The fashion industry is glamorous and fascinating. However, do you know that the fashion industry produces 10% of the world’s carbon emissions? How are too many clothes affecting the environment?
A Few Facts
The volume of clothes Americans throw away each year has multiplied from 7 million to 14 million tons in the last 20 years.
- It takes 2,700 liters of water to produce a cotton shirt.
- In 2018, 17 million tons of textile waste ended up in landfills.
- Textiles can take up to 200 years before they decompose.
Have You Heard of Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion is the design, manufacturing, and rapid production of high volumes of clothing. Although it seeks to make clothes more affordable, it causes consumers to buy more clothes.
The mass production of cheap and disposable clothing makes us feel out of date and encourages people to buy more.
Like a ripple effect, increased demand for clothes will increase the rate of production and its effect on the economy. Some brands use toxic chemicals, synthetic fabrics, and dangerous dyes that seep into water supplies. Apart from this, some garments full of pesticides, lead, and other chemicals won’t break down completely. When you dispose of them, they release toxins into the air.
Slow fashion is a better alternative to fast fashion. It is encouraging to know that there are manufacturers that use natural materials to make lasting clothes that are safe for the environment. But slow fashion also simply means choosing what clothes you buy with care, so you will want to wear them for many years and won’t quickly grow tired of them.
Conclusion
Fast fashion is responsible for water pollution, water consumption, microfiber pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste problems. You can do your part by choosing sustainable clothes and reducing the number of clothes that end up in the landfill by either recycling, swapping, donating, or selling.
