With the rapid emergence of new trends and ads on every corner, rates of clothing consumption are beginning to reach new peaks. However, most uninformed consumers are unaware that three-quarters of all clothing ends up piled in landfills or else burned and turned into harmful gasses and microplastics. In light of this, there needs to be education on sustainable fashion choices that are accessible to all.
The biggest concern that comes with choosing sustainable fashion is affordability. The highest fast fashion consumers are young adults ages 18-24; it makes sense when fast fashion is cheap, abundant, and easily keeps up with ever-changing trends. Still, clothing is now more readily available than ever, resulting in people buying more—Americans alone are purchasing four times more clothing annually since 2000.
Polyester is the most common material used in clothing sold by companies like Shein and Zara. Polyester products take about 200 years to break down completely, and as synthetic textiles become more available for clothing manufacturing, microplastics wind up in our food, drinking water, and oceans. Furthermore, fast fashion factory workers are paid as little as 3 cents per hour and operate in dangerous and unethical conditions.
Shopping sustainably is easier said than done. Sustainable clothing brands face many critiques on the cost of items, lack of sizing inclusivity, and limited range in inventory. Along with ever-increasing costs of natural resources needed to make this clothing, sustainable fashion has been struggling to keep up with clothing trends.
The looming destruction caused by fast fashion may seem too large to combat alone, but we don’t have to give in. There are ways our community can take action and walk down the path of eco-consciousness without breaking the bank.
Frequent campus clothing exchanges are one possibility. In April 2024, the center for DJS organized a clothing swap for Earth & Diversity Week. But why stop there? Across campus, surplus boxes are available for student and faculty clothing donations. This ensures unworn clothes in your closet can go to someone who will wear them rather than heading straight to landfills. We can conduct monthly clothing swaps to get the PLU community more involved in second-hand sourcing. Any leftover clothing can be donated to local homeless shelters, foster homes, and other charities.
Another step to take is buying fewer clothes as a whole. Buy what you need, give away what you don’t need instead of throwing it away, and wear what you have for as long as possible. Shop second-hand if you have the option to do so, get a cheap sewing kit to repair your clothes before replacing them, or repurpose them into something new.
There is no one route to sustainability, which be both overwhelming and hopeful. If everyone takes the steps necessary to stay as eco-conscious as possible, we can reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion. Little actions we take contribute to widespread change. Consume less, preserve more, and do your part for our planet and life as a whole.
