A reality check for fast fashion

Fast fashion created a system of overconsumption and overproduction that makes the fashion industry on the largest polluters in the world. This fact-packed article from the World Economic Forum covers the most significant impacts fast fashion has on the planet.

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You'll learn that:

• 🤮 The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of humanity's CO2 emissions.
  
• 🚮 Up to 85% of textiles go to landfill each year. There's no way to justify the fashion industry's carbon emissions because we don't even make good use of our clothing.
  
• 🚱 The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of all industrial water pollution worldwide. It's also the second-largest consumer of water — yikes!
  
• 🐢 Over a third of plastic pollution in the ocean comes from microplastics — much of which comes from washing our clothes. For example, every time we wash our WFH leggings made from polyester (which is made from plastic), a tiny amount ends up in the ocean. That adds up.

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With the rise of trends and clothes becoming cheaper, fast fashion perpetuates a cycle of consumption and production that continues to harm our planet.

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Recycling plastic waste into clothing can seem like a good solution...until you wash those clothes. In fact, there are unintended consequences.

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You'll learn that:

• 👚 Polyester is increasingly prevalent in our clothes. More polyester = more demand for the stuff used to make polyester (aka plastic)
  
• 🧺 Every time we wash synthetic fabric like polyester, super tiny pieces called microfibers come off and run into our rivers, lakes, and oceans
  
• 🤮 Microfibers in the oceans act like sponges, sucking up other gross pollutants
  
• 🐡 These little pollutant blobs end up in fish bellies and ultimately human bellies. Yuck!
  
• 🌊 It's estimated that there are 200 MILLION ocean microfibers for every human on the planet

We must come up with robust, systemic solutions instead of constantly duct-taping over our problems. We literally have to take a hard look at our dirty laundry.

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Here's 7 actions to support sustainable fashion!

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1. Buy less. 💚

The #30Wears campaign challenges you to ask yourself, before you buy a new piece of clothing, "Will I wear this at least 30 times?" No need to spend $$$ on "slow fashion" if you can make your current items last!
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2. Buy natural. 👚

Synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon are made from polyester. Which is made from plastic. Which is made from oil. Which is petroleum. Which is a fossil fuel.

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3. Buy secondhand. 🔁

ThredUp makes it really easy to buy secondhand online! Save money and save clothes from landfills.

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4. Wash less. 🐢

About a THIRD of ocean plastics pollution comes from clothes washing (those pesky synthetics). If you're indoors all day, do you really need to wash your jeans after every use?

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5.  Wash better. 💙

You can use natural detergents/fabric softeners like Dropps and get a laundry filter. This Lint LUV-R is $145 USD and one of the most effective solutions. If you're short on cash, you can try a microplastic-filtering mesh bag like Guppyfriend. It catches less microfibers, but we still think it's a good start for throwing in your synthetic swag.

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6. Donate effectively.

We always call a few women's shelters/homeless shelters in my area to see if they're accepting clothing donations. We want to make sure the clothes we donate are actually used (instead of something like Goodwill). We've also gifted on Buy Nothing!

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7. Dispose consciously. 👟

If the stuff you're Goodwill-ing isn't in good condition, there's a chance it may get landfilled. Instead, if you have clothing in subprime condition, drop it off at a Levi's store, use Ridwell, or give your shoes at Soles4Souls. If those aren't a thing in your country, try this.

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If you're looking for sustainable brands to shop from, here's a price-organized list from The Good Trade. We didn't want to encourage consumption in our Action Packs, but it's handy to have around when you need something new.

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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?

A few of you have mentioned that you're overwhelmed by this fashion content. After all, you may own clothes from these brands (same) and profit at the cost of our planet seems unstoppable. We're here to tell you that as consumers, we are absolutely making a difference.

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The following provides key takeaways from Hothouse Solutions, one of our favorite sustainability newsletters. We really enjoyed the Hothouse fashion article because of how well the writers contextualized the problem AND the solution.

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You'll learn that:

• 🥂 A huge industry win: Last week, H&M raised 7x more funding than they were hoping to, and it's mostly because they committed "to some of the most ambitious environmental goals among global fashion brands". Even if this is just a PR move, it's inevitable that consumer pressure from people like us are forcing brands to move in a sustainable direction.
  

• ️ 🛢️ What makes fast fashion so cheap: Cheap fossil fuels are the main reason fast fashion can be so fast. Everything is related: big oil, synthetic clothing, even agriculture! (Read the article, it's worth it.)
  

• 👯 We're actually kicking fashion execs' butts: "Brands are feeling the pressure from a younger, savvier demographic that wants to wear its ethics. A 2019 poll across North America, Europe, and Asia found 72% of shoppers were buying more environmentally friendly products than five years ago, and more said they expected to do so."
  
• ⚡ Renewable energy can change the game: 45% of the fashion industry's carbon footprint could go poof if they switched to renewable energy. That's huge!
  

• 💌 Our favorite quote: "While individual action is no match for change at an industrial level, our buying decisions signal what matters to us, which means showing support for preferred or regenerative fibers, and by buying used and buying less."
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Seriously, this article is so good. It made us think about the bigger picture of fashion and it makes us optimistic that we can fight for individual and structural changes together. After all, that's what Soapbox is here for.

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‍🏁 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!