Fashion trends are known to gain popularity in the media and can then go out of style within a blink of an eye. To keep up with these trends, clothing brands have to make clothes quickly and sometimes cheaply. Because of this, companies tend to overlook the importance of maintaining sustainability of clothing material. The fashion industry is also known to contribute to harmful carbon emissions from factories that produce these clothes. With that being said, the purpose of this article and the advocacy that I hope to inspire is to shed light on the wasteful habits and environmental harm that come from the fashion industry. I also think it will be interesting to discuss this topic since it is not the most prioritized issue in environmental advocacy, but I do believe it will be a topic that many people of my generation can relate to and find interest in.

To begin, waste production is very prevalent in today’s fashion industry, especially with textiles, which is a general term to describe the fiber-based material used for clothing production. Textiles can include many different fibers such as cotton, denim, polyester, etc. According to an article from Good On You, “it’s estimated that 92 million tons of textile waste is created annually by the fashion industry,” (Rauturier). Also,  “It’s also said that textile waste is to increase by around 60% between 2015 and 2030, with an additional 57 million tons of waste being generated annually, reaching an annual total of 148 million tons,” (Rauturier). All of this waste produced mainly comes from manufactures and retailers directly, and this mainly due to overproducing so retailers throw away clothes that don’t get sold and probably never will. It is estimated that these manufactures “generate around 13 million tons of textile waste every year,” (Rauturier).  This overproduction is a result of a toxic fashion industry where consumers race to buy the newest clothing that is in style and then later discard them after its popularity fades. The unsold items from retailers are then often thrown away or burned. It is a constant cycle that continues to drive the fashion industry and its consumers.

The environmental issues don’t stop at textile waste. Many factories that produce clothing for retail companies contribute a good portion of carbon emissions to the environment and also waste water pollution. According to an article from Geneva Environment Network, “The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of humanity’s carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. If the fashion sector continues on its current trajectory, that share of the carbon budget could jump to 26% by 2050,” (GEN). Also, “Some 93 billion cubic metres of water – enough to meet the needs of five million people – is used by the fashion industry annually, contributing significantly to water scarcity in some regions,” and “Around 20% of industrial wastewater pollution worldwide originates from the fashion industry,” (GEN). Not only does this pollution  pose a threat to the environment, but plastic also poses a threat, which makes up a large portion of clothing material. “Approximately 60% of all materials used by the fashion industry are made from plastic,” and “500,000 tons of microfibers are released into the ocean each year from washing clothes — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles,” (GEN). Many of these methods of production that produce such pollution and waste have been used for a while and continue to be used in today’s fashion industry. To put it simply, creating fashion that keeps up with today’s trends comes at a great environmental cost.

With this information in mind, it is important to direct attention to what is being done now to lessen the effects of these poor manufacturing practices. Sustainability is slowly becoming the driving force in today’s fashion industry, but has yet to dominate. Sustainability in fashion can include the process of avoiding harm to the environment and finding ways to enhance the quality of the environment. According to an article and study done by St. Catherine University, “The traditional arts of handmade and hand-dyed clothing reflect the beauty and storytelling power of ‘slow fashion.’ By taking care of garments — repairing them when they need support, reusing them rather than buying the latest trends — consumers can get more use out of their clothes, reducing the demand for fast fashion.” Practices such as these can lead to less waste production and hopefully less demand for fast fashion and popular trends that the traditional fashion industry caters to. In fact, there are already many clothing companies that follow these practices, such as Pact, a Colorado-based company that use only organic materials for their fabrics. Well known companies such as Patagonia and Levi’s are also leading the way to sustainable fashion. Levi’s ensure that their denim is sourced sustainably in order to minimize waste water, and they also encourage recycling jeans and using them in creative ways such as home installation.

In today’s society, the fashion industry’s success is mainly dependent on consumers such as me and especially younger generations. Putting a spotlight on sustainable fashion trends in the media can have great influence on the fashion industry and has the potential to improve the well-being of our environment that has been harmed from harmful manufacturing practices. That is why I mainly direct this article to people of younger generations such as myself, who’s fashion choices are driven by media and what is considered popular or in-style. The fashion industry can remain a successful industry, but at least we can make it beneficial for our environment as well.