The effect of fast fashion on the environment is alarming. In this blog, we discuss the purpose of decluttering and living a lifestyle of less consumption in order to be mindful about how excess contributes negatively to the world. We are not saying that a few pieces of clothing is worrisome, but the trend toward fast fashion definitely has an impact on the environment. Living with less and purchasing higher quality items is a growing trend that we support. Once you’ve decluttered your clothing, think about the impact of your purchases the next time you buy something. And, remember, just because you declutter doesn’t mean you need to run out to replace. Practice mindful consumption.

Number 1:

92 million tons of textiles waste is produced every year.

Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tons end up in landfills. To put things in perspective, this means that the equivalent of a trash truck full of clothes ends up in landfill sites every second. If this trend continues, the number of fast fashion waste is expected to sour up to 134 million tons a year by the end of the decade.

Number 2:

The apparel industry’s global emissions will increase by 50% by 2030.

If a business-as-usual scenario continues in the coming years - meaning that no action is taken to reduce fast fashion waste - the industry’s global emissions will likely double by the end of the decade.

Number 3:

The average US consumer throws away 81.5 pounds of clothes every year.

In America alone, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste - equivalent to 85% of all textiles - end up in landfills on a yearly basis. That’s equivalent to approximately 81.5 pounds per person per year and around 2,150 pieces per second nationwide.

Number 4:

The number of times a garment is worn has declined by around 36% in 15 years.

We mentioned this in another one of our blogs. The throwaway culture has worsened progressively over the years. At present, many items are worn only seven to ten times before being tossed. That’s a decline of more than 35% in just 15 years.

Number 5:

The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global waste water.

Dyeing and finishing - the process by which color and other chemicals are applied to fabrics - are responsible for 3% of global CO2 emissions as well as over 20% of global water pollution. Along with yarn preparation and fiber production, these two processes have the highest impacts on resource depletion, due to the energy-intensive processes based on fossil fuel energy.

Number 6:

It takes 20,000 liters of waters to produce one kilogram of cotton.

Besides being a huge source of water pollution, fast fashion also contributes to massive quantities of water being wasted every day. If this is difficult to picture, just think that about 2,700 liters of water are needed to make just one t-shirt, which would be enough for one person to drink for 900 days. Moreover, a single load of washing uses between 50 and 60 liters of water.

Number 7:

$500 billion is lost each year because of under-wearing and failure to recycle clothes.

The worst aspect of our reckless throw-away culture is that the vast majority of clothes being tossed each year is not recycled. Globally, just 12% of the material used for clothing ends up being recycled. Much of the problem comes down to the materials our clothes are made from and inadequate technologies to recycle them.

Number 8:

Nearly 10% of the microplastics dispersed in the ocean each year come from textiles.

Garments are a huge source of microplastics because so many are now made of nylon or polyester, both durable and cheap. Each wash and dry cycle, especially the latter, shreds microfilaments that move through our sewage systems and end up in waterways. It is estimated that half a million tons of these contaminants reach the ocean each year. That’s the equivalent to the plastic pollution of more than 50 billion bottles.

Number 9:

2.6 million tons of returned clothes ended up in landfills in 2020 in the U.S. alone.

Most of the items returned to retailers from consumers end up in landfills. This is mainly because it costs more to the company to put them back in circulation than to get rid of them. Reverse logistics company Optoro also estimates that in the same year, 16 million tons of CO2 emissions were created by online returns in the U.S. in 2020 - the equivalent to the emissions of 3.5 million cars on the road for a year.

Number 10:

Fast fashion brands are producing twice the amount of clothes today than in 2000.

This dramatic increase in production has also caused an increase in both pre-and post-production textile waste. Due to the number of cut outs for the clothing, a large number of materials get wasted as they cannot be used any further, with one study estimating that 15% of fabric used in garment manufacturing is wasted. Post-production, 60% of approximately 150 million garments produced globally in 2012 were discarded just a few years after production.

Source: Earth.org