Curbing Fast Fashion Pollution
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Fast fashion has become hugely popular with consumers. But it comes at a high cost to our planet. Today, nearly two-thirds of all the fibers we wear and use are made from oil. The fashion industry is now responsible for more carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Fast fashion relies on cheap manufacturing, frequent consumption, and short-lived garment use. This constant cycle of production and disposal is taking a huge toll on our environment. So much so that satellite images have identified a pile of discarded clothing in Chile sent there from Europe, Asia, and America so large, it can be seen from space.
In 2018, 17 million tons of textiles were generated in the U.S. As the rate that clothing is produced and discarded increases, only 15% of clothing in the U.S. is recycled or reused, with the rest either incinerated or sent to landfills for disposal. This same period has seen a significant increase in textile waste, as clothes, many never worn, make their way to landfills. Rebuilding and revitalizing U.S. sustainable fiber production and processing, known as “reshoring,” are key to reversing these trends. In addition, over the past several decades, hundreds of thousands of fiber and textile jobs that once sustained communities across America have shifted overseas and harmed American farmers and ranchers in the process. To help address this growing challenge, I am working in Congress to find answers to how the fashion industry and federal government can better manage discarded clothing and textile waste. How?
I also spoke on the House floor about the growing threat of the fast fashion industry.
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