shopping. They decide to clean out their closets, but then they feel they have nothing to wear and panic, buying more clothes.I aim to help people break that cycle and create lasting relationships with all their clothes. Often, you can reimagine and breathe life into items you already have without needing to buy new clothes. When there are gaps in your closet, I always recommend <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/classic-thrift-stores-worse-secondhand-clothing-market-popular-2024-3">shopping secondhand</a> first.<h2 id="39f9d223-1a01-47c1-bee4-d8510c5a1c84">Parents should have fun and experiment with fashion</h2>Fashion is very personal. But over time, negative comments about what we wear can break our trust in ourselves. That's why it's so important to let kids — especially teenagers — experiment with their clothes. It's one of the safest ways they have to show their autonomy.I work with people of all ages and genders, but many of my <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-postpartum-stylist-helped-me-find-identity-as-a-mom-2023-10">clients are moms</a>. I hope they can connect with the fun in fashion, and model that for their kids. Don't worry about finding clothes that shrink your body. Ditch the fear and expectation that so many people carry around fashion. Instead, experiment and show your personality through your clothing.

I'm a stylist for 'regular' people. Asking 4 questions can help you hone your sense of fashion.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Once upon a time, Americans could use certain apps to get cheaper prices and services.</li><li>The so-called millennial lifestyle subsidy offered convenience, but its relative rewards have faded.</li></ul>Sarah Manley, 31, was facing sticker shock.Manley, an artist and musician in Baltimore, was a loyal Airbnb user before the pandemic. When she emerged from lockdown and looked on the platform for a short-term stay, she was shocked by how much prices had risen. Indeed, Airbnb's <a target="_blank" href="https://s26.q4cdn.com/656283129/files/doc_financials/2022/q4/Airbnb-Q4'22-Earnings-Call-Transcript.pdf">average daily rate</a> rose by 36% from 2019 to the end of 2022.Manley opted for a hotel. Short-term rentals aren't the only habit she's ditched. She isn't using ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft anymore. She's found that parking at the airport for a few days is actually cheaper than the round-trip fare."If I was using rideshares and the delivery apps and everything the way I was, I would run out of money each month," she said.Manley is one of many American adults adjusting to life after the so-called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-millennial-lifestyle-subsidy-2023-7">millennial lifestyle subsidy</a>: a cadre of apps and services that launched in the 2000s and 2010s and earned the loyalty of a generation by offering convenience and low prices to things that may have been out of reach before. Think Uber, <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/29/wonder-group-blue-apron-acquisition/">Blue Apron</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wework-startup-failure-benchmark-insight-partners-venture-capitalists-learned-nothing-2023-4">WeWork</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-food-delivery-startup-sprig-is-shutting-down-2017-5">Sprig</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flywheel-sports-filing-for-bankruptcy-and-closing-all-studios-2020-9">Flywheel</a>. Subsidized by their venture-capital backers, the brands sought to attract as many customers as possible, hoping profits would follow.But as inflation and higher interest rates have pushed prices up and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-vc-has-changed-in-2023-amid-a-slowdown-2023-11">scared away some investors</a>, consumers who got used to subscriptions and luxury experiences for less are having to find alternatives. For some, like Manley, it means going back to the old-fashioned way of doing certain things: shopping around for hotel deals, taking public transit more, and working out at home with fitness classes on video."At first it was obviously an adjustment being like, wait, I'm trying to go to this event and normally I'd take a Lyft," Manley said. "You kind of had to recalibrate some stuff, but I have gone away from it, and I don't see myself going back to it anytime soon."<h2 id="e2576016-c467-4070-a3e3-81d70b57c654">The millennial lifestyle subsidy hooked a generation on convenience and lower prices</h2>For a while, cash-strapped younger Americans seemed as if they'd lucked into a good deal: They might have had dismal career prospects or no chance of homeownership, but at least they could take a fitness class for $5 or even for free.The subsidized services felt like they were "for the people," Manley said. "That sounds very dramatic, but it was like, oh cool, we've come together to make these cheaper, better alternatives than the only option we've ever had."Suddenly the luxuries that were out of reach for recession-battered Americans — especially those who lived in food deserts or struggled with inconsistent public transit — were a little more accessible. For reasonable prices, you could get food delivered to your front door, access to boutique fitness classes, or a private-car-like experience. Millennials who were just reaching early adulthood got hooked.But the low entry prices for many of those services are rising. In 2022, Peloton raised its membership fee to $44 from $39 and rolled out additional <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/23/23734329/peloton-app-subscription-tiers-fitness">subscriptions</a>. Citing YipitData, Bloomberg reported that between 2019 and 2022, the average <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-04/uber-lyft-plunge-as-driver-supply-casts-doubt-on-profits">Uber price</a> rose by 45% and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-16/instacart-ceo-is-worried-about-inflation-of-food-prices">Instacart service fees</a> rose by 61%.It's caused some people to question whether their apps and subscriptions were worth it — or if they should go back to doing things as their parents did.Grant Plotkin, 26, is a Gen Zer who experienced the pre-2020 millennial subsidy as a young adult. He hopped to different ride-hailing services when they offered promotions to get off the ground. He opted for Airbnbs instead of hotels. He ordered meal kits.But as prices have gone up, he's shaken up his routine: Rather than finding him in a car, you're much more likely to catch him on the ferry. Instead of going to a WeWork-style coworking space, he'll use his building's amenities. He's eating out less, and when he does need to take a car somewhere, he's comparing prices across platforms.Plotkin estimated that if he were to use the same services he used before the pandemic, his costs would double."I remember Ubers used to just be a no-brainer, and it would be like $20 here, $15 there, super easy. And now I mean it's $40 or it's $50, and you got to question that," Plotkin said. "I mean, that can be more than your meal."<h2 id="cfcca580-f2e4-4486-ba30-bd1aa8fd3b38">The end of the millennial subsidy could mean higher prices across the board</h2>Rising wages have kept many Americans' finances in relatively good shape despite inflation, so the convenience of the apps is still strong. Airbnb this spring <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://news.airbnb.com/airbnb-q1-2024-financial-results/#:~:text=Airbnb%20Co%2DFounder%20and%20CEO,another%20record%20summer%20travel%20season.%E2%80%9D">reported record first-quarter bookings</a>, but with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-host-falling-revenue-more-competition-dropping-prices-2022-12">more hosts entering</a> the short-term rental market, many say they're getting <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnbust-airbnb-short-term-vacation-rentals-investors-real-estate-reckoning-2023-3">fewer stays</a>. In a prime example of ending a subsidy, Netflix recently increased prices for some of its plans and cracked down on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-password-sharing-clampdown-angry-subscribers-2023-2">password sharing</a> following a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-earnings-losing-subscribers-second-straight-quarter-2022-7">loss of subscribers</a>. It <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-password-sharing-crackdown-worked-how-to-increase-subscription-streaming-2024-1">worked</a> to lure more individual sign-ups.Brett House, a professor of professional practice in the economics division at Columbia Business School, said low prices were never meant to be a long-term gift to consumers — they were meant to function as disruptors.But that the model isn't sustainable in a higher-interest-rate environment. When money was cheap to borrow and pour into a new company, investors could subsidize the costs of entry prices in hopes that infinite growth would lead to a captive audience. Now, though, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2024/05/01/1248454950/federal-reserve-inflation-interest-rates">interest rates at a two-decade high</a>, capital is more expensive.Plus, as inflation squeezes people's budgets, they're looking for ways to change their habits. For some, that's cutting out meal kits and subscriptions. Even wealthy shoppers are turning to discount brands like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wealthy-shoppers-aldi-dollar-general-tree-inflation-retail-prices-groceries-2023-6">Dollar General and Aldi</a>.The end of subsidies might also be exacerbating some of the inequities that they papered over: House said the hardest-hit Americans may be those in areas without reliable public transit or with few stores — meaning they can't go just walk elsewhere to find a better deal."That sort of economy always had a dark underbelly, and that's really, I think, what the legacy of this period is going to be," Bilal Baydoun, the director of policy and research at the Groundwork Collaborative, a left-leaning think tank, told BI. Those lower-than-normal prices were feeding a "monster," he said, "and that monster is the sort of monopolistic, Big Tech-enabled pricing schemes that we're seeing today."One of the legacies of this era's apps could be dynamic pricing. In the same way that ride-hailing apps increase prices during busy times, algorithms have made it easier for companies of all kinds to offer varying prices based on market conditions or user information.It also introduced more customers to the idea. You might scoff if a taxi driver said you needed to pay more for a ride in the rain but not blink an eye when an app says costs could rise because of the weather. The next iteration of the millennial subsidy might be gamifying <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-surge-pricing-dynamic-prices-save-money-walmart-wendys-risks-2024-7">surge pricing</a> for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-surge-pricing-dynamic-prices-save-money-walmart-wendys-risks-2024-7">groceries</a> or a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-dynamic-pricing-surge-cost-fatigue-2024-7">side of fries</a>."It's making people miserable to not know what things cost. I mean, we live in an age where budgeting is really essential to get by amid a really long-term affordability crisis in this country," Baydoun said. That creates a "sense of chaos," Baydoun added, and a sense of "just being at the whims of corporate pricing consultants who are paid large sums to really just come up with more and better tricks."All of that might lead to companies pursuing ever riskier tactics to bring in revenue, like surge pricing or drip pricing, where fees are slowly revealed throughout a transaction — something that could break customer loyalty and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-uber-eats-lyft-doordash-instacart-grubhub-drivers-make-2024-2">mean lower pay for workers</a>.In the meantime, Americans are trying to find new subsidies where they can. For Plotkin, that's taken the form of another increasingly popular offering: credit-card rewards. Companies <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-express-platinum-card-gold-gen-z-millennial-rewards-2024-6">like American Express</a> have stepped in with offerings like subscription services and early access to events to attract new and younger customers. And younger workers are responding in kind, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/credit-card-rewards-points-friends-fights-brunch-money-payment-venmo-2024-7">tussles breaking out</a> over who exactly gets to put their card down for brunch when everyone gets 5% cash back on dining."To maximize ROI — if you even would call it that — for going out and about in town, it's like, OK, I use my specific card that gets more points for rideshare versus dining versus apparel or retail," Plotkin said. "And I've tried to become more savvy. I feel like I have to stretch that dollar even further now in this economy."Has the loss of the millennial subsidy affected your finances or lifestyle? Contact this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jkaplan@businessinsider.com">jkaplan@businessinsider.com</a>.

Forget Uber and Airbnb: Some people are going back to doing things the old-fashioned way to save money  

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Eileen Fisher and her team set a goal of making their company 100% sustainable.</li><li>Fisher said that while that's not attainable, it's essential to try.</li><li>The company still has a long way to go, according to a nonprofit that grades sustainability efforts.</li></ul>Eileen Fisher knew she had to set a goal she could never achieve.A decade ago, Fisher and her team were gathered at a meeting away from the company's headquarters north of New York City. The focus was on how her eponymous fashion label could boost its sustainability cred."There was this moment where I realized that I had to actually say, 'We really want to be a 100% sustainable company,'" she told Business Insider. But because she knew that wasn't possible, she hesitated, even as her staff grew more excited. "They were all saying, 'Let's do it. Let's make it the goal.'" Fisher, 73, said she pushed aside her initial doubts and agreed they had to try.To date, the company says more than 80% of its raw materials meet third-party sustainability criteria, and some 70% of materials are processed using what is calls "safer chemistry."Fisher knows that producing clothing to be sold across 57 company stores in North America and at high-end department stores will have some environmental cost. But she credits the audacious goal with remaking the label she started in 1984 with a handful of garments and $350 left in her bank account — injecting sustainability into areas like production and design.The sustainability pledge "really changed the company," she said. "Not just my voice, but that idea that we made a commitment."<h2>Simple yet sustainable</h2>Eileen Fisher's clothes have long been known for their simplicity — simple cuts, toned-down colors. Some of her earliest designs drew from the timeless shape of the kimono, a silhouette she got to know while spending time in Japan early in her career.Fisher said while the company's apparel can't get much simpler, many aspects of its business can.That includes how the company handles its inventory and communicates with customers about how to mix and match its clothes — what the company calls its "system of dressing."Five years ago, the label was using 1,000 types of fabric; now that's down to about 200, Fisher said, adding that they're the ones the designers love and that meet sustainability criteria.The brand gives shoppers $5 gift cards for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eileenfisherrenew.com/">returning unwanted Eileen Fisher clothes</a>. Some of those clothes can then be made into new products. Since 2009, more than 1 million items have been resold, donated, or remade, according to the company. The take-back effort helped Fisher and her designers better understand how to make clothes that can more easily have a second life. The simpler the clothes are, "the easier they are to work with or to remake into other things," she said.Fisher and her company's CEO, Lisa Williams, whom Fisher brought on from Patagonia in 2022, also want their customers to buy fewer clothes. Fisher acknowledged the position is a tough one for a leader of a clothing brand to maintain."I look at the sales every week," she said. "I want to know how are these products being received — what are they liking."Getting customers to be more selective might mean helping them understand the dozen foundational pieces of the season or the year and how to mix and match them, almost like Lego pieces, she said.<h2>Educating consumers</h2>Fisher sees making her brand simpler and more sustainable as an almost endless journey. Years ago she realized that using natural fibers wasn't good enough. Cotton production requires massive amounts of water. Then there are the dyes, which carry their own environmental cost. She said the company had worked "fabric by fabric" to make its materials more sustainable. It's working to move its organic cotton and wool toward <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/regenerative-agriculture-101">"regenerative" agriculture</a>, designed to boost soil health.Moving to regenerative production, which can have environmental benefits, also means the clothes can cost more, a point Fisher acknowledged. "They're pricier. It's true."Eileen Fisher has also signed onto efforts aimed at cleaning up the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thefashionact.org/">fashion industry's dirty supply chains</a> and more than two decades ago hired a head of social consciousness, whose job includes focusing on the company's sustainability efforts.The closely held company, which has gone on to become a B Corp and to sell a minority stake to its employees, had $267 million in sales last year. Fisher said that she's seen <a target="_blank" href="https://stylecaster.com/fashion/shopping-guides/1386890/brands-like-eileen-fisher/">interest from Gen Zers</a> who are widely recognized as having more of a focus on sustainability issues. These younger fans are a couple generations behind the women who make up the company's primary customers."Sometimes you don't know why. But I do think that there is a desire for simplicity," she said, referring to the interest from younger women. "I do think they know about — they hear about — the sustainability work we do."Even with all the efforts the company has made, it still has more work to do, according to Fisher herself and to a <a target="_blank" href="https://stand.earth/fashion/brand-scores/eileen-fisher/">review of Eileen Fisher's environmental efforts</a> from the nonprofit Stand.earth.Yet even if the label somehow ironed out every environmental cost that comes from producing clothing, that impact alone wouldn't be enough, Fisher said."We're one drop in the bucket. We're one medium-sized company. The world will still be on fire," she said. "So we really need to work with others."<h3>Read more from Transforming Business</h3><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/industry-leaders-transforming-business-2023-11">10 industry leaders transforming business in 2023</a><a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-still-doing-esg-work-despite-politics-criticism-2023-11">ESG backlash dominated headlines in 2023, but it's still 'quietly' reshaping industries behind the scenes</a><a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/advertising-transforming-new-digital-world-2023-11">The digital world remade itself and now every company has become an ad seller</a>

Why designer Eileen Fisher set an unachievable sustainability goal

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Gen Z's new popstar Chappell Roan spoke out against fast fashion brands like H&amp;M.</li><li>In an interview with Rolling Stone, she said, "H&amp;M does not fit in this world."</li></ul>Gen Z's new sweetheart, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chappell-roan-pink-pony-club-song-history-success-2024-9">Chappell Roan</a>, has criticized fast-fashion brand H&amp;M, saying companies like it have no place in her world.In an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/chappell-roan-good-luck-babe-fame-fans-1235094314/">interview</a> with Rolling Stone, the "Good Luck, Babe!" singer said that she had taken Elton John's advice to say no to things she was uncomfortable with.And one of the things was getting money from brand deals."All the money goes to the world-building," she told Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos. "That's why I am saying no to every fucking brand deal right now, because I'm like 'Does it fit in this world?'""No, H&amp;M does not fit in this world," Roan added. "Also, fuck H&amp;M."Roan told Rolling Stone that no amount of money would make her consider brand deals. "It has to be a hundred percent right," she said.The singer's avant-garde, drag-inspired outfits—from her latex wrestler bodysuit at Lollapalooza to the chainmail dress at the MTV Video Music Awards—are a huge part of her appeal.To be sure, Roan is not the only Gen Z-favorite who has spoken out for sustainability and against fashion fashion.Billie Eilish, too, has been vocal about making sure her merchandise is sustainable."It's about how it feels and how it looks and how it's made," Eilish told Billboard in an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/billie-eilish-sustainability-eco-friendly-initiatives-mom-1235642455/">interview</a> in March. "And so the problem is to make sure that my clothing is being made well and ethically and with good materials and it's very sustainable and that it feels good and is durable."Eilish, along with Charli XCX, released a music video for their "Guess" song, which featured thousands of undergarments. But the garments didn't go to waste, as the duo <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://variety.com/2024/music/news/charli-xcx-billie-eilish-donate-underwear-guess-video-1236094448/">donated around 10,000 pairs of underwear to victims of domestic violence</a>.<h2 id="f5ff6be1-849d-4753-9d7a-831f3a9bdb62">Gen Z values authenticity and transparency, experts say</h2>Consumer experts BI spoke to said that Roan's criticism of H&amp;M may influence how her fans, primarily Gen Zers, view the brand and fast fashion as a whole."Popular artists who are clear about their values and who don't like fast fashion can definitely have an influence on Gen Z," said Thomai Serdari, a marketing professor from NYU's Stern School of Business.Serdari said Roan likely "doesn't want to get into commercial deals before she feels she is at a place of authenticity that can spur organic growth of her personal brand."She added that while "some of her followers will take her opinion to the letter," she is not "necessarily speaking badly about H&amp;M," but rather all fast-fashion brands and commercial initiatives.Marcie Cooperman, a professor from the fashion marketing department of Parsons School of Design, said that singers who refuse commercial deals have been around since her generation, the baby boomers."We also didn't like the idea of 'selling out' to big brands or to advertisers just to make money," Cooperman said."At the time, it didn't seem to stop those brands from doing well, and it didn't stop other artists from 'selling out' to them," she added.However, she thinks that nothing can hurt H&amp;M."They have endured other, real, negative events, and they are still going strong," Cooperman said of H&amp;M."Even though it seems that we are trying to engage in 'slow fashion' and buy more high-quality clothing that lasts longer, Gen Z still keeps H&amp;M in business," Cooperman added.But Serdari told BI that while these companies might still make money off Gen Z, brands risk losing the confidence of younger consumers if they don't demonstrate an interest in being environmentally friendly."There is a lot of skepticism, I would even say cynicism, as to whether these efforts are intentional or even adequate to reconstruct a sustainable way forward," Serdari said."Whichever the case, Gen Z consumers demand transparency," she added. "When transparency is lacking, it is hard to restore confidence with younger consumers."Representatives for H&amp;M did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Chappell Roan says H&M doesn't belong in her world. That's a bad sign for fast fashion brands that need Gen Z's buy-in.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Experts advise on how people can move away from fast fashion and make sustainable clothing choices.</li><li>How to increase the lifecycle of clothes through thrifting and upcycling while making it your own. </li><li>The conversation was part of Insider's event "For a Better Future: Bridging Culture, Business, and Climate," which took place on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.</li></ul>As social media continues to spur on E-commerce, use-and-return policies are becoming more popular with retailers. The returns often aren't restocked and contribute to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-christmas-shopping-clothes-returns-shein-zara-waste-mountain-2022-12?r=US&amp;IR=T">101 million tons</a> of garments put into landfills. Leaders in fashion and sustainability are working together to find a nexus between the two. "Sustainability is one of the biggest issues in the fashion industry, and I feel like the word is losing its meaning, when we are regularly bombarded with messages about eco-friendly collections, recycled fibers, ethical fashion," Katie Brill, a Spokesperson for Junk Kouture, said during Insider's virtual event, presented by Deloitte, "For a Better Future: Bridging Culture, Business, and Climate."During the session "Sustainable Style and Circular Fashion" Amanda Krause, senior lifestyle reporter, spoke with Brill and author, celebrity stylist, and principal at TyTryOne, LLC, Ty Hunter.Brill gave examples of how sustainability can be woven into high fashion. "Stella McCartney, she unveiled a prototype corset and trousers in Mylo, which is a lab-grown leather-like material, but it's from mycelium, which is like the root structure of mushrooms," Brill said.Brill acknowledged that couture or special event garments might be out of budget for some customers. She recommended using renting apps and never underestimating the power of thrifting. She said these are ways people can contribute to the life cycle of clothes without waste or breaking the bank. Brill and Hunter also examined how people are consuming fashion as a factor in sustainability. Brill said, "We need to go back to the society that we once were, a generation who bought quality to last them years. They bought garments that were true to their own individual style, creating a capsule wardrobe that wasn't buying into trends, and they upcycled."Hunter grew up as the son of a single mother and learned from a young age how to "trick things out and make them special." In an era where Goodwill and Salvation Army weren't trendy Hunter adapted and make second hand clothes his own personal style. Hunter said his love for fashion, styling, and designing existed long before styling celebrities like Billy Porter. His early forays into styling came from experimenting and blending elements of both "high and low" fashion, the practice of mixing designer and thrifted pieces together creating a unique fashion footprint. This method has become a Hunter specialty. Hunter said, " At a young age, I learned to do high and low, simply because I didn't have a choice. And so, I had to be creative."When asked about the standout moments in his career, Hunter said dressing Billy Porter has been a highlight. He said, "Billy, I can say, is so fun, because he allowed me to do whatever. And I've noticed that, what I appreciate, I am seeing more young designers going that route." Sustainable fashion, being an energy and resource-intensive industry, interrogates the impact that fashion has on the environment. Brill noted, "It's all about creating products that have the lowest possible negative impact on the environment from the creativity side of space." "It's extremely difficult, if not impossible, just to be a sustainable fashion brand, especially on a large scale. What brands can do, however, is be totally transparent about the sustainability mission," Brill said. The conversation moved to circular fashion, which is the overall extension of a garment's lifecycle. Brill said, "it's really about keeping items and materials in circulation, instead of always creating new ones." For Brill it is easier to continue to recycle garments and not contribute to waste than to create an entire sustainable brand. Hunter closed with a piece of advice for those seeking to use circular fashion methods to create runway ready looks. He said, "Start in your closet. A lot of people don't know. I tend to go through things in my closet, and if it has meaning, I'll keep it. If not, I'll trick it out and make it different and make it something so unique." Hunter notes that there's always time to find a creative way to make a piece from a thrift store or a closet new. In terms of their favorite upcycled or tricked out pieces Hunter said, "I was in Brazil, and I got this tank top made out of can... You know when you pop the can for the soda?" Brill said, "I would say one of my mom's killer suits from back in the day. She used to rock it."

Thrift stores, closets, parents hand-me-downs, oh my! 2 experts discuss sustainable and circular fashion.

The summer in India has been brutal in the past few years. Over a billion people endured long periods of persistent power cuts and heat waves. Such episodes wreak a heavy toll on our well-being and trigger shocks for food and water security. In fact, the last seven years have been amongst the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/greenhouse-gas-sea-level-rise-and-ocean-heat-set-new-records-for-climate-change-in-2021/articleshow/91640600.cms">hottest</a> across the globe. <div type="image" title="Last seven years have been amongst the hottest across the globe" msid="91970317" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Last seven years have been amongst the hottest across the globe&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The long-term trend below shows that the top 700 meters of the oceans have become warmer since 1955. The total amount of heat stored by the oceans is called ocean heat content, which plays an important role in the Earth’s climate system. Particularly, warmer sea surface temperature provides energy for storms and thereby triggers extreme weather events. <div type="image" title="Ocean heat content plays an important role in the Earth’s climate system" msid="91970348" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Ocean heat content plays an important role in the Earth&amp;#8217;s climate system&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Four key climate change indicators Greenhouse gas concentrations, rise in sea levels, ocean heat and ocean acidification — the four key climate change indicators — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/greenhouse-gas-sea-level-rise-and-ocean-heat-set-new-records-for-climate-change-in-2021/articleshow/91640600.cms">set new records</a> in 2021 with extreme weather, according to the UN's World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) State of the Global Climate in 2021 report. It added that climate change is leading to hundreds of billions of dollars in economic losses. Human activities are not only warming the planet but also leading to unprecedented losses in biodiversity. The situation is bound to get worse and the competition for resources such as land, food, and water will fuel socio-economic tensions and increasingly lead to <a href="http://www.internal-displacement.org/publications/disaster-displacement-a-global-review">mass displacement</a>. Rise in sea levels, forest fires, melting of glaciers, extreme weather events, ocean heat and acidification will also continue for years to come and the only way we can minimise the impact is if we start now, before it is too late. With World Environment Day 2022 (June 5) around the corner, we decided to get back to the basics and help you transition to living a sustainable life. You can take these baby steps to live a better, sustainable life. How to reduce your carbon footprint You probably would have heard a lot about carbon footprint. Simply put, it is like leaving your actual, unerasable footprint on earth with every resource that you consume. When you drive your car or eat something that’s grown afar, you emit substantial amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. From buying toothpaste to using your phone, every object reaches your doorstep after a long commute, which contributes to carbon emission. As modern humans, almost every activity of ours contributes to climate change in one way or the other. Being sustainable is all about limiting the resources we use and finding a way to make them last longer by causing minimal damage to the environment. Here are some ways in which you can reduce your carbon footprint: Food While buying veggies or fruits, remember to bring reusable shopping bags and avoid plastic. There’s a simple thumb rule to follow. Buy what you actually need to avoid wastage. Whatever is left over, try to repurpose it into something usable. For example, if you have bread and butter for breakfast and you like to cut the corners of your bread, instead of throwing away those corners, you can turn them into breadcrumbs which can be used in pasta gravy or for feeding birds. Use your creative skills to turn your food waste into reusable ingredients. Final kitchen scraps can be converted into compost for your plants. <div type="image" title="Final kitchen scraps can be converted into compost for your plants" msid="91970387" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Final kitchen scraps can be converted into compost for your plants&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> If you host a party, there’s always leftover food. This surplus can be shared with the underprivileged through <a href="https://www.thebetterindia.com/46855/where-to-donate-excess-food-to-after-party/#:~:text=Feeding%20India%20is%20a%20not,an%20app%20on%20Google%20Playstore.">NGOs</a> such as Feeding India, Robin Hood Army, Roti Bank, Mera Parivar or Shelter Don Bosco, among others. It is also important to buy your food locally. The shorter the supply chain, the easier it is on the environment before the food products finally reach your kitchen. Also, if your food reaches you from faraway places, its nutritional value decreases. Local food spends less time in transit from farm to plate. So, fruits and veggies eaten within a few days of being picked would be full of nutrients than those that are weeks old from traveling thousands of miles and being in storage. Look for loose, fresh fruits and vegetables to minimise packaging. If you are buying packaged food, you can look for products with PET packaging, which is one of the most recyclable plastics. Clothing A worn-out piece of cloth you decide to throw, even as simple as a plain t-shirt, never really goes ‘away.’ – it all ends up in a landfill. According to an <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/india-needs-new-delhi-size-landfills-for-waste-by-2050-report-117062500411_1.html">Assocham and PwC report</a>, landfills are brimming with so much urban waste that by 2050, India is reportedly going to need a landfill that's the size of its capital, New Delhi. Buy responsibly-made clothes which are made from recycled material or with an ‘eco’ label. To support sustainable businesses, you can look for stores which include options like handloom and handcrafted, organic, natural-dyed, recyclable and eco-friendly, vegan, and cruelty-free. It’s not necessary to have all of these options available all the time, but every bit helps. Recycle and reuse your clothes to prolong its life. You can also sell and buy your clothes from thrift stores. Personal care Commonly available sanitary napkins constitute 90% plastic and India generates <a href="https://www.cseindia.org/plastic-waste-is-india-s-and-the-world-s-most-formidable-environmental-challenge-10375">3.3 million tonnes of plastic waste</a> every year, according to a Central Pollution Control Board report. So, for people who menstruate, there is a world of waste-free sanitary protection to explore. You can switch to menstrual cups or invest in a reusable tampon applicator. <div type="image" title="Switch to menstrual cups or invest in a reusable tampon applicator" msid="91970408" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Switch to menstrual cups or invest in a reusable tampon applicator&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> In the bathroom, you can ditch your plastic razor and opt for fully metal alternatives. You can also purchase sustainable toothbrushes made out of neem or bamboo. Today, even toothpaste comes in a jar, or you can switch to toothpaste tubes which are recyclable. Create cleaner air at home You can never have enough plants in your home. Buy plants that give <a href="https://www.floweraura.com/blog/plants-that-give-oxygen-at-night">oxygen at night</a> such as snake plant, Areca palm plant, Aloe Vera plant, Tulsi, Money plant, Gerbera plant, Christmas Cactus, Neem plant, etc. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/29/50-ways-to-green-up-your-life-save-the-planet">Weeping figs</a> are known to be good for living areas because they remove formaldehyde released from carpets and furniture. <div type="image" title="Invest in plants that give oxygen at night" msid="91970439" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Invest in plants that give oxygen at night&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Transport If you cannot use public transport, regular vehicle maintenance of private vehicles is a must since it <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/29/50-ways-to-green-up-your-life-save-the-planet">improves</a> fuel efficiency by as much as 10%. When driving a car, roll your windows down whenever possible because it is more efficient than using an air conditioner. Choose sustainable travel alternatives like electric or hybrid vehicles, avoiding air travel, and opt for vehicle sharing or pooling wherever feasible. Energy and waste Go desi and use a bucket and a mug instead of taking a shower so you can limit the amount of water you use. Don’t store unnecessary data in the cloud, it leaves a <a href="https://www.eib.org/en/stories/digital-footprint">digital</a> footprint. The digital sector is already responsible for <a href="https://www.eib.org/en/stories/digital-footprint">3.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions</a>, more than civil aviation. <a href="https://www.un.org/en/un75/climate-crisis-race-we-can-win">Billions of tons</a> of CO2 is released into the atmosphere every year as a result of coal, oil, and gas production. If we don’t slow global emissions, temperatures could rise to<a href="https://www.un.org/en/un75/climate-crisis-race-we-can-win">above three degrees Celsius by 2100</a>, causing further irreversible damage to our ecosystems. So, to make a difference before it is too late, it is important to take these baby steps towards sustainable living today. Here's a short video <div type="image" title="How to take baby steps towards living a more sustainable life" msid="91970594" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;How to take baby steps towards living a more sustainable life&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Business Insider India is now on Telegram too! Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and get the latest updates. <div type="image" title="Subscribe to BI India&amp;#39;s Telegram channel" msid="91970624" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Subscribe to BI India&amp;#39;s Telegram channel&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

You Searched For "sustainable fashion" and got 12 results

Is sustainable fashion a myth?

Prerna Tyagi

Sustainable Fashion Brands

Sustainable Fashion Choices

Fabric of a nation: Sustaining India's handloom legacy in modern times

Prerna Tyagi

Putin is embarking on an aggressive hiring drive to rejuvenate Russia's army. But he can't sustain it, experts say.

Kwan Wei Kevin Tan,Mia Jankow…

From 'wrong shoe theory' to Kramercore: Why Gen Z wants their fashion to be sustainable — and ugly

Juliana Kaplan

I'm a stylist for 'regular' people. Asking 4 questions can help you hone your sense of fashion.

Kelly Burch

Forget Uber and Airbnb: Some people are going back to doing things the old-fashioned way to save money

Juliana Kaplan

Why designer Eileen Fisher set an unachievable sustainability goal

Tim Paradis

Chappell Roan says H&M doesn't belong in her world. That's a bad sign for fast fashion brands that need Gen Z's buy-in.

Aditi Bharade

Thrift stores, closets, parents hand-me-downs, oh my! 2 experts discuss sustainable and circular fashion.

Elizabeth Wood

SIMPLY PUT: Sustainable lifestyle changes are the need of the hour! Here’s how you can take baby steps

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides