ReFashion Bainbridge is hosting the 2022 Bainbridge Environmental Conference March 27 titled “We All Get Dressed: Garb, Gear and Creating a Sustainable Fashion Economy.”

Register at www.islandwood.org.

ReFashion Bainbridge is a collaborative effort of artists, activists, and neighbors encouraging people to rethink their role in the global fashion industry. That industry employs more than 400 million people, including growers, manufacturers, garment workers and retail. Many of those people live in countries where worker protections are limited, or nonexistent, and do not receive livable wages.

Deborah Rudnick, a member of Bainbridge Zero Waste and planning committee member for the environmental conference, said the conference is about elevating the discussion around sustainability and clothing.

“We want people to think about the resources used to create clothing, and we want the conversation to be about knowing how impactful your choices are. Every time you put on a piece of clothing you’re making a decision about the environment.”

The environmental impacts of the fashion industry are enormous. The carbon footprint of fashion is larger than the combined emissions of France, Germany, and the UK. The industry uses enormous amounts of water and creates incredible amounts of waste from dyes and manufacturing processes.

Consumers perpetuate these impacts by demanding fashion they barely wear and dispose of quickly. On average, people wear a piece of clothing seven times before it is disposed of. On average, 85% of textiles in the U.S. are landfilled or burned, and the average American throws away 80 pounds of textiles a year.

By buying less, keeping and repairing more, disposing of less, and advocating for better working and environmental conditions, society can reduce impacts and help workers.

The conference will include regional keynote speakers; Mathew Isaac, a professor of marketing at Seattle University researches consumer judgment and decision making, and purchase intentions. Stacy Flynn, CEO of Evrnu, will share how her textile innovations company is working to solve the challenges facing the global textile and apparel industry; Lina Lipski, CEO of Olympic Yarn and Fiber, will share how her Washington-based artisan yarn manufacturing mill uses locally produced products.

A couple of workshops aimed at helping consumers reduce their clothing environmental impact will include a mending class where attendees will learn how to repair clothing; a session hosted by Trashion Show chair Naomi Spinak will feature a “What’s in your closet?” clothing audit; and a clothing swap in the great hall during the break.

Sustainable Bainbridge is partnering with BI Parks Foundation, Bainbridge Arts and Crafts, Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network and the BI Land Trust to host the conference.

The event is limited to 150 participants. Learn more about ReFashion at www.ReFashionBainbridge.org.