Fast fashion and how it's 'a bombshell source of pollution in so many ways'
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - There's no denying: we have a fixation for fashion.
The average consumer buys 60% more clothing today than 18 years ago, and keeps it half as long. And with fast fashion companies churning out monthly - or weekly - trends, that cycle is repeating at breakneck speed.
Hundreds of shoppers lined up in Plano last month at a pop-up shop for the clothing brand Shein. Customers who were already regularly ordering online waited hours to buy even more. Many said they ordered through Shein's website once or twice a month, often buying up to 20 items at a time.
The pace of that consumption is leading to a crisis in our landfills, experts say. It's estimated that the average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing each year.
"It's a bombshell source of pollution in so many ways," said Professor Maryann Cairns, an environmental anthropologist at SMU. Cairns runs a research center that studies the impact the fashion industry has on the environment.
From piles of textiles in landfills, to factories dumping contaminated wastewater, to pollution from global shipping and the exploitation of workers: the impact is massive.
"If you're paying $5 for a t-shirt - if you were going to sew that shirt, wouldn't it be more than $5?" asked Cairns. "It's not a thing. That $5 shirt - something, somewhere is hurting the environment or laborers or something like that."
Cairns suggests thinking about your clothes like your groceries: quality, organic, locally-sourced and good for the environment.
Sustainability in fashion is also a focus for Professor Iva Jestratijevic at UNT, where her students are studying their addition to buying. Jestratijevic had 755 students track their shopping habits for three months.
"Our goal was really to rethink our consumption habits in order to make a change," she said.
The survey's results were astounding: students had purchased a total of 10,931 items worth $754,239.
"The first impression was complete shock," said Jestratijevic. "Shock that they wasted this amount of money on this amount of items that they don't need."
According to the survey, students wore the new pieces an average of five times each. Every sixth item was never worn. And when they did get rid of the clothing, 90% of students were likely to put it directly in the trash instead of donating.
"There is a lot of social pressure to purchase new, buy new, to change clothes more often," said Jestratijevic.
Hoping to change that, she helped launch a series of workshops to teach students and faculty how to mend their own clothes. Attendees brought clothing, shoes and backpacks to be repaired, diverting dozens of pounds of textiles away from the landfill. Jestratijevic hopes to install a permanent repair station on campus one day.
Both professors say there is no simple solution to overconsumption and fashion waste, but they do encourage you to consume less. And when you buy, consider the price tag but also the cost per wear. Is it a hardy piece that will last? Is it something that matches your style that you anticipate wearing for years?
While Cairns says to consider each piece an investment, she is quick to point out that wardrobe budgets are different for everyone.
"I'm not here to tell people how much they should spend on clothing. I'm not here to tell them how much a pair of jeans should cost - I think that's different for every person," said Cairns. "But I think that everybody can rethink the way they're conceptualizing what clothing should cost and take into account the actual cost of labor, the actual cost of the fabric and the actual cost of that item to the environment."
Jestratijevic encourages everyone to "close the loop" on clothing by finding ways to reuse items that can no longer be worn.
"We don't recognize the value of discarded textiles," she said. "Clothes that are stained or have holes can be used for insulation."
You can also give clothing to someone you know, or participate in a clothing swap. Try to find a consignment store or a non-profit that collects clothing. And check your labels: some retailers offer buy-backs or trade-ins. At Lululemon, Eileen Fisher and others you can get store credit for bringing in your old clothes.