“The environmental impact of fast fashion“

We live in a "throw-away" culture, where items from clothing to coffee cups are discarded without a second thought. However, nothing we produce ever truly disappears; it returns to nature or contributes to pollution. 

Fast fashion has transformed the apparel industry, but not for the better. Behind every piece of clothing lies an industry that depletes the Earth's limited resources and exploits the labour force in its garment factories.

It has a significant negative impact on our planet. This includes overflowing landfills, excessive water usage, chemical runoff, climate-altering carbon emissions, contamination of freshwater sources, air pollution, ocean degradation, deforestation, ecosystem damage, and the spread of microplastics.

The fashion industry is responsible for eight to 10 percent of global emissions. That’s more than the aviation and shipping industry combined! At this pace, fashion emissions will surge by more than 50 percent in 2030.

Alarmingly, statistics show that every second, one garbage truck's worth of textiles is either landfilled or incinerated. This process releases harmful pollutants into the air and worsens the already pressing waste management issue. 

Textiles can take up to 200 years to decompose in landfills. The average person disposes of around 37 kg of textiles each year, which is roughly equivalent to the weight of 111 books or a baby rhino! This highlights how problematic textile waste can be.

Such a staggering rate of waste highlights the urgent need for a shift toward more sustainable production and consumption practices. We need to take urgent action, with consumers, manufacturers, and policymakers collaborating to implement sustainable practices that reduce the industry's ecological footprint and safeguard the planet for future generations.

On average, people wear their clothes about seven times before discarding them. Since 2000, we have purchased approximately 60% more cling (and we were buying a lot then). With the rise of fast fashion, we cannot ignore its negative impacts. It's essential to take a moment to ask yourself, "Was that $5 t-shirt really worth it?

Please take the time to research where you purchase your clothes. Consider what chemicals are used in the fabrics, whether everyone involved in the production was fairly paid, and the overall impact on people and the planet.

Want to learn more? Read all about why I think clothing has become disposable

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