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Climate change is a pressing issue. The abundance of greenhouse gases is affecting our quality of life, especially those in the Global South. The textile industry is not usually mentioned when focusing on ways to combat climate change, but is should be. Due to the high demand, the textile industry is one of the greatest factors in greenhouse gas emissions. The term "fast fashion" has been coined to describe this phenomenon. Essentially, "fast fashion" is used to describe the act of stores restocking and updating their products faster than needed, to gain more profit. Producing just one T-shirt uses 10,000 to 30,000 litres of water and generates 3.6 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.
The improper elimination of old clothes is another environmental hazard. The options for discarding old clothes is either burying them in landfills, which causes the contamination of soil and groundwater and can make drinking water toxic; or they are thrown in a giant incinerator, which releases greenhouse gases.
There are ethically ways you can be rid of the clothes that are cluttering your wardrobe. Options such as donating to local thrift shops or shelters, selling online, swapping with friends. Reorganizing does not necessarily mean having to compromise your environmental values.
We as a society need to realize the damage the fashion industry is creating, and create action plans to fix the issue. We need to educate others on the topic, and show the industries that this type of behaviour is not something that their consumers will stand for.
