{"id":7775,"date":"2019-12-22T13:15:04","date_gmt":"2019-12-22T13:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lemonade.com\/blog\/?p=7775"},"modified":"2023-02-27T11:27:11","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T11:27:11","slug":"fast-fashion-destroying-our-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lemonade.com\/blog\/fast-fashion-destroying-our-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"Fast Fashion is Destroying Our Planet"},"content":{"rendered":"

How many fashion purchases do you make annually? American shoppers buy over 68 garments per year, according to Rent the Runway. That\u2019s more than one new piece of clothing a week, which on average, will only get worn around seven times before the item is purged to make room for new pieces.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While your newsfeed might be jam-packed with articles on <\/span>climate change<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>plastic pollution<\/span><\/a>, another serious concern that gets far less airtime is fast fashion, a term used to describe the incredibly rapid turnover of fashion styles by retailers. It\u2019s also the biggest polluter after oil and gas, according to a study by the Danish Fashion Institute.
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\n<\/span>In fact, the fashion industry produces 10 percent of humanity’s carbon emissions, according to UNEP. Producing polyester (a plastic found in 60 percent of garments) releases two to three times more carbon emissions than cotton. Not only that, polyester can\u2019t break down in the ocean the way cotton does.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Water-use and contamination make the situation even more grim. It takes about 700 gallons of water to produce one cotton shirt; dyeing garments causes excessive pollution since the water leftover from the dyeing process is often dumped into ditches, streams, or rivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

It also creates public health hazards caused by production and problematic labor conditions. The high demands of producing inexpensive clothing are pushing brands to use cheap labor, low-quality fabrics, and provide unsafe working conditions. In December 2019, a bag factory in Delhi caught ablaze while operating without a fire safety license; more than 43 adults and children lost their lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fast fashion is a problem, but it doesn\u2019t mean retail is a thing of the past. Caring for the environment doesn\u2019t have to come at the cost of your love of fashion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to turn looks over the holidays while staying kind to our planet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Explore second-hand stores<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Thrifting is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you hear sustainable, but you\u2019d be surprised to hear the second-hand scene has erupted over the past ten years. You really can find super chic, high-quality garments\u00a0says sustainable influencer Bianca Valle<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll the clothes mankind need, already exist. Thrifting is more far more sustainable than buying brand new garments, and there\u2019s plenty of opportunities for it,\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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A post shared by Bianca Valle (@vbiancav)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n