Linda Greer has worked for the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) for over 30 years trying to reduce the toxic chemicals in our environment and products. She spearheaded work in China and called on corporations to take responsibility for the impacts of their factories. In 2009, she launched the NRDC’s Clean by Design program to bring focus to the environmental impacts of the fashion industry. Here, Greer shares her thoughts on how designers and consumers can do their part to make sustainability the industry standard.

How would you describe the road to positive change for designers?

The path forward is actually quite straightforward. They should focus where it matters the most— which is in the factories in their supply chain making their goods. They should start with basic qualification criteria for a factory to be eligible for business. For example, a shocking number of textile dyeing and finishing mills in the developing world do not treat their wastewater. It’s an egregious violation of local law and an enormous threat to human health and ecosystems. Too many designers barley know the names of the places their fabric is made, let alone anything about the environmental performance there. So, get to know your supply chain! Follow this basic checkup and use the Higg Index and the Facility Condition Index.

Where can consumers look for guidance or education in eco-social literacy?

Actually, one piece of advice is simple and doesn’t require any further education: Buy less! And if you can’t buy less, buy vintage. Seriously, the single biggest root cause of the impact this industry has traces to the enormous volume of clothing that too many of us buy every season. When people ask me “What are you wearing?”, I tell them how many times I’ve worn that item, as well as the designer name, to make the point that we need to buy less.

What is your one wish for fashion’s future?

It would be great if we could return to the notion of “timeless fashion” for at least some percentage of our wardrobe, so that people would not feel compelled to buy new styles of everything, every season. Let’s start with the basics and take it from there.

If you could give “sustainable fashion” a new name, what would it be?

My new name would be “fashion.” No special tag required. Everyone does business under a new, widely adopted pattern of normal practice.

See more of the CFDA/Lexus Fashion* Initiative sustainability story by following #ReDesignFashion.