Environment and Fashion
By: Cloe Belle
Tags: Fashionblogger, Sustainability, Fashion Trends, Fashion, Environmental Issues

Environment and Fashion

The term ‘fast fashion’ is used to describe a highly-profitable business based on copying the latest catwalk styles and high-fashion designs. These clothing items get wired quickly through outlets to maximize current trends. The industry has been buzzing with conversations surrounding high-quality fashion, sustainability, and environmental impact.

The fast fashion business model is a streamlined system involving cheaply produced and priced clothes with rapid design, production, distribution, and marketing processes. This enables vendors to pull smaller quantities of greater product variety, providing consumers with more fashion and product variation at reasonable prices.

Manufacturers often use women and children in impoverished nations to mass produce items for a fraction of the price. While this truth is terrible there is also the argument that they are better that other labor intensive jobs offered in these nations (read this article to learn more). What this shows us as consumers is that deeper systemic change needs to happen across the social and economic sectors for these countries.

The Impact of Fast Fashion on Environment

Fashion — a US$ 2.5 trillion industry — is one of the most polluting industries in the world and is responsible for at least 10% of global greenhouse emissions. Textile production is estimated to release about 1.2 billion tons of carbon emissions every year. Furthermore, vast amounts of water are required during the production process, and the apparel industry is responsible for 20% of wastewater worldwide.

Textile production has doubled since 2010. Due to its increasing popularity worldwide, the growing market for cheap garments and new designs is taking a toll on the environment. According to a study, people on average purchased 60% more items in 2014, compared to what they did in 2000.

The environmental challenges of fashion stem from the manufacturing process and overproduction — both of which plague all levels of the apparel industry. A rise in clothing consumption has led to a dramatic increase in textile waste, as around 85% of textile produced is thrown away or burnt every year. In the US, an average person throws out 37kg of clothes every year, while only 13.6% of clothes and shoes end up getting recycled.

The volume of clothing Americans discard has more than doubled in the last 20 years, from 7 million to 20 million tons. The reason for such a tremendous increase? Fast Fashion. Currently, only 12% of the material used for garments gets recycled. To meet the growing demands of consumers, fashion retailers produce cheap and non-durable items. This results in them churning out new apparel multiple times per month.

The Solution

The fact that people fail to consider is the disastrous impact our clothes have on the environment. Clothes require vast amounts of water, chemicals, energy, and other natural resources. A study by the World Resources Institutes states that it takes 2,700 liters of water to produce one cotton shirt. When these clothes end up in landfills or incinerators, not only do they waste money and resources, but also take several years to decompose. Furthermore, during the decomposition process, toxic gases such as methane and other chemicals are generated.

However, there are certain measures and alternatives to mitigate these issues. The initial step lies in building awareness and willingness to change fashion preferences. While most brands are looking forward to reducing textile waste, individuals and businesses can turn to the following approaches.

Thrift Shop

With fast fashion trends changing every month, new clothing items are being produced frequently. You can start thrift shopping to reduce your clothing footprint. It’s one of the best ways to stay fashionable yet find high-quality, unique garments at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new.

Before purchasing clothes from online or physical thrift shops, make a list of the items you are looking for to help you get organized. It’s not always possible to try everything before you purchase. In such cases, look for staple and layering pieces during shopping thrift. Besides, when you buy something, try visualizing yourself in it. If it can be worn multiple times and with different outfits, it’s worth buying. If you are looking for an online option try Depop or Poshmark.

Buy Sustainable

Buy from eco-friendly retailers who are promoting the production of clothes with more eco-friendly techniques. For example, clothing brands such as Levi’s, Eileen Fisher, and Amour Vert are trying to be more sustainable and use recycled items.

Besides, support small businesses that focus on creating a sustainability chain by producing less from the beginning. These retailers use strategies like producing made-to-order to avoid producing more than what is sold to keep more clothes out of landfills. Their clothing is of the highest quality, durable, and long-lasting. Some places will even fix your clothes so that they last a long time in your wardrobe.

Buy Less

Don’t purchase clothes unless you need it. The majority of people buy more clothing and footwear than required. You can try and extend the life of the clothing that you already have. You can do so by following the instructions on the label and washing them fewer times. This step not only helps reduce your carbon footprint, but it also makes them last longer.

You can also fix minor damages by getting a sewing kit and using it, for example, to put new buttons or mend holes. By fixing clothes when they’re damaged, you can reduce the amount of clothing sent to waste. Besides, to create new styles, you can mix and match your clothes.

Rent Your Clothes

For special occasions that require a special outfit, such as a wedding ceremony or important business meeting, retailers such as Rent the Runway allow you to rent a new outfit while saving the resources required to manufacture new clothing pieces. Moreover, it allows people to stay up-to-date with the latest fashion trends without having to spend thousands and eventually sending them to the landfill.

The Bottom Line

While recycling, swapping, and renting will be a crucial part of the solution, consumers will need to modify their preferences to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

We need to slow down, turn to sustainable means, and take a little time to reconnect and appreciate our old clothes again. Keep in mind that the clothes we wear took both physical and natural resources to make them.