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Scholarly Journal Article - "The environmental price of fast fashion"

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Scholarly Journal Article - "The environmental price of fast fashion"

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This article was written by Kirsi Niinimäki, Greg Peters, Helena Dahlbo, Patsy Perry, Timo Rissanen, and Alison Gwilt. It was originally published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. I learned about how the fashion supply chain works and how each stage of the process affects the environment.

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Popular Article - "How fast fashion fuels climate change, plastic pollution, and violence"

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Popular Article - "How fast fashion fuels climate change, plastic pollution, and violence"

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This article was written by Helle Abelvik-Lawson and published by Greenpeace International. In addition to outlining how the environment is impacted by fast fashion, this article taught me about the inhumane work conditions in fast fashion factories.

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How fast fashion fuels climate change, plastic pollution, and violence - Greenpeace International

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We all have to wear clothes, and they need to be affordable for everyone. But there is a better way.

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Popular Article - "Fast fashion: How clothes are linked to climate change"

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Popular Article - "Fast fashion: How clothes are linked to climate change"

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This BBC article was written by Esme Stallard. I learned three ways consumers can become part of the solution and reduce their fashion footprint which includes methods like renting out clothing that is not frequently worn.

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The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global emissions - and British shoppers buy more clothes than any others in Europe.

Now, some UK brands are being investigated over claims about the sustainability of their fashion lines.

What can you do to reduce your wardrobe's impact on the planet?

What is fast fashion?

The term describes the quick turnover of fashion trends and the move towards cheap, mass-produced clothing - with new lines constantly released.

Wardrobes are "overflowing with clothes", argues fast fashion campaigner Elizabeth Cline. Oxfam research suggests the average Briton has 57 unworn items.

What's the environmental impact of fast fashion?

Producing clothes uses a lot of natural resources and creates greenhouse gas emissions which are responsible for climate change.

Overall, the fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global emissions, according to the UN - more than the aviation and shipping combined.

And global clothes sales could increase by up to 65% by 2030, the World Bank suggests.

Most of fashion's environmental impact comes from the use of raw materials:

The industry also uses a lot of water.

Who buys fast fashion?

UK shoppers buy more clothes per person than those in any other country in Europe, according to MPs.

Young people top that list. A recent survey by environmental charity Hubbub found that more than two-fifths of 16 to 24-year-olds buy clothes online at least once a week, compared to 13% on average for other age groups.

How can you reduce your fashion footprint?

The UN has launched the #ActNow Fashion Challenge to highlight how industry and individuals can help improve fashion's environmental impact.

It says that reducing the fashion industry's carbon footprint "is key to limiting [global] warming".

Make clothes more sustainably

Several firms have launched "eco" collections which use organic and recycled materials, including H&M Conscious, Adidas x Parley and Zara Join Life.

But critics argue such collections don't solve the biggest problem - overconsumption.

"Until brands tackle this issue first and foremost, 'conscious collections' by fast fashion brands can only ever be considered greenwashing," argues Flora Beverley, co-founder of sustainable brand Leo's Box.

Zara rejected the accusation, telling the BBC that it "does not use advertising to push demand or promote overconsumption". Adidas said that by 2025, "9 out of ten Adidas articles will be sustainable". H&M declined to comment.

Some fashion lines may not be as sustainable as they first appear.

The UK's competition watchdog is investigating Asos, Boohoo and Asda over claims about sustainability of their products and the language used to describe them. The companies said they were committed to providing accurate information.

Many "slow fashion" companies are emerging - offering fewer new pieces a year, all of which have a lower environmental impact.

But not everybody is prepared to pay for them.

A third of young people surveyed by the London Fashion Retail Academy said they wouldn't pay more than £5 extra for sustainable garments.

Charity shops and jumble sales have long offered a reliable way to extend the life of clothes. Sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace also make it easier to buy and sell pre-loved items.

But this doesn't necessarily mean that shoppers buy fewer items overall.

The waste charity Wrap argues that second-hand purchases are unlikely to replace more than 10% of new sales. It recommends other approaches, such as encouraging people to repair and revamp existing pieces.

Rent the Runway has offered a rental service for clothes since 2009

Hiring clothes is another way to access new pieces.

Market research company Imarc suggests the rental market could increase by 65% to about £1.6bn worldwide by 2025.

Wrap argues that if renting replaced 10% of new purchases every year, it would save 160,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the UK alone.

The simplest solution could also be the most most effective.

Buying a maximum of eight new items a year could reduce fashion's emissions by 37% in the world's major cities, according to research by Leeds University and Arup.

But this would obviously have significant financial implications for manufacturers and retailers, a tension which is not unique to the fashion industry.

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Fast fashion: How clothes are linked to climate change

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Fashion is responsible for 10% of global emissions - buying less and renting clothes could help.

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TED Talk - "How to fix fashion and protect the planet"

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TED Talk - "How to fix fashion and protect the planet"

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This TED Talk is by fashion designer Amy Powney. It taught me about the different sustainable choices fashion designers can make to reduce their carbon footprint.

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Amy Powney: How to fix fashion and protect the planet | TED Talk

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From the field to your closet, your clothes go on a long journey before they enter your life. Designer Amy Powney explores the fashion industry’s brutal impact on the environment and human health, modeling what ethical, planet-friendly clothing can look like — and inviting us all to think beyond the…

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News Segment - "How fast fashion is impacting the planet — and what can be done about it"

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News Segment - "How fast fashion is impacting the planet — and what can be done about it"

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This ABC Nightline segment is hosted by Ginger Zee. It taught me about the garment landfills in Northern Chile and how detrimental their effects are on the surrounding environment as well as local residents' health.

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How fast fashion is impacting the planet — and what can be done about it

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Podcast - "The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion | The Changemaker Podcast EP3"

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Podcast - "The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion | The Changemaker Podcast EP3"

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The Changemaker Podcast is hosted by Charlotte, a student at the University of the West of England Bristol, and she is interviewing Dr. Verity Jones. I learned more about the systematic changes that need to be made in order to slow the rate of environmental damage from the fashion industry.

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The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion | The Changemaker Podcast EP3

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Scholarly Journal Article - "The global environmental injustice of fast fashion"

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Scholarly Journal Article - "The global environmental injustice of fast fashion"

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This article was written by Rachel Bick, Erika Halsey, and Christine C. Ekenga. It was published in BioMed Central. I learned that natural cellulosic and protein fibers can be a sustainable replacements for cotton and polyester fibers used in fabrics.

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Popular Article - "Fast Fashion Pollution and Climate Change"

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Popular Article - "Fast Fashion Pollution and Climate Change"

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This Earth.org article was written by Nikita Shukla. This source taught me more about fast fashion's impact on the ocean and other natural water resources.

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Fast Fashion Pollution and Climate Change | Earth.Org

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Fast fashion pollution creates long-term and potentially irreversible environmental damage, but exacerbate the effects of climate change.

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Popular Article - "10 Concerning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics"

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Popular Article - "10 Concerning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics"

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This Earth.org article was written by Martina Igini. I learned multiple shocking statistics that can later be used in my essay to capture my audience's attention.

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The extremely -detrimental impact of fast fashion waste on the environment is no news. Besides being responsible for nearly 10% of global carbon emissions, the industry is also infamously known for the amount of resources it wastes and the millions of clothes ending up in landfills every day. Here are 10 highly concerning statistics about textile waste.
10 Statistics About Fast Fashion Waste

1. 92 million tonnes of textiles waste is produced every year

Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills. To put things in perspective, this means that the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up on landfill sites every second . If the trend continues, the number of fast fashion waste is expected to soar up to 134 million tonnes a year by the end of the decade.

2. The apparel industry's global emissions will increase by 50% by 2030

If a business-as-usual scenario prevails in the coming years - meaning that no action is taken to reduce fast fashion waste - the industry's global emissions will likely double by the end of the decade.

3. The average US consumer throws away 81.5lbs of clothes every year

In America alone, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste - equivalent to 85% of all textiles - end up in landfills on a yearly basis. That's equivalent to approximately (37 kilograms) per person per year and around 2,150 pieces per second countrywide.

4. The number of times a garment is worn has declined by around 36% in 15 years

The throwaway culture has worsen progressively over the years. At present, many items are worn only seven to ten times before being tossed. That's a decline of more than 35% in just 15 years.

5. The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global waste water

Dyeing and finishing - the processes by which colour and other chemicals are applied to fabrics - are responsible for 3% of global CO2 emissions as well as over 20% of global water pollution. Along with yarn preparation and fibre production, these two processes have the highest impacts on resource depletion , due to the energy-intensive processes based on fossil fuel energy.

6. It takes 20,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of cotton

Besides being a huge source of water pollution, fast fashion also contributes to massive quantities of water being wasted every day. If this is difficult to picture, just think that about 2,700 litres of water are needed to make just one t-shirt, which would be enough for one person to drink for 900 days. Moreover, a single load of washing uses between 50 and 60 litres of water.
You might also like: Is Hong Kong's Avant-Garde Textile Recycling Facility a Real Solution to Fast Fashion Problems?
7. $500 billion is lost each year because of under-wearing and failure to recycle clothes

The worst aspect of our reckless thrown-away culture is that the vast majority of clothes being tossed each year is not recycled. Globally, just 12% of the material used for clothing ends up being recycled. Much of the problem comes down to the materials our clothes are made from and inadequate technologies to recycle them. "The fabrics we drape over our bodies are complex combinations of fibres, fixtures and accessories. They are made from problematic blends of natural yarns, man-made filaments, plastics and metals."

8. Nearly 10% of microplastics dispersed in the ocean each year come from textiles

Garments are a huge source of microplastics because so many are now made of nylon or polyester, both durable and cheap. Each wash and dry cycle, especially the latter, sheds microfilaments that move through our sewage systems and end up in waterways. It is estimated that half a million tons of these contaminants reach the ocean each year. That's the equivalent to the plastic pollution of more than 50 billion bottles.

9. 2.6 million tonnes of returned clothes ended up in landfills in 2020 in the US alone

Most of the items returned to retailers from consumers end up in landfill. This is mainly because it costs more to the company to put them back in circulation than to get rid of them. Reverse logistics company Optoro also estimates that in the same year, 16 million tonnes of CO2 emissions were created by online returns in the US in 2020 - the equivalent to the emissions of 3.5 million cars on the road for a year.

10. Fast fashion brands are producing twice the amount of clothes today than in 2000

This dramatic increase in production has also caused an increase in both pre- and post-production textile waste . Due to the number of cut outs for the clothing, a large number of materials get wasted as they cannot be used any further, with one study estimating that 15% of fabric used in garment manufacturing is wasted. Post-production, 60% of approximately 150 million garments produced globally in 2012 were discarded just a few years after production.

What Can I Do?

1. On A Personal Level

Ways to approach climate action within our personal lives (hint - it evolves personal action but is not focused on small behavioural changes, which whilst worthwhile will not get us there):

Joining a community can be one of the best ways to increase your impact.

First, it can enable you to make hundreds of connections in one go.

Second, a group of people working together can have more impact than individuals. If you are not already, take action by becoming an to support our mission to encourage a billion climate activists.

If you're a younger read ask your parents to take action by bringing your whole family on board as a Family Member.

Reflect on the concept of Effective Altruism , a project that aims to find the best ways to help others, and put them into practice.

Ways to approach climate action within the workplace:

Maintain your career path but consider donating a portion of your income to organisations that are focused on achieving meaningful & impactful goals and call out your boss if the company or organisation you work for does not have clear policies that will result in reduced harm to the environment and a pathway to Net Zero.

Ask your boss to support EO by bringing the whole team onboard with EO company membership - and take action together.

Reconsider your career path, with excellent advice .

Research for this article was conducted by Earth.Org research contributor Chloe Lam You might also like: Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact
3. On A Political Level

Ways to approach climate action as a voter or political actor (even if you can't vote):

Protest - make your feelings known - become a vocal and passionate advocate with friends and family (without being over pushy) of the need for climate action. We need a billion activists to turn this ship around.

Join organisations that are organising climate actions and protests locally, whether in your city, district, or even at school.

Vote (if you can) for politicians who will champion effective climate action by governments.

Vote for parties or organisations that espouse self-reform and the adoption of ' Ministers of the Future ' into government.

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10 Concerning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics | Earth.Org

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Besides being responsible for nearly 10% of global carbon emissions, the fashion industry is also infamously known for the amount of resources it wastes and the trash it produces. Here are 10 highly concerning statistics about fast fashion waste.

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Scholarly Journal Article - "The Environmental Impacts of Fast Fashion on Water Quality: A Systematic Review"

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Scholarly Journal Article - "The Environmental Impacts of Fast Fashion on Water Quality: A Systematic Review"

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This article was written by Kerrice Bailey, Aman Basu, and Sapna Sharma and published in the MDPI database. This taught me about the extensive damage of water pollution from the fast fashion industry and how recycling wastewater may be a potential solution to overconsumption.