Fashion - Center for Environmental Health (2024)

FAQs

How to solve the fast fashion crisis? ›

The Dark Side of Fast Fashion

It dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year. Even washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.

The fashion industry is estimated to be responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions – more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. According to the European Environment Agency, textile purchases in the EU in 2020 generated about 270 kg of CO2 emissions per person.

The pollution introduced by the fast fashion industry results in devastating impacts to both terrestrial and aquatic environments, with harmful effects linked to habitat degradation, proliferation of chemicals and microplastics in waterways, and the increasing impact of climate change from anthropogenic greenhouse gas ...

The FABRIC Act is a proposed federal bill that aims to protect American garment workers and revitalize the domestic garment industry by improving working conditions, reforming the piece rate pay scale, and investing in domestic apparel production.

Polyester and Nylon: Polyester and nylon are used extensively in fashion, as they're cheap and durable. However they're extremely hazardous to the environment, as they're non-biodegradable and unsustainable. The production of nylon emits nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that triggers the destruction of the ozone layer.

Most SHEIN clothes are made from non-biodegradable synthetics, lasting in the environment for hundreds to thousands of years, contributing to landfill waste and microplastic pollution. However, some SHEIN clothing might be made from natural fibres like cotton or linen, which could biodegrade under specific conditions.

Denim does not dissolve in water because the intermolecular forces between polymer strands help keep them together.

Is throwing away clothes bad for the environment? ›

According to the World Resources Institute, it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt. Textiles can take up to 200+ years to decompose in landfills.

On average, 700,000 tons of used clothing gets exported overseas and 2.5 million tons of clothing are recycled. But over three million tons are incinerated, and a staggering 10 million tons get sent to landfills.

If we managed to extend the usable lifespan of our clothes by just 3 months, we would reduce our carbon, water and waste footprints by around 5-10%. This is why we need the 30 wears campaign.

The relentless demand for cheap, disposable clothing drives the consumption of finite resources like water, energy, and raw materials, contributing to pollution and climate change. Labor Exploitation: Behind the glamorous facade of fast fashion lies a grim reality for the workers who produce these garments.

Sometimes, plant-derived fibers such as cotton or linen were blended in. Now, according to Imran Islam, a textile-science professor and knit expert at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, the overwhelming majority of yarn used in mass-market knitwear is blended with some type of plastic.

Better policy and legislation can encourage recycling and the creation of environmentally-friendly products and business models as an alternative to those popularised by fast fashion.

Inexpensive, low-quality clothing tends to be the biggest culprit, so buying fewer of those types of products can make the most difference. “When you do purchase clothes, try to buy items made from organic natural fibers. Those tend to consume fewer resources and cause less pollution,” Gui suggested.

The fast fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of the world's carbon emissions. Post-production, the majority of fast fashion pieces end up in landfills. Three out of five fast fashion garments will end up in a landfill within a year and 80% of all clothing is landfilled or incinerated.