World Vyshyvanka Day marks its 20th anniversary today; what began as a small initiative launched by students from the Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi has grown into a global movement around the world. See the original post here.
But why should we in Zero Waste Alliance Ireland join in celebrating World Vyshyvanka Day?
We should, for three reasons:
Firstly, to show our support for a country which is fighting for its very existence , and experiencing daily and nightly Russian bombardment by drones, missiles and guided bombs, and yet amazingly find time to celebrate a traditional heritage garment – that shows real courage and hope for the future.
Secondly, one of our long-duration campaigns is against fast fashion and short-lived textiles, resulting in the generation of massive amounts of non-recyclable textile waste – and what better way to stop this waste is by wearing garments which have meaning for us, which we cherish and love, value them for their traditional meaning, and are made from pure natural materials, long-lasting and organic. Therefore Vyshyvanka Day is worth celebrating!
And for us in Ireland: what should we do? Avoid purchasing garments containing multiple non-recycable fabrics, nearly all of which are made from fossil-fuel derived synthetic materials; and look instead for our own natural materials, especially wool; and begin again to grow flax to make linen (at one time a widespread industry in Ireland), an excellent material for all clothing and domestic uses; and begin to grow hemp, a plant well suited to Irish weather and soil, and can also provide fibres for natural textiles.
And our third reason is to show our solidarity with Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine (https://zerowaste.org.ua/); we share the same aims and objectives.
So when you see this on our ZWAI website, remember that waste also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and to climate change !