Here’s a quick, bite sized blog post to help inform you on the realities of fast fashion.
- It is estimated that more than half of fast fashion produced is disposed of in under a year. Ellen MacAthur Foundation
- The Institute of Sustainable Communication suggested that the fashion industry comes in the second position as the biggest polluter of clean water.
- In the United States, clothes are only worn for about a quarter of the global average. Ellen MacAthur Foundation
- Some garments are estimated to be discarded after just seven wears.
- The textiles industry relies mostly on non-renewable resources, including oil, to produce synthetic fibers, fertilizers to grow cotton, and chemicals to produce, dye, and finish fibers and textiles.
- In 2015, greenhouse gas emissions from textiles production added up to 1.2 billion tons of CO2. More than those of all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
- 20% of industrial water pollution globally is attributable to the dyeing and treatment of textiles
- It has been estimated that around half a million tons of plastic microfibers shed during the washing of plastic-based textiles such as polyester, nylon, or acrylic end up in the ocean.
Ok don’t freak out. I know this is a lot to take in, but you powerful women out there want to be the most educated consumer you can be, and sometimes that means knowing things you wish you didn’t know.
Check out my similar posts on the rise of the sustainable fashion movement and simple ways you can minimize your fast fashion impact.
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References:
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future,(2017, http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications).
Hartline, N.L., Bruce, N.J., Karba S.N., Ruff, E.O., Sonar, S.U., and Holden, P.A. (2016) Microfiber Masses Recovered from Conventional Machine Washing of New or Aged Garments, Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 50, No.21, pp.11532-11538
