Health Care Professionals and Their Role Towards Sustainability

Healthcare workers are the modern day superheroes, they prove that not every hero wears a cape, but instead a pair of scrubs, a lab coat, or maybe either. While health care workers are changing the world in the most positive way each day, it’s still important to not turn a blind eye on medical waste.

There’s a lack of awareness about health hazards that exists due to health-care related waste. On average, hospitals alone are generating over 29 pounds of waste per day. One of those contributors just happens to be medical wear such as scrubs. So, as a healthcare worker, what can you do in your role to better lead it to sustainability? Here's how!

Unsustainable Fashion Needs To Go

While medical waste is considered a major issue amongst the environment, textile waste from fast fashion and consume habits are just as bad.  Fast fashion is still a relatively new concept that has been around for a little over a decade. Clothes and style used to last for years, not a season. Because of the internet and social media trends from apps such as TikTok and Instagram, clothes and trends last less than a month. This can even extend to professional wear for all industries too.

This has created expectations that people, especially young people, need to keep up with all of these trends if they want to come off as appealing. Of course, these consumeristic habits are costly, but they're so wasteful and harmful to the environment. So, what are some of the harmful effects of fashion?

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Health Consequences

There are health consequences due to fast fashion and poor waste management within the fashion industry. It needs to be known that garment workers face a lot of health-related issues within their work. Major clothing brands intentionally choose garment factories in countries where there isn’t many regulations or workers rights.  Some of the health issues can include chronic respiratory issues from cotton dust and even toxic chemicals from dyes can cause damage to the body as well.

Environmental Harm 

The environmental harm that fashion creates has been a serious issue which  has been happening for many years. Currently, the fashion industry has been heavily criticized for it's practices and for using toxic chemicals to make clothes and products appealing. As a result, many people are now beginning to turn away from products with harmful chemicals or materials in them. Which has then led to an increased demand for eco-friendly fashion that uses natural materials. 

While harsh chemicals and dyes have been wreaking havoc on the environment, it goes further. For example, about 92 million tons of textile waste are produced globally; this number is estimated to grow even further by 2030. In addition, fashion creates poor environmental conditions.

Unfair Working Conditions

Fashion and poor working conditions seem to go hand in hand. While pollution and waste tend to be lumped together with fashion, unethical work practices also tend to be a part of it. Over 80% of the textile industry consists of women as garment workers. As a result, there is an abundance of cases of sexual harassment, abuse, gender discrimination, and low wages. 

These happen to occur in all countries where textiles are massed produced. Some health-related risks that these women and other workers face include miscarriages, congenital disabilities, cancer, and early menopause. This is all due to long hours (12+ hours) of sitting or standing, all while exposed to very toxic chemicals. These workers are at significant health risk, and major brands don't care. 

Are you looking for the perfect accessory for your workwear? TAARA offers a wide variety of accessories, scrubs, lab coats, and more for the healthcare professional. 

Eco-Friendly Manufacturing 

As a health care worker, it's completely understandable that you'll want to dress comfortably while also looking good. Even though the fashion industry has created a lot of environmental issues, it’s important to know that it’s not every fashion label. Eco-friendly manufacturing does exist and these sustainable brands are focusing on making a difference within the industry.  

Organic Cotton 

According to the WWF, it takes around 2,700 liters of water to produce the cotton that would be needed to create your standard white cotton t-shirt. Two thousand seven hundred liters of water is ridiculous just got one shirt, right? While organic cotton isn't completely eco-friendly, it is significantly more sustainable. 

It uses 91% less water than regular cotton, and it produces fewer emissions. While it's not perfect, it does make a huge impact. In addition, brands such as TAARA are making a massive impact by focusing more on a sustainable approach to fashion for the healthcare professional. Their scrub tops, pants, and lab coats are proven to be significantly more eco-friendly compared to other brands. 

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Why Healthcare Services Should Go Green

While it may be very unfortunate, healthcare services can be incredibly wasteful. Everyone in the healthcare industry, regardless of their job has the power to make a change. So, every choice can make an impact on the environment, no matter the size.  

Want to make an impact? Choosing the type of lab coat or scrubs you wear can go a long way. While fashion may be one of the biggest contributors to waste worldwide, the healthcare industry isn’t far behind. 

Healthcare is the second leading contributor to waste in the United States. Healthcare Services generate three million tons of solid waste, including harmful pharmaceutical products getting into the land, air, and water supply. Healthcare-related organizations, such as hospitals, need to rally the community together and create a conversation on how they're going to improve this.

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Looking for some fashionable eco-friendly scrubs for women? Then, you're going to want to check out the incredible selection that TAARA Scrubs offers for you!

Make The Switch With Sustainable Work Wear!

As a health care worker, you must look into ways to help save the environment. Whether this is advocating for changes in the workplace or implementing sustainable habits into your personal life, it all needs to be considered. As a healthcare professional, what you do is so important; your lifestyle is fast and busy, so you need something comfortable. 

TAARA is the perfect sustainable workwear for any health care professional. With TAARA's trendy styles, perfectly fitted clothes, and sustainable practices, you know you'll be wearing nothing but the best during your shift. So treat yourself and the planet to something good, and check out the chic selection from TAARA Scrubs today!