The true cost…
Yes, those cheap trendy tees are too good to be true. Our impulse shopping habits have a bigger impact than we think, so let’s take 3.5 minutes to understand the problem with fast fashion and how we can be part of the solution.
Why Your $8 Shirt Is A Huge Problem
The Facts About Fashion:
Every year Americans buy 20 billion new items of clothing.
Every year 10 million tons of clothing go to the dump.
We are basically on a merry go round of making, buying, and getting rid of clothes…
Clothes have become really cheap… but we are still paying the price. That $8 t-shirt may not cost you very much, but it costs the planet quite a bit.
It takes approximately 1,320 gallons of water to produce one t-shirt.
Approximately 9lbs of carbon dioxide are released just to produce one t-shirt. (that’s between production and transportation alone)
Cheap clothing comes at an ethical price as well. Working conditions for those that make our clothes are sub-par, unsafe, and they are paid next to nothing; all of which perpetuates a cycle of poverty in some of the most vulnerable parts of the world.
What we can do about it:
Buy Less
Not buying is the easiest way to decrease your environmental footprint.
Shop Smarter
Look for brands that are ethical and environmentally conscious.
Look for Durability
Be careful about what you buy. Try to buy clothes that you will wear often and will last you a long time.
Don’t Trash Your Fash
42% of cotton fiber is carbon which gets released as it decomposes.
Donate your clothes to organizations like Goodwill or Salvation Army.
Get A Little Dirty
You don’t need to wash your clothes as much. Your clothes will last longer if you don’t wash them after every single time you wear them.
Up to 80% of the energy consumption related to a garment can be attributed to washing and drying it.