IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE TRUTH (BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE)

Source: Unsplash.com | Ekaterina Grosheva

This will not be the type of content you are used to seeing on blogs. We will share statistics item by item - without further ado, some " slapstick " statistics as they are. What they all have in common is that they reveal the cost of fast fashion . We want to share it so clearly, item by item and directly , so that we can see the picture that emerges as a result of today's fashion industry in its pure reality. Because we believe that, no matter how negative it may be, in order to take a step towards change, it is necessary to first understand the existing situation as it is. So let's get started…

  • We produce 400% more clothes than 20 years ago.
  • The majority of women wear only 20% - 30% of the clothes in their wardrobe.
  • The fashion industry creates 20% of global water and chemical pollution , 5% of total carbon emissions and 35% of plastic pollution in the oceans .
  • The fashion industry is responsible for 5% of the total, accounting for 1.2 trillion tons of carbon emissions annually , more than the total emissions created by all international flights and travel.
  • Approximately 93 billion cubic meters of water is consumed every year in the ready-made clothing industry.
  • 2700 liters of water are consumed for 1 cotton t-shirt. This is enough water to fill your home bathtub 30 times, or the equivalent of a human's water consumption for 900 days.
  • 1 billion t-shirts are purchased every year in the world.
  • The amount of water required for a pair of jeans is 3781 liters.
  • 1 kg of chemicals are required to produce 1 kg of textile.
  • 23% of all chemicals produced in the world are used for the textile industry.
  • More than 60% of our clothing uses synthetic fibers. These synthetic materials, one of which could be polyester, take an average of 200 years to decompose in nature because they are not biodegradable.
  • Nowadays, the average number of uses of products has dropped to 7.
  • Every year, 92 million tons of textile waste is created worldwide. In other words, 70% of the products produced today become waste at the end of the same year. Although 95% of these products are reusable or recyclable, the recycling rate is less than 1%.
  • In Australia alone, 500,000 tonnes of unwanted clothing ends up in landfill every year.
  • By 2030 , more than 134 million tons of textile products are expected to be thrown away annually .

Source: Unsplash.com | Markus Spiske

Yes... The picture is not encouraging at all. But as we end our article, we would like to underline one point: If we allow ourselves to be drawn into the negative emotions created by the current situation and get lost in that despair, we may not be able to take the necessary steps to create the change we want. That's why our aim is not to show "how bad everything is"; All together, as adults, in order to grasp the current realities and continue on our path with radical changes, we will ask "what about now, what can I do?" ask the question. It is an option to get lost among the statistics, research, and graphs and tables published every day; Another option is to be one of those who create change by taking action now. Now it's up to you: Which is your choice?

Sources: The Guardian | Textile Beat | llen Macarthur Foundation | World Resources Institute | Fashion Retail Academy | Global Fashion Agenda | Textile Exchange | The Sustainable Fashion Forum | Greenpeace (Toxic Threads: The Big Fashion Stitch-Up)

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