as consumers It’s our Responsibility to alleviate The pollution crisis
According to the EPA, in 2015, the amount of clothing and footwear generated in the U.S., was an estimated 11,940 million tons(!), and in the same year, 8,240 million tons ended up in landfills. That means around 69% was thrown away, a trend observed since the 1990s and before that, it was even more— around 96% in the 1960s. If that isn’t enough to get you to a thrift store, keep reading!
Drinking water for one person, over the course of two and a half years, is about 2,700 liters of water… the same amount it takes to create one t-shirt (WWF). A pair of jeans is about 6,800 liters (TFL).
The apparel industry is one of the most resource-intensive industries, relying on several other industries to succeed. Agriculture, petroleum, construction, and the transportation industries, to name a few.
Believe it or not, laundering, is the biggest contributor to a garment’s carbon footprint. Washing, drying, and ironing accounts for between 40-80% of it’s life cycle emissions (BSR). This, however, doesn’t mean we should ignore the carbon emissions put out during production as this can account for up to 60%, depending on the garment and launder treatment.
Only 1,690 million tons of clothing and footwear were recycled in 2015— 14% of the amount generated.
About 20 pieces of new clothing items are manufactured per person per year, but roughly only 80 billion new pieces are consumed globally (The True Cost). Considering there are 7.53 billion people in the world, that would leave over 70 billion pieces of newly manufactured clothing that are not even making it into the hands of the consumer. YIKES!
Fast fashion has shifted the industry from four fashion seasons, for many retailers, into daily or weekly seasons. With a manufacturing method called quick response manufacturing, these retailers can knock-off designer looks with quick turn-around times to release similar looking clothing, almost immediately off the runway.
Phew, that was heavy! You might be you wondering now, what can I immediately do to make a difference? You can start by buying used clothing and hire USED styling to help you on your journey!
By changing your consumer behavior, your individual footprint will contribute less demand for the industry to produce new clothes. Through spreading the word and leading by example, you can influence the buying and clothing care habits of those around you. When enough people shift their habits, we can transform the entire clothing industry. Join USED in the revolution.