It's quite optimistic that we feel this way, considering we're a group of committed consumers by nature of our sensual & intellectual connection to fabric and fashion.
It's all about balance, of course. You do what you can to be more aware and make informed choices (when you have access to the necessary information). I worked for 10 years (80s/90s) in Environmental Development for a Local Authority and know only too well that common sense choices often have less obvious environmental complications. Cotton requires very high levels of fertilisers (usually inorganic) but organic cotton is thankfully on the increase. As well as using organically grown fabric sewers can also balance their consumption by ensuring they have used materials in their stash and definitely own
and use a vintage sewing machine. Gold star to the vintage brigade!
Biodegradability has its issues too, it's not something you necessarily want in landfill when degrading materials can cause instability and pollution problems there - if they degrade at all, I recall
William L Rathjee's astonishing archeological discoveries in landfills from those days! Lettuces that were still green after decades underground immediately spring to mind.
I try to commit to the basics of moderation in consumption of energy and materials (whatever they may be - including cake these days!) and reusing/not wasting when possible. Our grandkids are delighted when we repair their broken stuff. Of course, that's while permitting myself to enjoy the consumption of things that give me real and lasting pleasure, within moderation...cake again! I do have to give myself a good kicking at times to avoid settling into that cosy complacent groove but it's still a good maxim for life I believe and probably one that most of us think we follow already.
I'm rather out of balance this week as I had a bit of a splurge at the Knitting & Stitching show myself but not so much that I needed a trolley (that's not mitigation for me, just an observation). I have cupboards full of dance fabrics from which I'll make dresses that won't get frequent wear (in comparison to daywear) so LOTS of spandex, I'm afraid, but they'll hopefully be used by many different dancers and thus have a good life expectancy. Some of the ones I've made since 2014 are now on their 3rd dancer. They definitely fall into the real and lasting pleasure category for me. And I've taken in and cut down a lot of my old clothes as I've slimmed down over the last few years and tried to offset the new ones I bought in smaller sizes by looking for styles that lend themselves to the same treatment as I continue to shrink.
It can certainly be complicated but the little things do count.