Metz: Segment 2

Fast fashion has significant environmental impacts, contributing to water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The pressure to only wear outfits once, especially for fashion events like prom, fuels this trend. Garment manufacturing accounts for 20% of global industrial water pollution, with many clothes made using plastics. Recycling efforts by brands like Lululemon may not be as effective as they seem, as washing plastic-made products can still pollute the ocean. In 2018, the fast fashion industry alone produced 2.1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Ethical alternatives include supporting conscious brands, shopping secondhand, sharing clothes, and donating unwanted items. For the second segment of the podcast, I'm going to discuss the environmental impacts that fast fashion has caused. To start, I want to share this story from Evelyn Wang who wrote for the New York Times because I think it is so moving. She perfectly sums up fast fashion in the sense of major events like prom. Her story reads, the spring dance is in two weeks and my friend needs help choosing a dress. She brings me to her phone where an endless mosaic of elegant dresses, not one over $20, dances before my eyes. After much deliberation, she settles on a glamorous sapphire gown with pleated details lining the body. Another two weeks later, the dress carpets the bottom of a landfill, only worn once. That is a story that I think a lot of teenage girls can resonate with. I too am guilty of buying formal dress and only wearing it once. In fact, I've done it upwards of 10 or 11 times. This has a lot to do with the societal pressure to only wear an outfit one time or to only be photographed in an outfit one time, especially when it comes to fashion-based events like prom or homecoming. Every event is seen as a new opportunity to up your game or step out in your best fit. Many times I've heard the quote, I can't take pictures in this outfit, I've already posted on Instagram in it. Evelyn Wang reminds us that partaking in the fast fashion trend is a privilege and definitely a choice. Ocean Generation says that garment manufacturing accounts for a whopping 20% of global industrial water pollution and that a lot of clothes made in the fast fashion industry are made with the use of plastics. A good example of this is Lululemon. I was shocked when I recently learned that when Lululemon makes their products, they have a recycling goal. And because of that, they reuse plastics in their clothing. However, that may not be doing as much good as we think it sounds like it does. Ocean Generation also notes that just washing those plastic-made products can pollute the ocean. In 2018, the fast fashion industry alone produced 2.1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions. One New Humanity CDC gives us four ethical alternatives to participating in the fast fashion trend. The article says that we should support environmentally and socially conscious brands, shop secondhand, share what you've got, and discard responsibly by donating the clothes that you no longer want or need.