What is fast fashion's environmental impact?

‍They're just clothes - how bad can they be?

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You're right - clothes themselves aren't a problem. As trendy as it might be to go back to the pre-clothing days of Adam and Eve, those leaves would definitely start to poke after a while.

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It's our approach to the creation of fast fashion that makes it so damaging. Here are three main problems:

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1. We make WAY more than we need - and therefore, waste an egregious amount as well. 85% of textiles go in the dump every year, according to Business Insider. Fast fashion emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined!
   
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2. In the capitalistic race to put the trendiest and lowest cost items on the market, working conditions are the first to be forgotten. In 2013, 1,134 garment workers died in a Bangladesh factory collapse, in the production of fast fashion.
   
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3. Because of the emphasis on low cost and low quality, environmental implications are largely ignored. In 2015, the greenhouse gas footprint from textiles production was traced to 1.2 billion tons of CO2. 1.2 BILLION! And about 20% of industrial water pollution globally can be traced to the dyeing and treatment of textiles.

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If you like getting your info from Instagram, Aditi Mayer (@aditimayer) is a trusted source who talks about sustainable fashion in all senses of the word, from culture to human rights to pollution and more.

Today, we feature a Conscious Chatter podcast episode with Erin Wallace, a leader at ThredUp, the world's largest online thrift store. Erin said something during the episode that stood out to me - in many cities, thrift shops were either too dirty and unseemly, or too upscale to justify it being a "thrift" purchase. #RelatableContent for sure.

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This episode is a much-needed solution to this challenge. Listen here!

The benefits of resale shopping and the circular economy are too large to ignore, and ThredUP provides a good compromise for people like me, looking to make a change, but scared away by my local thrift store.

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If everyone in the US bought just 1 item used instead of new this year, it would save around 6 billion pounds of carbon emissions, which is the equivalent of taking half a million cars off the road for a year. Small changes have massive impact when performed at scale, which is what we're out to achieve. - Erin Wallace

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Key takeaways:

• Resale is expected to outpace fast fashion 1.5x fast fashion by 2028! We can all be part of the solution.
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• Thrifting can be a great cheap thrill - not only are you reducing your environmental impact, you get trendy clothes for a fraction of the original cost
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• The Marie Kondo phenomenon didn't really tell people where they could dispose of their clothes or what to do when you clean house! Many clothes could have contributed to landfill waste. We need more info on what to do when you’re fully done with a clothing item.
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• The millennial and Gen Z adoption of secondhand clothing is 2.5x that of previous generations. Ok, boomers.
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Most of the stats cited in this episode are from ThredUP's Resale Report.

1. Buy less stuff.
   
   Here’s a technique for hanging clothes that can show you how many unnecessary things I buy - you put the hanger on so the hook is facing towards you. When you wear that item, you can put it back the normal way. If you don't touch it in a year, you probably didn't need it! If the hanger technique isn't your thing, consider doing regular mental check-ins and set small goals. Maybe it's buying just one less thing than you usually would.
   
   Another easy win is to join your local Buy Nothing group. You’ll get a chance to say if you did this or not below!
   
   (Fun fact: so far, to our knowledge, members of Soapbox Project have started Buy Nothing chapters in Brooklyn, USA and Amman, Jordan!)
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2. Leverage the resale economy.
   
   ThredUP is a good place to start if you like shopping online! Here's a 10% discount code. Stores like Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange allow you to buy, sell, and trade clothes! It's a neat way to make some quick cash if you have quality clothes that are looking for a new home. You already knew about Goodwill, but did you know about GW Boutiques? Turns out, Goodwill has a few stores just for designer items and you can find a location here. What a time to be alive.
   
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3. Make ethical and sustainable purchases.
   
   It’s often our instinct to buy the cheapest things we can to save money up front, but if you can afford a higher price point, your stuff will last you much longer. Here’s a brief guide of sustainable fashion brands. There’s options at every price point! Shout out your favorites in our REFLECT module form along with the commitment you’ll make.
   
   This is ranked roughly by price, from low to high —
   

• Pact has options for women, men, and children. Their clothes are made with organic cotton and are super comfy! Pact is good for basics - they even sell undergarments.
• Krochet Kids has clothes and accessories for all genders and their founding story is inspiring beyond fast fashion reduction. They are striving for economic justice, aiming to transform communities in Peru and Uganda by teaching people how to make and sell clothing.
• Everlane is a go-to for jeans and basics. They claim to have “Modern Basics. Radical Transparency” and we like the industry reports they’ve put out in the past.
• Reformation jeans are also a solid purchase, especially for petite women.
• Rothy’s makes shoes out of recycled plastics!
• Topo Designs is a smaller store that has cool gear like backpacks and other outdoor accessories. We held a giveaway of one of their backpacks on Instagram — make sure to follow @soapboxproject for 🆒cool🆒 opps like this!
  
  

When you join our membership community, you get recs and monthly discount codes for sustainable products you need in your life.

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So, which action(s) will you commit to?

Before we go any further, it's time for you to pledge your commitment. It takes less than 30 seconds to pledge and we can bother you about it in a friendly way, so we can hold each other accountable. Pledge here!

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🎯 Action step 4 of 4: REFLECT — what can you commit to? What fresh perspectives can we look at?

Our giveaway with Topo Designs was so much fun! We asked people to comment on our Instagram @soapboxproject with their biggest challenges in giving back/social impact. Here were some of my favorites:

• "my biggest challenge is cultivating a truly brave and safe space where myself and others can feel comfortable expressing our truths — even when that means admitting our missteps and ignorance, or potentially being misinterpreted" @booritney
• "often times cultural barriers hinder implementation and sustainability. there needs to be a high level of cultural understanding, awareness, and trust in order to be active and impactful." @la__sophi
• "Making the environmental movement more inclusive of BIPOC and centering their narratives always and forever despite institutional pressure to dilute their voices" - @marjanilized AKA OUR WINNER!

You can find Marjan Kris's full bio on Instagram @soapboxproject, but here's some highlights:

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As a child of working-class immigrants, he grew up with #sustainablefashion as the standard, not the exception. Today, he actively works to promote and amplify brands that prioritize an environmental ethos when it comes to mitigating their carbon footprint in the production process.

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We love to reward our supporters for taking action alongside us and inspiring us. Thanks for staying in the loop!

‍🏁 Checkpoint: This is the end of action step 4 of 4: REFLECT.

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Check out our membership community for more resources like free weekly events with social justice experts, sustainable product discounts, pre-written email templates, a social impact job board, and in-person hangouts with new friends. Thanks for taking action with Soapbox Project!