The fashion industry has avoided a huge optical problem, but the aftermath of holiday shopping may finally reveal that prominent fashion houses are contributing to environmental destruction. The fashion industry’s dire environmental impact metrics are mind-boggling:
- Over 100 billion apparel items are manufactured annually — More than double the production of the fashion industry in 2000 — indicates a problematic surge in textile sourcing and processing.
- 92 million tons of textile waste is produced each year. That’s the equivalent of a truck full of clothes being dumped into a landfill every second.
- of The average US consumer buys 60% more clothes Than the turn of the century keep them for about half the timeWhen Throw away 81.5 pounds. clothes every year.
- The fashion industry 10% of global carbon footprint – More than international and shipping costs combined.
- From the collection of raw materials to the dyeing/finishing process and the production of textiles, Global CO2 emissions When More than 20% of the world’s water pollution.
- World wide, Only 12% of clothing is recycled.
- Almost 10% of microplastics found in the ocean come from clothing fibers.
“Excessive consumption culture” and its descendants: “Buy and return culture” and “throw away culture” produce large amounts of waste
The devastating facts speak for themselves, but in addition to being responsible for considerable greenhouse gas emissions, exploitation of natural resources, and dumping millions of garments into landfills every day, the fashion industry “Fast fashion” (inexpensive, mass-produced fashion short-term style items) are in high demand. The idea of overconsumption fueled by social media is simple. Once the style is gone, you can never wear it again.
Clothing is increasingly being returned to retailers due to the prevalent “buy and return” subculture in society. Retailers rarely restock, reuse, or reuse items, simply disposing of unwanted fabrics and letting them accumulate in landfills. With the rise of the “disposable culture” fueled by more brands selling apparel, many garments are worn only 7 to 10 times before being discarded.
While some would argue that fast fashion companies and consumers are easily preyed upon by the environmental impact of the global fashion industry as a whole, fast fashion’s mandate of mass production is undoubtedly the play of textile production. led to a dramatic increase in waste, which in turn led to a dramatic surge in pre- and post-manufacturing waste. For example, the sheer number and variety of patterns to accommodate the surge in garment production means that an excessive amount of material is wasted because it cannot be reused. The production volume alone at today’s largest fast-fashion maisons is staggering, with popular brands estimated to produce 20,000 new styles each year.
Most recently, a lovingly crafted copycat fashion production priced significantly lower than the brand’s original.Fooled,” has been accused of fostering an overconsumption mindset that has caused clothing to become more and more disposable. increase. Consumers are embarking on a social media duped frenzy with direct links to fast fashion websites. It’s a successful marketing strategy this holiday season. The 2022 holiday season has clearly made fashion waste worse. Shoppers bought clothes they intended to return while ditching their old clothes to make room for the latest trends. Market research shows that the pandemic in the rearview mirror has made consumers more likely to purchase holiday dresses and travel apparel, not just those that have been duped. Retailers urged shoppers to buy, buy, buy to clear the inventory that had built up due to unprecedented supply chain delays.
Fast fashion boom → Rapid increase in CO2 emissions
The truth is, apparel manufacturing aside, buying clothes itself, whether in person or online, has a staggering carbon footprint. Today’s fast-fashion maisons transport clothing around the world by rail, road, sea and air to meet consumer demand for ‘overnight’ delivery, creating a visible carbon footprint. .Add returns for ugly sweaters, ill-fitting joggers, and not-so-duplicate FooledThe aftermath of holiday shopping is estimated to create CO2 emissions equivalent to 3.5 million cars per year.
Synthetic fibers make recycling impractical, microplastics end up in waterways
The recent explosion in the use of synthetic fibers in industry has made the process of recycling textile waste increasingly difficult, if not impracticable. While cotton and wood fiber fabrics decompose quickly (cotton shirts take 6 months to decompose, wool socks take 5 years), synthetics such as lycra and polyester take centuries to decompose. increase. Sorting clothing for recycling requires a labor-intensive and skilled workforce. Not to mention, the process of turning blended fabrics into reusable yarns requires the use of strong chemical solvents, which has an even greater negative impact on the environment. The fashion industry continues to suffer from inadequate technology to effectively, efficiently and affordably recycle clothing. Therefore, unfortunately, it becomes more convenient to throw unwanted clothing in landfills. Today’s fashion is even more environmentally problematic as strong, durable, versatile and cheap synthetic fabrics are a significant source of microplastic pollution. It has been shown to shed microfilaments, pass through sewage systems, and eventually flow into waterways, impacting ecosystems and drinking water.
Fashionista, don’t despair!
The fashion industry statistics are certainly daunting, but there is a glimmer of hope. We are creating a truly circular fashion economy in exchange for credits to return and buy new apparel. Savvy consumers are taking the fashion industry’s environmental problems into their own hands. Once confined to charity, second-hand shopping is now reportedly a booming industry thanks to the “college culture.” College students with little time for full-time jobs find frugality to be a lucrative sideline with the added bonus of not contributing to the fast fashion economy. not. Inflation has made all consumers more bargain-seeking, with Recommerce reporting he has grown nearly 15% in 2021. Ultimately, frugality may save the fashion industry’s reputation by shifting consumer attention (whether intentional or not) to recycling and reusing textiles. Stay away from fast fashion mass production and hazardous waste.
