Eettisen kaupan puolesta ry

The textile industry is the second most-polluting industry in the world after oil.

It is estimated that more than 70 million kilograms of textile waste is thrown away every year in Finland, equivalent to 13 kilograms for each Finn, which is way too much!

The #Lempivaatteeni (#Myfavouritegarment) campaign launched during autumn 2018 encouraged people in Finland to use their clothes for longer.

Its aim was to make the ecologically unsustainable “fast fashion” a thing of the past so that people would no longer need to continually recreate their identities according to changing fashion trends. Style should last longer than the constantly changing cycles of fashion.

All of us have tired of clothes that, at worst, fall to pieces after just a few uses. We should not accept that.

The #Lempivaatteeni campaign alerted Finns to the environmental effects of the textile industry and introduced better ways to renew one’s own style.

During the campaign, people published photos, videos and stories about their favourite garments on social media. The intention was for people to not be sentimental about items of clothing that just happen to be favourites at any given time, but about pieces that have a history and a story.

With the stories, we hoped people would start to value these garments, take care of them and wear them even if they are no longer the latest fashion.
The campaign culminated in a visually striking event in which we lined the shopping streets of the largest Finnish cities with clothes that were thrown away.

It is time to change our attitude to clothes! Come and join us to talk about your favourite garment.

Eettisen kaupan puolesta ry, an association for ethical trade, is one of the Globe League finalists.