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The clothing industry has exploded over the past 20+ years, propelled by “fast fashion”. This is a term that refers to expediting trends from the catwalk to the stores at a breakneck speeds and has allowed the fashion industry to overturn trendy styles much faster and thus prey on us consumers to continue to buy clothes more often. Plastic is what has made this possible since the synthetic materials are cheap to produce.
A 2017 study in The Journal of Science Advances found that the textile industry (fabrics) has generated 380 million metric tons of plastic, which is more than any other individual sector, including electronics, consumer/industrial products, building/construction, and packaging (If you have a few minutes and are scientifically inclined, I recommend you read the full article. The authors do a great job of presenting their research of the plastic problem as a whole.)
In summary: high production of plastic fabrics + high release of microplastics into the water supply = we have a major plastic problem.
Don’t freak out too much here. We have the opportunity as consumers to change this pattern in a simple way… don’t buy into it!! If we don’t buy it, they won’t make it. Yes, collectively we are that powerful. Instead, search for secondhand clothes that fit your style. Secondhand is actually really trendy right now. Stars are wearing “vintage” dresses on the red carpet and consignment stores are popping up everywhere.
Today’s Challenge: Check out your nearest secondhand store for clothes. This could be Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul, or a consignment store. For kids, I recommend garage sales, Craigslist, or Facebook marketplaces. Often you can get pieces for just a dollar or two! If you are in the market for a specific item, try out ThredUP or Poshmark which have good search functions. ThredUP even has a way to sort by type of material, so you can try to avoid the plastic synthetics, but I have had couple items that said they were all cotton turn out to be a cotton/poly blend when they arrived. Luckily, returns are easy. Whatever way you choose to buy your clothes, make sure that you are very intentional with your purchases. Avoid impulse buys and take the time to look at the tags to see what type of material it is. Be picky and buy something only if you absolutely love it, or if it is a basic piece that you know you will wear over and over. Take this challenge and you get bragging rights for how trendy you are with your awesome vintage finds!
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