3 Facts About How Fashion is Damaging Our Planet
We are reaching the end of New York Fashion Week which is arguably one of the most important and influential clothing weekends of the year. It is a time of year for those who love clothing to come together and fantasize over high- end designer’s newest collections.
However, it is SO important for everyone participating in this event as well as all my shopping lovers to hear the hard truth… Fast fashion is killing our planet.
Let’s break it down and face the facts.
- Globally, the dyeing of textiles is the second largest pollution of clean water. Many are unaware of how many toxic chemicals are in clothing products. These chemicals are either from dying products or transferred through pesticides in the soil from cropping. An example of this is in the cotton production.
- “More than 15 million tons of used textile waste is generated each year in the United States, and the amount has doubled over the last 20 years. An average American throws away approximately 80 pounds of used clothing per person per year.”
- 85% of used clothing textiles go to national landfills. As exemplified in the graph below, there has been an rapid increase in landfilled waste due to textiles over the past decades.
Fast fashion is damaging our planet and it all starts and ends with us making a change.
Next time you go to press “Checkout” on your favorite online store, keep in mind how YOU are personally affecting the amazing planet we live on. And next time you go to throw out a pair of jeans that don’t fit, think twice. Try donating it to local thift stores or homeless shelter.
THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS.
Let’s be smarter in the way we wear and buy into fashion. Let’s keep this planet clean.
