The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion
Week 28
While I'm not what anyone would call a fashionista, I do enjoy the occasional shopping spree. And since I loathe spending top dollar on temporary trends, I often opt for brands that offer cute clothes at an affordable price point. My go-to picks include H&M, TopShop, Zara, Forever 21, and Shein, which make it very easy to indulge in high fashion without the high price tag. Unfortunately these are all considered fast fashion brands, which I now know aren't exactly environmentally friendly.
What is fast fashion?
Basically, fast fashion is the business model of getting trends off the runway and in stores quickly. Typically, fast fashion lowers the quality of materials and production, so that products can be offered to consumers at an affordable price.
Why is fast fashion a problem?
According to the EPA, textiles make up nearly 8% of landfill waste. In 2018, The U.S. sent 9,070,000 tons of clothing and shoes to landfills. On average, a person in the US throws away 81 pounds of clothing every year. And to make matters even worse, clothing is often made of synthetic materials like nylon, polyester, and acrylic, which are all petroleum based, aka plastic. These materials can take hundreds of years to break down.
Beyond contributing massive amounts of waste, fast fashion uses up natural resources, like water. Garment manufacturing is responsible for 20% of global waste water. According to the World Wildlife Fund, 2,700 liters of water are required to produce the cotton needed for one cotton t-shirt.
Synthetic materials, like nylon and polyester, need less water than their land-grown alternatives, but their production releases more greenhouse gases per kilogram. It's estimated that the clothing industry emits 10% of global CO2 emissions.
What's the best way to get rid of my old clothes?
Clothing should never be thrown away. Instead, donate, recycle, or even sell your old duds to keep them from ending up in a landfill.
Donate
Before you donate your clothing, make sure it is still wearable. A missing button is not a big deal, but giant holes and stains will often go straight to the garbage bin.
You can drop off a variety of clothing to organizations like Goodwill or Salvation Army.
Dress for Success and Alliance for Career Development accept professional attire for men and women seeking to reenter the workplace.
Children's clothing as well as stuffed animals and baby items can be cleaned and sent to S.A.F.E - Stuffed Animals for Emergencies.
And old kicks can be donated to an organization like Soles4Souls, which gives gently used shoes to people in poverty.
Recycle
The North Face, Patagonia, H&M, Levi's, and Madewell all have some form of an apparel recycling program. Sneakers can be dropped off at any Nike location, where they will be recycled into new material.
Sell
If you're looking to get a little cash back from your shopping habit, try selling it. Consignment shops like Buffalo Exchange and Clothes Mentor are nationwide chains that will sell your gently used clothing for a percentage of the profit. Or, you can go through online companies like thredUP and Poshmark. Even Facebook Marketplace has become a convenient way to clean out your closet for a little profit.
How can I shop for more sustainable clothing?
The best way to reduce your closet's carbon footprint is to opt for secondhand clothing. If you're going to buy new, shop sustainable brands which offer quality clothes that use natural materials and are made to last.