Here are some of the issues surrounding our clothing industry – click here to see some solutions.

We live in a world of “fast fashion” – inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. And because trends keep changing, yesterday’s clothing is put away in the wardrobe or thrown out even though it has hardly been worn.

Much of our clothing is manufactured abroad in countries where labour is cheap and can often involve child labour or long hours for low pay. Working conditions are often poor and health and safety isn’t even an afterthought.

It is said that the fashion industry produces more harmful carbon emissions than the aviation and shipping industries combined. (thredUP)

Here are some of the issues that come as a result of our current clothing system:

  • a throw away culture where clothing is disposed of well within it’s usable life
  • poor quality clothing
  • low wages for workers, poor working conditions, use of child labour
  • exposure to toxic chemicals used in producing the material or the clothing (both the workers and the consumers)
  • water shortages and contamination
  • huge wastage in the manufacture of the clothing

There was an article recently (summer 2022) that said, if I recall correctly, that the average Briton bought 66 new garments a year and wore them an average of 5.5 times. That is a frightening fact!

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