Green is the new white
Sustainability is at the heart of what we do at A Day in June.
It is no secret that the fashion and wedding industries have an enormous effect on the environment, or that climate and gender equality are inextricably intertwined. The average wedding generates approximately 56 tons of carbon emissions - the same amount of carbon emissions produced by six homes over the course of an entire year.
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Buying a sustainable wedding gown is one of the best ways to host an environmentally conscious wedding. Our collection consists of prefabricated wedding dresses that started their lives as designer samples, runway gowns, prototypes, and canceled orders. While these gowns - many of which are one-of-a-kind - would ordinarily not have had a route to market, we provide them with a chance to be worn by bride. Most bridal retailers sell made-to-measure gowns that are produced on demand (and often in another country), but all of our wedding dresses have already been made. This significantly reduces the effect that gown production has on the environment.
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Our commitment to sustainability does not begin and end with the wedding dresses we procure. We consistently evaluate our collection to determine if our dresses meet the needs and wants of our clients. And when they don't, we donate them on, typically to organizations like Brides for a Cause. We've also been known to remake a vintage or damaged wedding dress into a chic, modern bridal mini!
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Saying yes to your wedding dress at A Day in June ensures that your gown has no additional environmental impact - so you get to live your values and look great at the same time.
THE KINDER WAY TO WED
The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters in the world. It is second only to the oil industry in its environmental impact. To put things in perspective, the fashion industry produces more carbon emissions annually than all international air travel and maritime shipping combined.
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âž• 10% : the percentage of global carbon emissions attributable to the fashion industry.
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âž• 32 billion : the number of garments produced each year (of which 64% ends up in landfills).
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âž• 13 million : the number of tons of textile waste produced by the fashion industry every year.
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âž• 20% : the amount of global waste water produced by the fashion industry.
CLIMATE AND GENDER
How are they linked?
Climate is a gender issue. Climate change serves to exacerbate existing gender inequalities and lead to worse outcomes - including domestic violence and child marriage - for women and girls. Here are a few reasons why.
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Food and water scarcity - Changes in temperature and rainfall in impoverished areas make it more difficult for people to grow sufficient food. Women and girls bear responsibility for collecting water and firewood, tending crops, and feeding their families; and when the climate makes it more difficult to grow food, these responsibilities only increase. Climate change is also causing severe water scarcity. Women and girls are typically responsible for collecting water, but as water sources dry up, they must travel longer and longer distances to find water. This can have serious implications for their health and educations.
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Natural disasters - Natural disasters have a significantly disproportionate impact on women and girls. They are more likely to die during the event itself. Women and girls are more likely to experience sexual violence while staying in temporary shelters following natural disasters. They face unique health needs while in temporary accommodations, including managing pregnancy, birth, and menstruation. Domestic violence tends to soar in the months and years following natural disasters, as does the harmful practice of child marriage.
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Health risks - Women and girls are more likely than men to experience health issues related to domestic tasks. For example, they are more likely to have respiratory illnesses that stem from the indoor air pollution caused by burning wood and charcoal for cooking, and they are at heightened risk of contracting waterborne illnesses because of a lack of access to clean water.
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Disruption in education - When families deal with food insecurity, water scarcity, and/or displacement from natural disasters, girls are much more likely to drop out of school in order to help provide for their families.
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At A Day in June, our focus on human rights and gender equality goes hand in hand with our commitment to sustainability. If you too are passionate about equality and sustainability, we would love to meet you.
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