As part of our commitment to Earth via our Laudato Si’ Action Plan, we are inviting everyone who shares in our charism to take a monthly Eco-Challenge with us.
What is fast fashion?
Fast fashion describes the growing culture in the fashion industry where clothes are made quickly for very cheap and disposed of just as fast. In fast fashion, the whole lifecycle of an article of clothing is fast: changes in current trends, rate of production, decision to purchase, delivery, wear and disposal.
According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “Clothing represents more than 60% of the total textiles used and in the last 15 years, clothing production has approximately doubled…At the same time, clothing use has declined by almost 40%.” Companies who produce fast fashion make money off of encouraging people to buy more clothes that they wear less. There are estimates that some garments are thrown out after just seven to ten wears.
The cost of clothing
Overconsumption in the fashion industry is not without consequences. Although the clothes are cheap, textile workers and our planet are paying the price. Fast fashion exploits workers, relies heavily on plastic fabrics, pollutes water and leaves behind a massive carbon footprint.
“Every second one truckload of clothing is landfilled or burned,” the Ellen MacArthur Foundation writes. “The current system for producing, distributing, and using clothing operates in an almost completely linear way…It is estimated that more than half of fast fashion produced is disposed of in under a year.” According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, 21 billion tons of textiles are sent to landfills a year.
Fast fashion has also contributed to the huge impact of textile production on water. The United Nations Environment Programme says, “Textile dyeing is also the second largest polluter of water globally…Textiles are also estimated to account for approximately 9% of annual microplastic losses to the ocean.” Even when clothes are donated, they can end up in dump sites, burning in toxic fires and clogging rivers in the Global South.
Not only does the textile production process pollute water, but making clothes contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change found that textile production generates 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases annually. That is more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Emissions from textile production are also expected to rise by more than 60 percent by 2030.
Fast fashion exasperates the impact of textile production on the environment. However, there are many ways in which we can forgo fast fashion and dress more sustainably.
Eco-friendly fashion
- Wear what you own: Fast fashion is fueled by consumption. One of the best ways to combat fast fashion is wearing what you already own. Refamiliarize yourself with what’s in your closet and put together new outfits with clothes you already have.
- Repair rather than replace: Inevitably, clothes wear down. Rather than throwing away something that is torn or stained, repurpose or repair it. Sew a cool patch over a hole in a jacket! Turn old t-shirts into a new blanket!
- Buy second-hand: If you do need to buy clothes, buy second-hand. Thrift stores and second-hand shops stop clothes from going into landfills and save the energy and water that would go into making new clothing. Second-hand shopping is a great way of refreshing your closet without buying something brand new.
- Buy less: In fast fashion, clothes are rarely worn before they are disposed. When buying clothes, think about when you’ll wear a piece. If you can only think of one or two occasions, consider finding a similar item you will use more frequently or forgo it altogether.
Take the Eco-Challenge
How many of these actions will you take this month?
At a workshop, one of those “help you with your clutter” professionals said, “When you think of buying any clothes, look at it and think, ‘Will I open my closet in the morning and say, Oh, Good, I can wear this today!'” If you cannot see yourself doing that, don’t buy it unless it is something you absolutely need for a specific event. If it is for something like a gala for which you need a fancy outfit and you don’t see yourself needing it again for a long time, think about renting.
Wonderfully shared
The eco challenge highlights many of the practices that I have been doing for some time. I realized as I read the suggestions that the last time I was looking for an outfit to wear for an awards ceremony, I scoured several stores and found what I wanted in a Goodwill ( second hand) Store!.
I’ve been accused of being an American because I don’t like to shop. the only things I buy new are shoes, bras, and panties! there is such a variety of clothes in thrift stores and no one has said to me yet. “wow, that’s ugly. why are you wearing it?”… haven’t bought anything new for years! great Eco challenge and awareness raising, keep it up! years we will have to work even harder to keep our planet happy and healthy with a convicted felon who caters for corporations $ profit in the White House ugh!
Great reminder. I’ve been doing much of this for a long time, but will consider being more faithful to this challenge.
I love going to what I call “one of a kind” stores. Good Will, Vincent de Paul, and one really great one on Evans in Southeast Denver. I can’t think of any clothes (other than shoes, socks and undies) that I have bought new in years. It’s fun!