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One of the trends of the last few years has been the development of ‘fast fashion’. Today, clothes
are designed, produced and delivered to the shops and online sellers much faster than they were
in the past. Because the process has become faster, it has also become much cheaper. This means
that it is easier for us to copy fashion bloggers and follow the latest Instagram trends. Is this a
good idea, though?
Environmental activist Jemma Clarke writes many articles about ethical clothing choices.
She has been involved in environmental activism since she was a child, but she was not aware of
the issues caused by fashion industry. Then she read an article about it and she was shocked by
what she read. For example, water pollution in some regions has been increasing because of the
high demand for cheaper and more colourful fashion. Waste colours from clothes factories pollute
rivers and plastic from some types of clothes makes the oceans, rivers and lakes poisonous too.
Small plastic pieces in these waters are eaten by fish, which, in its turn, ends up on people’s
dinner table. Also, Jemma Clarke warns us about global warming that fashion industry
contributes to. Fashion produces over 8 percent of all greenhouse gases and, if things continue to
develop at this rate, by 2050 more than 25 percent of the entire global carbon emissions will be
produced by this industry alone.
However, the question is what we can all do about these issues. Is it possible to be
environmentally friendly and fashionable at the same time? Jemma Clarke assures us that we can
definitely wear trendy clothes without feeling eco-guilty. We all need to learn to consume less, to
buy fewer new clothes and to wear them longer. She also adds that we must recycle old clothes so
that they do not go into landfill waste.
Nevertheless, Jemma Clarke points out that things look brighter for the future as some
fashion companies have taken some actions to reduce their own waste. They have become more
environmentally friendly. They have started to sell ‘greener’ clothes and use old clothes to
produce new ones. For example, H&M set up collection and recycling systems that greatly
contribute to the increased textile recycling. So, next time you see a bright new T-shirt that you
think you cannot live without, have a look at the label, find out where it is made and what it is
made of. Finally, it is worth asking yourself if you need it.