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TOKYO : Japan's clothing industry is doing its part for a healthier and greener planet by contributing to cutting carbon dioxide emission.
Japanese casual wear maker Uniqlo claims its shopping bags are made of polyethylene which can cut carbon dioxide emissions by 60 percent, compared to bags used in the past.
The new shopping bag doesn't look different, but is 20 percent thinner than a regular bag and costs a little more. By June, 750 Uniqlo shops nationwide will use the greener bags. They will also be rolled out to most of their outlets overseas.
More fashion houses are increasingly producing clothes and bags made from eco-friendly materials. Ecomaco, launched in 2003, is one of them. The brand has been gaining a lot of media attention lately, for making its dresses and some of its bags from corn, bamboo, and leaves.
Ecomaco's designer, Masako Oka, uses leftovers from kimonos and the hems of jeans in her creative designs. Some of her clothes are dyed using extracts from fruits, including grapes.
Based in Nagano, Ecomaco has set up shop in the prestigious Mitsukoshi department store in Nihonbashi and in a few other huge retailers.
Oka said she became eco-conscious back in 1994.
"I happened to visit a garbage incinerator and was shocked to see the amount of garbage. Since then, I started to think of how I can create fashion and combining it with ecology. I began by looking at the raw material and thread. I thought that would change clothes (are made), so I started this," said Oka.
The designer said it wasn't easy convincing thread makers and weavers to use natural materials. But now she has loyal followers.
"(This top) has a very delicate look. I'll put it in a net and wash it using the washing machine. It also dries easily... Even if it's worn for many years, it doesn't look out of fashion," said Minako Onuma, an Ecomaco customer.
And what better way to enjoy fashion while knowing that your purchase is good for the environment.- CNA /ls
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