What is Fast Fashion?

Why are we concerned with Fast Fashion?

• Environmental destruction

• Unfair labor practices

• Poor quality outputs

Fast Fashion Facts

• Each year 80 billion items of new clothing are purchased globally!!

• In 2018, the US generated 17,030 tons of textiles but only 14.7% were recycled, according to the US EPA. 

• In the past 20 years, more clothing has been made from polyester, a synthetic material derived from oil. When washed, polyester clothes shed tiny plastic fibers that pollute waterways.

• Wastewater from garment factories often contains dyes containing toxins and heavy metals. Greenpeace has been working to reduce this. 

• The Fashion Industry accounts for up to 8% of global greenhouse gas emission.

Fast Fashion Videos

• The True Cost - 1.5 hour documentary on Fast Fashion (NOTE: there are graphics scenes from the 2013 Dhaka garment factory collapse and ads during this YouTube video)

• Made in America - 10 minute documentary of apparel factories in Los Angeles, CA

Alternatives to Fast Fashion:

• Buy used clothes

• Buy less clothes

• Buy durable clothing that you plan to wear year after year (e.g., capsule wardrobe)

• Mend your clothes

• Rent clothes 

• Donate quality clothing for reuse directly to friends or family, or organizations in need

• Organize a neighborhood or community clothing swap

• Slow Fashion

• Create a circular textile industry

Textile Recycling, is that a solution?

• It can be part of the solution. If you truly want to recycle old, worn out clothes that you’ve had for a very long time and that aren’t worthy of being reused, then consider textile recycling. If you use textile recycling as a way to clean out your closet so you can fill it up with new clothes, then no, it’s not the answer.

• Retold Recycling 

Used Clothing Stores in Gainesville:

• Sandy’s Savvy Chic Boutique 

• Weecycle of Gainesville

• Haven Attic Resale Store

• St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Shop

• Goodwill Thrift Store Gainesville 

• Plato’s Closet

• Outreach Thrift Store (2430 NW 6th St, Gainesville, FL 32609)

• Flashbacks Recycled Fashions

• Humane Society of North Central Florida Thrift Store

Used Clothing Online Stores

• Worn Wear - Patagonia

• Thred Up

• Depop

• Poshmark

Buying New? Check out this Fashion Accountability Report by ReMake

References:

• US EPA Textile Material Specific Data

• Bick, R., Halsey, E. & Ekenga, C.C. The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environ Health 17, 92 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7

• Good on You. What is Fast Fashion

• The Climate Impact of Fashion

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