Interested in how to reduce the environmental crisis of textile waste? Present Iteration has you covered.
In this post you will learn the environmental crisis of textile waste, the impact it has on the environmental, and ways in which you can reduce it as a consumer.
As you may know, fast fashion’s linear way of production and consumption has had serious environmental costs. This industry incentivizes consumers to buy the latest fashion trends at a lower cost and durability. Fast fashion encourages a “throw-away” attitude among consumers, since it is expected for trends to be styled for only a short period of time and can depend of the seasons. In 2017, the EPA estimated that 16.9 million tons of textile waste are generated in the United States and 11.2 million tons end up in landfill sites. The factor that people often don’t ever consider is the impact on the environment after clothing is thrown away in the garbage. The decomposition process of these resources generates an excessive amount of greenhouse methane gas and leak toxic chemicals/dyes into the groundwater and soil.
If you want to be a more conscious consumer and help reduce textile waste, here are some small changes you can make today:
- Choose environmentally friendly fabrics: Fast fashion retailers mostly use polyester as a source to produce clothes, which is a petroleum-based fiber made from a carbon-intensive non-renewable resource and it takes longer to decompose. Instead, opt for clothes made out of natural fibers such as organic cotton (TWNS shirts found here) bamboo, recycled materials (Naya Swimwear found here), among others.
- Donate to Charity: Rather than throwing clothes that you don’t longer want into the garbage, DONATE THEM TO CHARITY! Especially during these pandemic times, there are more people in need. A pair of pants or shirts would make them extremely happy. There are various thrift shops such as Goodwill Stores, where you can donate clothes.
- SWAP Clothes with Friends: If you are bored of the same shirt or pants, call a friend over and swap clothes. This way you can both save money and get a new wardrobe.
- Be VERSATILE: To be fashionable you don’t need hundreds of shirts and pants. One item can be worn in many different ways, with different combinations and styles, it’s just a matter of getting creative.
- Shop at PRESENT ITERATION: We offer sustainable brands and make sure that your clothing will never end up in a landfill again!