What are the Consequences of Fast Fashion?
Understand the Thrifting Difference
Fashion trends come and go, but the environmental damage they often cause is long-lasting. The next time you feel like cashing in on a flash deal, ask yourself how long you’ll want to wear the style that’s currently all the rage. Is the latest craze worth the consequences of fast fashion?
What is Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion is a fairly new phenomenon, defined by its low prices and on-trend styles. Unfortunately, offering quick style turnaround for cheap can’t be done without taking a toll on our planet.
Polluting Our Planet
The fashion industry churns out 150 billion garments per year. In order to manufacture all those clothes, the apparel industry uses toxic dyes and heavy metals, which can end up in our water. Clothing manufacturers also create 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and cut down millions of trees in order to make certain types of fabrics. That’s a lot of destruction for one industry!
Wasteful Consumerism
Fast fashion has revolutionized the way we purchase and use our clothing “” and not for the better. People are buying more clothes than before and wearing them less before disposing of them. In fact, an average piece of clothing today is only used about 10 times. If that item isn’t donated somewhere it can be reused or recycled, like Goodwill, it ends up in a landfill.
What You Can Do
The good news is we can all make a difference by making small adjustments to the way we see fashion. First, when you no longer want or need an article of clothing, donate it to a Goodwill Donation Center. Ohio Valley Goodwill resells your items to support vocational services for individuals with disabilities. The items that can’t be sold are recycled, giving them a new life instead of ending up in a landfill.
Secondly, start thinking differently about how you build your wardrobe. Instead of jumping on the latest trends and purchasing low-quality items from a fast fashion store, invest in quality clothing that’s made to last from natural materials. Because these items are typically designed with classic style, they’ll remain in fashion for decades to come.
Better yet “” shop for these items at an Ohio Valley Goodwill retail store. Thrifting clothing extends their life and allows you to find unique pieces you can’t find anywhere else! Donating, thrifting, and being smarter about your clothing choices can fight the heavy cost of fast fashion. Let’s make better choices for our neighbors and our planet!
