Unraveling the Environmental Impact of Fashion with Jennifer Inaba

Fashion's environmental impact is a hot topic, and we have the perfect expert to guide us through it. Meet Jennifer Inaba, a communications manager at WRA and PhD candidate studying sustainable fashion. Jennifer's insights into the fashion industry's environmental implications are not just enlightening, they expose a flawed system that urgently needs reform. From water pollution to carbon emissions and the alarming growth of microplastics in our oceans, she takes us on a journey through the underbelly of the global fashion industry. If you've ever wondered how your clothing choices impact the planet, this conversation is for you.

We start by delving into the shocking statistics of the fashion industry. An overwhelming 100 billion garments are produced each year, a significant portion of which end up in landfills. But it's not all doom and gloom. Jennifer shares practical strategies to counteract this impact through practices like upcycling and participating in clothing swaps. We also touch on more severe issues like the tragic Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, underscoring the need for greater transparency and improved worker rights in the industry. This discussion isn't just about fashion; it's about the human and environmental cost of our consumption habits.

As we move into the latter part of the episode, Jennifer offers valuable advice on finding sustainable clothing,  supporting local thrift stores and shopping smart with sustainable brands. We explore how technology and policy can spearhead a more circular fashion industry, making recycling textiles the norm rather than the exception. From the idea of 'clothing nutrition labels' to reconnecting with nature, we discuss innovative approaches to transform our consumption patterns. If you want to be part of the solution, join us for this engaging conversation and gain a fresh perspective on sustainable fashion and conscious consumerism.

Further Reading

• Learn how you can take action with Fashion Revolution 
• Watch Jen's TED talk
• Get your Take Back Bag and r

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Chapters

• 0:01 Fashion's Impact on Climate Change
• 8:33 Environmental Impact of the Fashion Industry
• 13:09 Fashion's Impact and Sustainable Alternatives
• 24:38 Textile Recycling and Mindful Consumption
• 34:22 Sustainable Fashion and Conscious Consumerism
• 39:24 Thrifting and Supporting Local
• 48:45 Promoting Climate Action and Cognitive Difficulties

Transcript

Episode Guest:

Jennifer Inaba - Communications Manager and Sustainable Fashion Expert

Full Transcript

Introduction

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 0:01

On this show, we tend to focus a lot on very specific things that are impacting the West, but today we are going to broaden our horizons and talk about something that impacts all of us, and that is clothing and fashion. Where our clothes come from, who makes them, how they're made, what they're made with and how they're impacting the environment globally. Our guest is Jennifer Inaba. She's an incredible human. She's the communications manager here at WRA and she is also a PhD candidate studying sustainable fashion.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 0:39

Waste Colonialism is a major issue in the fashion industry. All of this overconsumption in the global north is then sent to the global south to deal with. So it does. It results in piles or, as these headlines are saying, mountains of unwanted clothing.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 0:56

Welcome to Two Degrees Out West, a podcast where we talk about everything we love about the Western United States and all the things that are impacting this magical place, and how we can all help to make sure that the West is thriving and beautiful for generations to come. I'm your host, Jessi Janusee, the multimedia storyteller here at Western Resource Advocates. Now let's jump into our sustainable fashion episode. Jennifer Inaba is a communications manager at WRA. She's a PhD candidate studying sustainable fashion at Prescott College. Jen is also a board member at the Las Vegas Fashion Council. She helps with policy and communications for Fashion Revolution USA, which is the world's largest fashion activism movement, working towards a more transparent industry that conserves and restores the environment, and that values people over growth and profit. Jen is also the communications advisor for the Las Vegas chapter of the Climate Reality Project and she's a founding member and leader of the Las Vegas Women in Business for Good. Well, hey, Jen, welcome to the podcast. I'm excited.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 2:06

Hey Jessi. Thank you, I am so excited. I felt like I was like a little kid before school. Your first day like those nerves, but excited nerves because I just love this topic so much and I'm super excited to talk to you about it today.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 2:19

Perfect. That's a great segue, because I want to know how you got into sustainable fashion and what's your favorite thing about it, and why are you so passionate about this?

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 2:27

So it started. It's kind of funny. Growing up, I always loved fashion and I used to always tell my friends and family that I wanted to be 5'10" like Tyra Banks, so I could be a model. She was everything to me. I had all of her books and posters. But that didn't happen. I'm only 5'5", so that goal did not get achieved. But I still loved clothes, I love fashion and I really loved the thrill of shopping. So you know, all through college I worked three jobs, spent most of my money shopping for clothes. When I landed my first real job, it kind of just got worse and I always found myself with, like these closets full of clothes, but often with the tags still on them, which I think a lot of people are guilty of doing. And so for me it was very much the experience over the outcome that I was drawn to. And then, 10 years ago, almost exactly 10 years ago, I still remember clear as day when the news broke of a factory collapse in Bangladesh. I can still picture the headlines. I can still picture the faces of the garment makers that lost their lives that day. This was at Rana Plaza. 1,200 people died that day. 2,500 more were injured. It was just a devastating tragedy, and what makes it even worse is it was preventable. The workers had told their management that, hey, there's cracks in the walls, like things are happening in this building, and they just ignored them and they were forced to continue working in these just really awful, unsafe conditions to produce the clothes that we are wearing. And so that stuck with me. And so, after seeing all of that, I started to think more about what I was doing, and then I wanted to learn more, right? So I got my hands on Elizabeth Klein's book called Overdressed, and Elizabeth is phenomenal. She's a journalist and now she teaches fashion policy, and so she's big name in this industry. And in this book she talks about how our rapid pace of consumption has turned fashion into one of the most environmentally destructive industries on earth. And then I was like, okay, I'm learning things, I want to know more. And then the documentary the True Cost came out, and that for me because you could see it. You know, reading a book is great and you can learn so much, but there's something about seeing the visuals of that like raw reality behind the fashion industry and especially the people that are making our clothing. That really kind of hit the message home for me, and so from there I was sort of hooked. I would attend events, I would go on webinars or read articles and then, once the pandemic hit, I was home more and just thinking more, as many of us were, and I felt like I don't know, like this wasn't something that I just wanted to do or I was just casually interested in. I felt genuinely compelled to get involved and I really wanted to do more. I find this to be something really important and it affects all of us. So, in my typical fashion, I decided to take on something else and I rolled in a PhD program so that I could really dive into the research. I'm that type a perfectionist, I feel like I need to know everything and I really wanted to get to the root of sort of this conversation on transparency and communication in the fashion industry. So that's where I'm at now, and then in recent years I got a little bit more involved in the advocacy behind sustainable fashion, mostly with my Fashion Revolution with USA, and I also do some ambassador stuff with Remake, both of which are just wonderful nonprofits that are out there advocating for garment worker rights and, you know, protecting our environment, and so yeah, it's a lot. There's a lot and there's a lot of work that still needs to be done in this industry so that it can be transparent and it can be sustainable, whatever that looks like. Honestly, it's kind of one of my favorite things about this field. You know I always joke. Like you know, with any great challenge comes great opportunity, right, kind of like a flip on the what is that Spider-Man quote? Great challenge, great opportunity, right. I have a seven year old son, so we're very much a Spider-Man household over here in Las Vegas. For me, I just find it really exciting that these conversations are happening. You get to see really small brands and really large brands coming together to innovate on technologies, to transform the way things have been done in this industry forever. And then obviously, the rise of fashion policy and seeing that take shape is a really big move, and so it's pretty exciting to be part of and I'm just happy to like get in this community. They're so welcoming, the sustainable fashion community, are just the most helpful and encouraging and positive group of people, and it's really great to be surrounded by everyone that loves fashion as much as me but then also equally loves our environment and nature and just appreciates and respects the craftsmanship and the makers behind all the clothing that we wear every day.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 7:07

Yes, I love all of that. I love Baby Jen looking at Tyra Banks and being like, yes, goddess, I love that so much. I'm like I want to, I still want to manifest you being on a runway for sustainable fashion, though I mean, come on.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 7:20

Thank you, maybe someday.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 7:24

Well, I love the, You know the backstory of the inspiration of you just really loving fashion, loving shopping and then learning more about it. And instead of just rejecting it, you know doubling down and being like, okay, I'm going to figure out how I could be helpful and how I can share this knowledge and learn even more and get my PhD. Heck, yeah, that's awesome, good job.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 7:46

Sometimes you got to go all in, Can't just be on the outskirts. I just wanted to, you know be in the center of it. So yeah, yeah.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 7:52

Well, you definitely are now, Geez, doing so many things. This is a big question and a big topic, but can you outline the link between fast fashion and climate change and how these processes are contributing to our global climate issues?

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 8:07

It is a really big question and I'm so glad that you ask it because, honestly, I'll say, most people just sort of brush off fashion as just like a silly, frivolous thing and they don't really think anything besides that, besides it being like pretty things that you can wear. But when they do think of it, what's the first thing that comes to mind typically are like sweatshops and labor issues, which is critically important. I am not trying to take away from that at all. That is a huge issue in the industry. But the fashion industry is also one of the largest contributors to environmental and climate pollution in the world. It's a major consumer of water. It's a major producer of contaminated wastewater. The dyeing and the finishing processes involved in producing our clothes release massive amounts of harmful chemicals into water sources, so constantly contaminating rivers and lakes and oceans. Up to 20% of the industrial water pollution globally is from the fashion industry. And then there's also microplastics, which is a huge issue. You see it in the news all the time. It's getting into our food chain. The fashion industry is responsible for up to 35% of those microplastics that are found in the ocean, which is huge, and it might sound confusing to people because they're like I don't understand. These are my clothes. What does that have to do with microplastics? But it's because so much of our clothing is made from cheap synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon and acrylic, which is derived from fossil fuels. And so if you're still like, well, how does that happen? I don't really get it. It's our washing machines. Washing our clothes releases 700,000 microfibers into the water every time. That's kind of the big thing here for me is that when you think of all these synthetic clothes or these synthetic fibers, you can't really deny that the fashion industry is kind of the fossil fuel industry. There's so many close ties and it's really shocking when you talk to people, how few people realize that their clothes are derived from fossil fuels. You usually just think you know what? Oh, I just love how soft this is, or it's a great color, or it fits really well. Those are the things people talk about, right, let's be honest. But what about thinking that like, hey, you're putting oil or plastic on your largest organ and you're wearing it throughout your day? And then, even going beyond that, beyond the physical pieces of clothing that we wear, there's the production of it, which is just massive amounts of impact and emissions. The conservative estimates say that fashion admits about 4% of carbon emissions globally, and so when you put that into context, it's taking France, germany and the UK combined, that's how much of an impact the industry has with emissions. Most of it is because a lot of their factories are still coal burning. And then there's the transportation, because our clothing bounces all over the globe throughout the process it's very rarely, you know, from farm to store in that same area. So for manufacturing, production and the delivery, it's bouncing all over. You know what I love. It's so hard when people hear that like I work at a place like WA and it's all in climate, and then I love fashion, and people are like I don't understand, like how are you so all over the place? There's so many similarities. I mean I look at this all the time. You know, at WA we've worked so hard to close coal-fired power plants right, because we know how destructive they are in our communities and in our environment. We're working night and day to advance building and transportation, electrification. These are all like exactly the same issues that the fashion industry is also facing this transition to clean and renewable energy. Fortunately, we do have organizations that are out there leading the way, like the Apparel Impact Institute, they're working to decarbonize the industry. They've set goals to have net zero emissions by, I think, 2050, which seems so far away. But you know, we have to set goals. And then I should just say because I think that a lot of people are very quick to just blame fast fashion, and fast fashion is definitely a major culprit. But it's also kind of this common misnomer that luxury or expensive fashion is better than buying fast fashion. But that's kind of far from the case. It's just as destructive to the environment. It uses many of the same factories that have those questionable labor practices. So I think that's really important to point out to.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 12:09

Yeah, I want to get into that like actual sustainable fashion, but I'm going to wait a minute because I want to talk a little bit more of these different impacts and the ways that not only in the making of our clothes, but also what happens after right? So you shared some great stats in your TED Talk where you said 85% of clothes end up in landfills or burned and most garments that you own are actually only worn seven times before they're disposed of, which is crazy to me. I'm one of those people that I'm still wearing clothes from college and high school. I'm like one of those rudas with like holes in them and I'm like but it's my favorite shirt. So I'm not that I have clothes from so long ago, but whatever. But yeah, but I mean it doesn't make sense because also our bodies change and the quality of clothing is not really that great. So I just want to talk more about clothing consumption and where our clothes go once we are done with them.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 13:05

Yeah, and you really hit on so many of those points on it. It's true, it's really upsetting to me that our clothing has become so cheap to produce that it's really just considered disposable, right? People are like, oh, I just need something for this quick event, or maybe I'm taking family photos and we all just have to have matching clothes, or it's become a giveaway item, right? How many conferences or events do you go to where people just are handing out t-shirts and then when did that happen? When did it just become this like giveaway thing, because then it just ends up in our landfill? Yeah, you're right, and because it's so cheap, people don't feel bad if they're like, well, I'm only going to wear this for this one thing and get rid of it, because maybe it was only a couple bucks. But when you stop and think about it, so more than 100 billion garments are produced around the world annually, and then clothing is one of the fastest growing categories of waste in landfills globally. So pause and think about that. We're producing and we're consuming more than ever, and then we're just turning around and trashing it, and so there's just there's so many issues with this whole take, make waste kind of process. The biggest note for me that really stands out in. That is kind of to our earlier point about the connection with fossil fuels and plastic. That means that those clothes that we're sending to landfills are sitting there for 200 plus years just sitting there, releasing chemicals into the ground and into the air for communities to breathe, and that's just insane to me. I don't know if you saw it, but just a couple months ago, I think it was in May, it was all over the news. This big story going around. Headlines were like fast fashions mountain of waste can be seen from space. It was this huge thing. No kidding, it's really not okay. You know that this images were going around, that these satellites captured of these piles and piles of clothing just in the desert. And there's a lot more to that backstory too. You know you had asked about. You know what happens with them after waste. Colonialism is a major issue in the fashion industry. All of this overconsumption in the global North is then sent to the global South to deal with. So it does. It results in piles or, as these headlines were saying, mountains of unwanted clothing piling up in places like Ghana or Chile. It's clogging their waterways. It's releasing those chemicals into groundwater and in the air for these communities to breathe. So unfortunately, even when you think you're doing the right thing and dropping off some bags of unwanted clothing for donation, really often only a small percentage 10 maybe upwards like 30% actually gets resolved. The vast majority of it is packed up and exported to the global South.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 15:39

Okay, because I am also a donator always, or a giftor. What else can we do, like, if I mean, at some point certain clothes just don't you know, they're not fitting you anymore, they're not your style anymore, what do you do with them?

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 15:54

Yeah, or you have children that grow like crazy.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 15:57

Oh my gosh, that is insane yeah.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 16:01

And I will. I want to come back to the kid thing because I just have like the most lovely story with my son that I would really want to share. But first I'll answer your question. The best thing donations are still great if you do direct local donations. So if you know a nonprofit that's in your community that maybe works with like our unhoused neighbors, or you know there's a lot of organizations, things like Dress for Success, that help with business suiting to get women into the job market, If you can do a direct donation where you know it's going to stay in your community, that is wonderful. It's often those larger ones and I hesitate, I don't want to say any names, but it's those bigger ones where you see people with truckloads dropping off their stuff where a lot of that doesn't stay, and so if you can get it directly in the hands, that's the best. If they're in still like good, good condition, do fun things like host a clothing swap with your friends. You can try to resale stuff. There's so many resale markets now where you can just make some extra cash for it. You can join those like no spend Facebook type of groups and so people can exchange. That way, If things are beat up, you could try to upcycle into something new or you could use it for cleaning cloths, that type of thing. Something else that's fun that I started to do is reach out to local schools or libraries and see if they have a need for scraps. A lot of times they do art projects or little installations with children or artists in the community and they can be repurposed into something. I know I'm going to reference this later so I won't talk too much about it, but there aren't as many recycling options as I would like. But it is an area that is growing and so hopefully someday down the road we will have textile recycling bins around our community and we can put them in there to be properly recycled and kept into like that closed loop system and bring in some more circularity with those products.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 17:41

Yeah, so the main thing is stay as local as possible. Yeah, do clothing swaps with your friends. We have family soup, mutual aid here, so a lot of times we'll do a clothing swap and then we'll take our leftovers from the swap and bring it directly to family soup. And then every Tuesday night they do like a feed at the local park and they give clothing to people directly. So I'm like, okay, I know this is going right to these people that need it. Yeah, but a lot of times they you know, it's certain clothes, it's like long pants or long shirts, not necessarily the 4,000 t-shirts or whatever that always end up, but yeah. But I do feel like, yeah, staying local is really good. Yeah, so a textbook by nothing is amazing.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 18:20

I still haven't gotten super involved in that. I work a lot with our thrift stores and do some of that and I sell things on Poshmark and that type of thing. But I have so many friends that use it and it's amazing because we live in these wonderful communities where people are using things for short time. Why not keep it in cycle longer? Just because you don't have use for it doesn't mean it's useless, right? Like someone else can find value in that. It's super fun. And to go back to this idea with my son so again you know my son, roman. He's seven and he hears me talk about this stuff all the time. He's so cute because there's a kids thrift store right down the street from our house, so they will buy your clothes and then they'll give you store credit. So it's like his thing. Now he's always like can I go through my closet, pull out some clothes and can we take it to kid, to kid, so that I can get some new clothes? And I was like yes, my dear child, I'm so happy that you get it. And he's so excited. And he never ever asked things like is this dirty or is it used? There's a kind of a stigma still around thrifting and secondhand. I see so much promise in our youth and like they're listening and they know I'm here for all the young thrifters.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 19:26

Yes, thrifting has been one of my favorite pastimes for so long. You get them, oh my gosh. Yeah, especially because I love stuff from like the seventies. You know you touch it and you're like the quality of this is so much better than anything we're producing now. Yeah, that's my jam, I love it. And yeah, you're inspiring me. I should do that with my kiddos. We end up sending a lot of stuff to whoever's the new kid right, like who's got a baby in that age range.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 19:53

Just send it on over.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 19:54

Which is fun too, but we have so much stuff, it's so crazy. The amount of stuff that you get when you're a parent is just ridiculous.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 20:03

It's outrageous Even when you try not to, you still do.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 20:07

Yeah, yeah, I already have been priming the grandparents. I'm like look the holidays, you know we don't really need 75 more plastic toys. Please just send like a gift card.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 20:19

I mean, I hope you have luck with that, because the grandparents in our family don't listen. They just want to spoil and do a lot of things. So it's very hard when you have someone that's researching right Consumption and trying to reduce consumption all the time and then you have people that just want a gift and that's kind of like a bigger thing right In our society. That's how we show love, that's how we celebrate, that's how we do so many things as kind of gift giving and buying things, consuming things. It's kind of a more systemic issue. It definitely is not something that can be fixed overnight.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 20:50

Yeah, okay, we talked a lot about the issues, which we have to, but let's not go into all the downers, because there are solutions and there's this growing movement around fashion policy work with things like the Fashion Act, and I just want to know a little bit more about that act and the different fashion policies that are happening and how the industry is evolving.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 21:10

Yeah, you're right, there's absolutely positive movement. It is long overdue, but it is happening, and I always think it's kind of wild to me that the fashion industry has persisted this long basically unregulated I mean definitely under regulated but for an industry that's $2.5 trillion and employs 75 million people, it should warrant some regulation, I think. I feel like that's pretty obvious, but it is happening. Now more than ever, governments across the globe are looking at fashion industry for its environmental and its social impacts. The goal of this regulation is really to help hold these brands and manufacturers accountable for those impact. There are way too many policies to go over in like a short period of time, but there's three kind of areas that I really wanted to talk about. The first was last year in California, they passed SB62, which is more commonly known as the Garment Worker Protection Act. This act was put in place to protect the garment makers in California with fair pay and safe working conditions, because again, a kind of another like unknown thing is we do still have garment makers here in the United States, many of which are in the LA Garment District, and just because it's a made in US label doesn't mean that they have safe and fair working conditions or wages. So that's something that this act was put in place to make sure that everyone was protected. And what's really exciting is now we're pushing the fabric act on the federal level, and so this bill builds off of the Garment Worker Protection Act to make the US a leader in global garment worker protections and it also really exciting incentivizes domestic manufacturing with tax incentives and grant programs, because back in the day we had a thriving garment manufacturing here in the US, there were million jobs and that's now down around maybe 90,000. So we really want to bring back those dignified jobs with good paying wages, safe working conditions. And so the fabric act could be our very first piece of federal fashion policy. It's set to be reintroduced just in a couple weeks here to the Senate in early September, which is perfectly aligned with fashion week, and so it's a very exciting time in the fashion policy space, specifically right now. Another bill is the New York Fashion Act that you mentioned, the Fashion Act for short. This is honestly groundbreaking legislation. The bill was written to hold companies accountable for their greenhouse gas emissions and their chemical usage, as well as labor practices. It was kind of written to mandate that companies disclose their supply chains and requires them to be responsible for the impacts in those supply chains with legally binding, mandatory due diligence. So basically they can't hide behind their suppliers anymore. That's a big thing. In the fashion industry, with transparency right, things go to like a third or a fourth or fifth party and then like, well, I don't know who makes it. I, you know my agreements with X manufacturer. If they're subcontracting, I don't know. But now with this fashion act, they must identify, prevent, mitigate and remediate any adverse impacts in their supply chain that's caused to the environment, and so this is huge. There's obviously a lot of other details to it, but that's kind of the biggest thing, and even though that's a state level policy, it's going to have global impacts because it's being held to any brand that does business in New York with a revenue of $100 million and more, which, honestly, is like most of the brands we know. Like all those big brands, they're making more than that. So that is very exciting. And the third one that I wanted to mention kind of to our earlier discussion about all the textile waste is a lot of effort towards extended producer responsibility for textiles, and so this is basically textile recycling policy that would require the producers to then collect and recycle the post consumer textiles, which is huge. So New York and California both introduced EPR bills and this could be a huge win for circulary advocates If it goes through. There's obviously still a lot of hurdles. We need to think about the infrastructure and the technology that's needed at the scale to recycle the amount of textiles that we have every year. And then there's also issues with our use of mixed fabrics. So often it's hard to pull those fibers apart to recycle them. So there is a lot of work ahead, but it is moving forward and that's the exciting thing. And the US is leading the way. The EU is far ahead of us but we're catching up rapidly, so that's exciting. And then you know, just these policies. It's so funny because it's again to my earlier point. People like I don't understand how like your work relates, but these policies reinforce literally everything that we do at WRA and that critical need for effective, smart state level policy to combat our biggest environmental and social issues, because while these policies start at a state level, they can then have even greater reach. They can go federal and even global. So, honestly, policy is the most powerful level for change and I'm so glad that it's finally getting into the fashion industry.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 26:13

That's exciting. My brain's going in so many different directions. I'm like how could we recycle all those things? Could we make really cool recycled garments? Like, is it even possible to break things down and then make stuff with it? I'm all about reduce, reuse, recycle. I'm like a super 90s kid Like that stuff was like beat into my head.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 26:31

Yes, yes, I love that so much, and there are people that are looking into it and they're finding ways to pull these fibers apart and spin them into new fibers that can be used. It is really cool to see when they're pressed with these issues. Right Like this is serious. You cannot deny the environmental impacts, so we need to solve it. The people are stepping up and they are innovating and trying to find ways, but we need more people to do that and we need funding to do that. So that's where a lot of these bills come into place to help get these initiatives off the ground so that we can make the progress that we need.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 27:05

Yes, I also love the part in your TED Talk where you talk about this connection between urbanization of nature and consumption in the fashion world. I'm so into integrating with the natural world, thinking more holistically, like our role in these systems. You know all of it, all of it, indigenous thinking, you know, I think is so important and beautiful and we're so disconnected from it. So, yeah, if you want to elaborate on that, that'd be awesome.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 27:30

Yes, yes and yes, please, jesse, we just need to start like our own movement on this because, I'm right there with you, I find this to be such an important indicator of consumption habits. I'm a very strong believer that we are too disconnected from our environment to truly understand, like, the impacts of our decisions. Right, we're all busy, and I get that. We have these busy lives that we have to account for, and that's totally fine, that's reasonable. We have bills to pay, right, we all do. But this disconnection is kind of separating us from our natural world and so we're pushing it in the distance, like in the outskirts, like nature's just this you know vague thing that's out in the distance that we have to go visit if we ever want to, but then we're not recognizing that, hey, we're part of this environment that we live, and so this creates that disconnect right between our awareness of our place, to your point, in this larger interconnected ecosystem. And I think that is where we are missing and it's such an important part it's actually one of the main areas of my doctoral work that I'm interested in and researching is. I'm really curious about understanding how people's ecological identities or the way that we connect to and engage with the natural environment informs our consumption habits. So that's what I'm kind of diving into and to seeing like, hey, if we're spending more time in nature, we appreciate nature does that influence our consumption? Some people have done similar studies that they're mostly looking at. If you consider yourself a green person or environmental person, do you buy environmental products? That's a different thing. I want to know all your consumption. I want to know that, like, if you're spending time in nature and falling in love with this beautiful place that gives us life, does that make you second guess or think a little bit harder about bringing additional things in Right, like producing more products and bringing all this in? So you know, a lot of what I do is I go around and I talk to people and I encourage everyone to actively work to rebuild this connection with nature and you can incorporate it in your daily routine. Like I said, I get everybody's busy, but maybe take a call while walking outside or go to a park to read that report that you have to do, or sit outside and work for a couple hours. You know, spending time outdoors will help reproportion your role in this world and that's big. You know, when we're sitting here in front of all of our screens. We're the biggest thing, we're the most important thing. When you go out there and you buy these big majestic mountains and these tall, towering trees of wisdom, that puts you in your place. You realize that you are like part of this and it reproportions your size in it and it hopefully reminds you of the importance of the need for this healthy and thriving environment, so that it does create more awareness. So when you make these actions and these choices, you're thinking a little bit more mindfully.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 30:13

Yes, I love that idea of the ecological identity. And now I'm like, oh, I want to do a podcast around that, I want to do workshops around it. I want to like, yeah, I want to activate people. Yeah, because I was just in New Jersey visiting my family for two weeks and the thing that always comes up for me is the closeness of all the people. It's so urbanized, it's so suffocating for me Because I now live on the West Coast and even just the trees there's so many trees there and so many buildings and my line of sight is so limited. So, just when you're talking about I forgot how you put it, but you're the kind of ratio of yourself in this world when I get home and I'm finally able to see so many miles away, open skies, giant clouds, rolling mountains my everything just feels less inflamed, less anxiety. Suddenly I feel grounded and situated and I'm no longer just in this car taking three hours to drive 60 miles in this urban space. Yeah, that's my rant, but yeah, I feel it. And it's hard for all of us because we are urbanized. Yeah, it's just so rough. It's rough to feel connected and grounded and see how your actions are impacting absolutely everything. So, yes, thanks for those thoughts.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 31:31

Nope, I feel that.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 31:33

So then you were just mentioning mindful consumption, which that's what we're talking about here, and I wanted to know what are some things that people can do when they are purchasing clothes or even thinking about their needs of like oh I really need some more sweaters or something Even before they get to the store. How can we think about decreasing our waste and this burden of fashion on the environment and the people of the world?

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 31:56

Yes, 100%, and I have a journalistic background, so I love questions. So I want to answer you with questions that you can ask yourself, because that's what mindfulness is right it's about tapping into yourself and breaking that unconscious mind so that you're more present and aware of your actions and choices. So I would say there are three really important questions that you should ask in that situation. The first and I mentioned this in my TED talk is do I really need this? We can get so swept up in that thrill of shopping sometimes that it distracts us, and I'm guilty of it. I say it all the time. I consider myself sort of like this recovering shopaholic. In many ways right, I admit it. I mean, I said it in the beginning. I used to shop all the time and I had all this there. It's that thrill that really gets you going. When you think about do I really need this, you should just be thinking more of why do you want to bring this into your life? Like, is this something that's going to bring value to it? I don't want to say I don't want people to shop anymore. That's not what I'm saying at all. I want us to continue to support great brands and designers. I love the artistry behind it. I just want us to do it more mindfully and more responsibly. So if we can slow down and reduce that consumption by asking do I really need this, it's not just a one-time thing, do I really actually need this? We can then reduce our waste, which then ultimately decreases the burden on the makers of our clothing and our environment. So that one simple question and it's funny because, as a mother, I say it all the time to my son do you want that or do you need that? But it's true, go back to that. Think of those type of things. The other two questions really come kind of stem from the fashion revolution movement that I've been part of for so long. The first is who made my clothes? So I really encourage you to take some time to look into the brand and see if they disclose any information about their supply chain on their websites, or most of them have to produce some sort of annual report or something like that, which can sound like a lot of work. You can also just shoot them a quick email. Almost all of them have some sort of a general email box. Well, you can, and it's great to have those conversations because you don't have to be a bad of. You can simply say I love your brand or reference a specific thing. I love these pants, I wear them all the time and I want to continue to support you, but I just want to know where are you making these clothes and are they paid a living wage? That's where we need to start the conversation, so don't be afraid to do that and, at the very least, just stop and consider the human that made the garment that's in your hands that you're considering purchasing. I think so many people really do think that it's machines making our clothes today, but that's really just not the case. There are people making our clothes still today predominantly and they deserve to be treated and paint fairly. I like to, because I am not artistic in any way, shape or form. I honestly marvel at their creations. I find it so fascinating the craft that it takes to make clothing and how they know the proportions and putting the pieces together. I think that if you can stop and think of this and the craftsmanship behind it, that can be a really big way to help improve your mindfulness also. And then the third question is what's in my clothes? This could be an entirely other podcast, and I feel like, jesse, you'd be so into it because we talk so much about the environment. But I'll keep it short. Just realize there are massive amounts of chemicals used in the production and the fibers of our clothing. So you should know what's in the material that you're wearing on your skin, not only because it's your biggest organ and you're absorbing that into your body, you're also breathing it in with those microfibers that are coming off throughout the day. Our clothing labels barely scratch the surface of providing this information to consumers. So, just in general, avoid those synthetic fibers as much as you can. Choose natural things like cotton and wool, linen, and, if this is an area that interests you, I just finished reading and I cannot recommend it enough Alden Wicker, who is a really well-known journalist who has researched chemicals in the fashion industry for years, just released a new book called To Die For. Like DYE, get it To Die For. That goes deep into this world of chemical usage in our clothing and it is a fascinating, if not super disturbing book. But it's good because, again, that's the whole point of mindfulness is becoming more aware and just learning these things, and so I would definitely recommend that for anyone that wants to learn more about the chemicals or what's in our clothes.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 36:17

Yeah, it's a lot. I do natural dyeing workshops. That's something that I'm super into and I teach at the local urban farm to kids and their parents and it's super fun and awesome and to have a plant that we harvested and be like OK, we harvested these black beans or these marigolds or even some turmeric and we're going to use it to dye our clothes. But another aspect of it is the colors are super subtle and it's just a different vibe and then people really realize to get these bright, non-natural colors it's not necessarily a good process. It's not things found in nature.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 36:55

So, yeah, yeah, we just we really don't want that. I mean, we pay so much attention often to the foods that we're ingesting, right, but like, maybe we just pay a little more attention to the clothing that we're wearing too, because in many ways there's so many similarities and I talk about that a lot too like how much I wish fashion came with, you know, certification labels or nutrition labels, the way food does, because then at least it's in your hands, right. At least then you have some information to make, like a better informed decision. But we're not there yet. Hopefully we'll get there. I mean, the food industry didn't used to be there either, and now you can go into any supermarket and see that information right there in your hands. And so hopefully at some point there'll be more of that transparency and required regulation of reporting so we'll know what chemicals were used and you know it's not even just how bad chemicals are. You know, people have sensitive skin and people might be having rashes or they might have this constant like running nose or things like that, that they don't know what it is, and it could be the clothes that you're wearing and you don't even think of that. You think like, oh, I have allergies, or it's the tree or the bush, or something I ate, but it could be your clothes. It's worth a conversation with your doctor just to see if you have some sort of allergy.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 38:03

Well, that's crazy Food for thought. Whoever's listening right now, they're like, hmm, I'm going to switch to bamboo Do it Just try it out. Get a couple bamboo outfits and just try it out, see what happens. So what are some sustainable brands that people can seek out when they are shopping? And also, I think in my mind I'm always like I want to make the right choices when I'm shopping, but also my budget is limited, especially with two small children. So I'm always battling that right, like I'm like, okay, is there anything affordable that's also good or less bad and somewhat affordable, you know? So anything that you could help enlighten us on with that and suggest would be amazing.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 38:42

Yeah, I absolutely hear you, and that's a big stigma with sustainable fashion is people think it's just inaccessible, right, because it is more expensive. Because if you're producing things I hate to say the right way, but like a better way it does, of course it costs more to do that. You're paying people more. You're paying more for, like, high quality products and production, but there are some things. So I will say the caveat first, before I get into. That is the biggest thing with sustainable fashion is the acknowledgement that we don't need to shop as much as we think we do. Always turn to your own closet first. Wear what you own, wear it often. That is, hands down, the most sustainable thing you can do right now and it's free. So I mean, unless you're still paying for like a credit card or something that you bought it with, it's essentially it's free, it's in your home and you have it to use. So that's obviously always the first step. The second is something we already talked about and I know how much you love. It is second hand and thrifting or consignment, those type of stores. There are lots of great options, even if you live in an area that doesn't have physical buildings. You can hop on, poshmark or Thread Up and find all kinds of great pieces for a fraction of the cost and many times with tags still on them. But of course I'm always a big proponent. If you have a local thrift store, please, please, please, support these small businesses as much as you can. Not only are you helping your local economy, but then you're contributing to extending the life cycle of those garments, which is the ultimate goal. But I get it. Sometimes you need something very specific and you can't find it and you've dug around all the thrifts. Just shop smart, only buy what you need and don't over consume. Of course there are big, familiar brands like Patagonia's of the world, which are great, but they are on the higher price point range. There are also others specific for women. I love Reformation and Eileen Fisher. They have great women's clothes, but again slightly higher price point. Some of the great companies that I love that are really for everyone men, women, children and they provide really great basics. Which is the point also is that if you're going to buy something new, make sure it's something that can stay in your closet for a really long time, not a trend. Brands like Mate, the Label, pact, p-a-c-t, everlane, carhartt, four Days these are a lot of companies that do produce some clothing that is sustainable, of course, and then they have a lot of different price points and for everyone Something else with Four Days I just did it for the first time that I should mention here is it's actually a really great resource. If you have really beat up clothing, like if you have children or if you work outside, if you have fabric scraps even things like ripped bedding sheets, things like that, even undergarments they will send you what they call a take back bag that you can fill up and then they'll recycle that for you. There's obviously the shipping. They are based in LA and it does cost 20 bucks, but then you know, if you don't have that resource in your community, you can do that. Send it to them. They will properly recycle it and then they do give you store credit for that. So if you did need to buy something new, you can just use that 20 bucks on their website. So I'm not a brand ambassador for them. I've never actually bought something from them, because I very rarely do buy new clothes, but I just think that that's a great option for people that just maybe don't have resources in their community.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 41:39

I didn't realize they give you a $20 credit. I'm like you know. I have a lot of things that I can send. Let's do this.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 41:46

I packed my bag so full this past weekend I couldn't get everything in, and so I had Rudy, my partner, shove it down and then he like ripped the whole bag, because he was trying to push and pull at the same time, and he ripped the side of the bag and it's like cool, cool. So we just had to put tape on it. It worked, it's fine. I mailed it. They pay for the postage, I should say, so you don't have to worry. So I have stuff that I'm getting rid of too. I always want to be very clear. I'm not this super amazing, sustainable fashion person. I'm still consuming things and I'm still going through the process with everybody else. That's why I always like to share my journey with people too, like, hey, we're all figuring out this whole process together, whether you're just an individual, a consumer, that's doing it or you're a brand. Just support each other, share resources, because we're all trying to do the right thing. I do believe that we're all trying to do the right thing ultimately.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 42:36

Yeah, I think I get in these modes where I watch a million Instagram reels of people that are like I'm a zero waste home, and then I'm like, oh yeah, we still have garbage. Yeah, you just get insane with it and you're like, oh, everything I do is just pointless and you just have to stop and be like, hey, any contribution, any thoughtfulness is great, and don't let perfect be the enemy of done. Just get it done, just send the bag, just find a local place to donate to, and every little bit is helpful. Is there anything maybe just following these accounts or checking out websites or just different kind of little ways that we can be helping with that transition?

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 43:16

There's also always a need and a desire to have more people to help advocate for the need for policy and regulations in the fashion industry, like some of them that we talked about. So you could follow pages like fashion revolution or remake on social media, because it's really really quite empowering when you realize that you have a bigger voice as a citizen than you do as a consumer if you really want to see change. So I know a lot of times we say you know you vote with your dollar, but implementing this policy and helping to advocate for something that's going to make real systemic change is really where that power comes in. So I really encourage people to think of themselves more in that citizen role and that's a pretty easy thing. And one thing that I would just love, love, love. Everyone just did. One thing for me is they just have conversations. Don't let the word fashion deter you from talking about it. It's so funny because I often call it the F word right, because people don't want to talk about it, because it sounds so silly or like I don't know, like you just can't bring it up at like family dinner. People are like what are you talking about? But like we all wear clothes. This industry literally affects every single one of us every day. So, just you know, do your best to be a little more educated on the issues and a little more conscious of your choices.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 44:30

All right. Last thing, to wrap it all up, describe for us your dream for the future of the fashion industry and consumption in the Western US and beyond.

Jennifer Inaba - Sustainable Fashion Expert: 44:41

So I hope that the future of fashion really puts people in the planet before profit. My dream is that consumption becomes an afterthought and that we focus our future on just living more fulfilled lives, connecting with nature, with our family, with our friends. You know out here in the West we live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, so get outside, enjoy every moment and just appreciate this wonderful environment and ecosystem that we get to be part of.

Jessi Janusee - Multimedia Storyteller: 45:15

Thank you, thank you. Thank you, jen, for being on the show. Such a great episode and such a great reframe for how we think about clothing and fashion and consumerism. Maybe now you have just a little bit more knowledge to make different, better choices in the future. I also did want to say, in the spirit of your, share the Knowledge, talk to people about this. I went on a women's camp trip this last weekend and we totally talked about thrifting, about upcycling and selling our kids close to the local thrift store here. So, jen, you are on my mind and this conversation was on my mind and I've already been sharing and, listeners, you can start sharing too. Have these combos. It's so important. It's almost time for my favorite segment, What I Like About the West, but before we do that, we've got to give our sponsors a shout out. WRA's Impact Sponsor, First Bank is largest largest banking organization in Colorado, providing a full range of banking services. We're grateful for their commitment to banking for good, doing what's right for customers, communities and employees. And we also want to take a minute to thank our stellar 2023 sponsors, including our premier sponsors, Solup and Vision Ridge Partners, our signature sponsors Denver Water, Kind Design and Torch Clean Energy and our supporting sponsors BSW Wealth Partners, the Greenway Foundation, Javelina and Utah Clean Energy. Thank you so much, sponsors, for making this podcast happen and supporting our work here at WRA, and if you're interested in becoming a sponsor or a donor, that information is always in the show notes and check it out. Reach out to us. We would love to have your support. All right, everybody. It's my favorite little segment What I Like About the West. So this segment we just feature different people that are talking about what they like about the West. Sometimes I have a little special something as well, and this is a section where really anyone can send in a clip, 40 seconds to a minute. You can email it, you can message us on social, whatever way works for you, and we would love to have you on the podcast. So for this episode, I actually went camping, like I said earlier, into the Sierra Nevada's and I recorded a beautiful river that kind of went down into a multi-tier waterfall. It was so gorgeous and a few episodes back I recorded some of the snow melt running off in the Sierra Nevada's right at the beginning of spring, and now that it's late summer, going into fall, I thought it would be nice to have another watery transition moment as the seasons change. So take a listen at your little zen nature end moment. Alright, lovely people, thank you so much for listening. As always, I'm your host, Jessi Janusee, the multimedia storyteller here at WRA. If you'd like to know more about the work we're doing to promote climate action in the interior West, please go to our website, go to our socials we have all the links in the show notes and just see what WRA is doing, because we're doing a lot to protect the West and make sure that it's thriving for generations to come, and we'd love for you to take a look at our work. Alright, everybody, that is a wrap for this episode. I hope you'll join us next episode when we talk to a behavioral scientist about kind of the cognitive difficulties that humanity has when facing long-term problems and what we can do to mitigate that. So that'll be really interesting. I hope you all are having a beautiful transition from summer to fall. I'm excited for sweater weather and leaves falling and that crisp fall air, and I hope you are too. Have a great one.