Fast Fashion and it's Cost

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, March 31^st, 2026. Now that spring has come and the weather is starting to warm up it is time to transition into spring clothes and phase out of winter clothes. Stores are filled with tons of clothes made from materials that, when produced, consume massive amounts of water and make up 10% of global carbon emissions. In today’s edition, we will examine the environmental effects of the clothes in your spring rotation and tie in some fun along the way.

Many shoppers shop for clothes based on style, price, or trends but never seem to factor in the environmental impact of purchasing. When referring to fast fashion think of clothes that are mass produced for mass consumption like graphic tees and generic sweatpants. While reviewing the environmental impact of fast fashion it is important to note the two major environmental specificizes, water use and carbon footprint. On average, 85% of textiles go into dumps each year, hence, most of the textiles produced are being wasted and hurting our environment. It is estimated that producing one cotton T-shirt requires 700 gallons of water and producing one pair of jeans requires 2,000 gallons of water. Using this much water can take away from our access to freshwater and can lead to dried streams and shrinking lakes. As freshwater starts to disappear, so do the animals that rely on freshwater to drink from and reside in. This collectively leads to a drastic loss in biodiversity in ecosystems and the decrease in ecosystem resilience. As of today, more global carbon emissions come from the fashion industry than air travel, presenting itself as a large societal and environmental issue. Carbon is emitted during the production of clothes during the manufacturing process within textile factors, transportation of clothes, and the burning of clothes found in landfills. It is projected that the fashion industry’s carbon emissions will rise by nearly 60% by the year 2030. Continuing current practices of fast fashion will be detrimental to our environment and reducing production is key towards working towards permanent solutions.

Over the weekend on Saturday, March 28^th, the world celebrated Earth Hour from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Earth Hour began in 2007 and is an annual global movement spreading awareness for climate change, the nature crisis, and the need to protect the planet. During this hour individuals, communities, and the entire world are encouraged to turn off electric lights to symbolize hope and desire for a cleaner environment. During this hour famous landmarks including the Eiffel Tower went pitch black to symbolize greater support for environmental awareness and advocacy. Earth Hour is the last Saturday in March every year so make sure to participate next year to express your support!

How many tons of textile waste are generated globally each year, the majority of which ends up in landfills or incinerated?

A. 5 million tons

B. 150 million tons

C. 92 million tons

D. 22 million tons

Correct answer at the end of the newsletter!

There are many actions that you can take to help reduce the impact of fast fashion. One being donating your clothes when you have outgrown them to reduce the demand for clothing. Another way to decrease the demand is by shopping at second-hand stores or thrift stores as an alternative to buying brand new clothing. If you must purchase new clothing, try researching brands that use recycled materials and purchase those items. Some leading brands in this industry include Patagonia, Eileen Fisher, Reformation, Pact, and Veja. Any of these small actions that you may take will help conserve our Earths’ water and reduce the amount of carbon emitted into our atmosphere.

With that, this edition of The Environmental Edit has concluded. I’m hoping that the next time you are shopping for clothes you will think of this newsletter and carefully select the most environmentally friendly item! The answer was C. Don’t forget to share this with friends and family! See you next week. Together we’re turning our Tuesdays into a greener tomorrow.