We now buy 60% more clothing than the year 2000 and only keep it for half as long. This is a whole lot of waste and we’re doing it no matter our age. Fast fashion is causing more clothing waste than ever and comes at a HUGE cost to the environment and human rights. It’s made up largely of synthetics which are derived from fossil fuels, it has an extremely high water footprint, it’s mass-manufactured in a chemical laden industry, and the business model is largely constant new styles and turn over, relying on exploited labor to produce.
An average American throws away ~80 pounds of clothing per year. Australians dispose of about 6,000 kilograms of fashion and textile waste every 10 minutes. It is estimated that 350,000 tonnes of textiles goes to landfill in the UK every year.
Our recommendation, and something we try and follow constantly, is to buy way less but when you buy, make it ethical and sustainable, and ideally from a small & transparent business. And then cherish it as long as humanly possible. Love it. Nurture it. Be able to compost it at end of life.
Repairing clothes, buying secondhand (you can find some real gems at op shops), doing clothes swaps with friends or at work or school, washing less, wearing an item at least 100 times, and investing in ethical clothing, products made to last and natural fibres when buying new are some ways to reduce the impact. Buy items that mix and match well together and that you’ll use over and over again. If you have items you haven’t worn in 6 months and they’re in good condition, sell them, donate them or swap them to give them life!
Extra tip: don’t own more clothing than you can fit in a standard suitcase (winter coats and shoes aside).
How are you doing on the fashion front?
