In someone’s life span, they grow up and their body size and structure continues to change. This also means buying clothing from different sizes occurs; at least wearing 10 different sizes throughout a lifetime. From pajamas, streetwear, professional wear, vacation and going out clothing; one may buy multiple times of clothing for different occasions. Overall, one uses over hundreds of clothing items for only a certain amount of time. More and more clothing items are being produced than ever; “Estimates from consulting firm McKinsey and the World Economic Forum suggest the number of garments produced each year has at least doubled since 2000”(Dottle & Gu, 1). The question we should be asking ourselves is where does all of this clothing go after we are using it?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, “fashion accounts for up to 10% of global carbon dioxide output—more than international flights and shipping combined”. The fashion industry is contributing to our environmental crisis whether we want to acknowledge it or not. Materials such as polyester and cotton are being overused in this industry while polluting our planet. The saddest part about this is that only 10% of these clothing items are being recycled. These practices are not only coming from fast fashion companies but retail, luxury and casual wear companies. Although whenever luxury companies come up with trends, fast fashion companies tend to recopy and mass produce that trend at such a lower cost. This leads to even more ethical issues like unsafe labor conditions or unfair wages. While some fashion companies have changed their company’s mission to focus on sustainability, our planet is still getting harmed.
Polyester is easily one of fashion’s most environmentally unfriendly materials being used. Not only does this material require a large amount of energy to produce, its plastic particles pollute the environment at a very fast rate. When looking at the amount of energy polyester uses, it is tripled from the amount of cotton used. Also, polyester’s material sheds plastic particles that are released into our planet “ pollute the oceans, freshwater and land and pose a danger to the animals that consume them, inhibiting their growth and reproduction”( Dottle & Gu, 1). These microplastics are starting to become one of the largest sources of pollution in the world’s ocean. Not only does this affect the ocean, but the ocean life. Further, this microplastic pollution makes the ocean’s animal life have a harder time growing and reproducing.
As more individuals are getting informed about this environmental issue, there is a higher interest in making a positive difference in the fashion industry regarding pollution and recycling. More and more people are realizing how the fashion industry is not sustainable for our future and needs to change. Also, more and more fashion companies are also trying to make a difference throughout their own company. Even fast fashion companies are taking a stand like Shein where the brand’s business structure “actually minimizes waste because it produces a small number of items in each style and waits to see how well styles perform online before mass-producing them” (Dottle & Gu, 1). This brand strategy is actually a very smart move and can help prevent overproduction that wouldn’t be used. The brand also prioritizes using recycled material when making their fashion clothing. They even took their sustainable approach one step higher when releasing EvoluSHEIN, “a purpose-driven line of clothing made with fabrics that have a lower impact on the environment”(Ciment, 1). Even the packaging for this line was made from recycled products. Companies who are trying to make an environmentally friendly difference like Shein should be more talked about; inspiring other fashion companies to start changing some of their business practices for the better of our planet.
While we may not always think about the impact of our fashion choices, we must start to acknowledge its negative impact on our planet. Every individual will go through a large number of clothing but finding the most sustainable ones is the best route to go. Furthermore, supporting brands who may just start in improving their environmental practices are a good one to support and purchase from. If we can all work together to stay fashionable while saving our planet, isn’t it a won for all?
Sources
Ciment, Shoshy. “How Shein Balances Fast-Fashion with Sustainability Goals.” Footwear News, Footwear News, 2 June 2022, https://footwearnews.com/2022/business/sustainability/shein-balances-fast-fashion-and-sustainability-1203293192/.
Dottle, Rachael, and Jackie Gu. “The Real Environmental Impact of the Fashion Industry.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 23 Feb. 2022, https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-fashion-industry-environmental-impact/?leadSource=uverify+wall.
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