A Wake Up Call to Fast Fashion

Series 1: The Environmental Cost of Fast Fashion 

What does this mean?

The average consumer buys 60% more clothes as compared to 2000 but only keeps each piece for half the amount of time. The days where a shirt will be worn for years are long past. In a world where affordability is increasing, demand for apparel fuels the 'fast fashion' industry, where clothes are produced cheaply and quickly to consumers through shorter fashion cycles. 

How does this affect the environment?

Making clothes are resource and emission intensive. The production of one cotton shirt takes 2,700 litres of water, enough for an average person's water needs for 2 1/2 years. Non biodegradable fabrics sit in landfills for up to 200 years. And lastly, making your favourite pair of jeans produces as much greenhouse gases that a car does when driven more than 80 miles!