Fast Fashion is bad for the environment. In response, Colorado designers are turning tonatural materials to try and combat the problem.

Fast fashion, clothing that is mass produced using cheap materials, is a leading contributor to
pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
“The creation of new garments contributes to 20% of all global industrial water pollution," said Emily Schwartz, Resale Stylist. Clothing dye is harming humans just as much as it is harming the environment and wildlife. Some designers in Colorado are now turning their attention to natural dyes made from plants in order to maintain clean design practices. Natural dyes, or organic dyes, are colors that are extracted from natural plant materials. Some organic materials commonly used to make dye are Japanese indigo, madder roots and marigold
flowers.

Ora Levi is a Colorado-based artist who specializes in locally made, naturally-dyed, sustainable fashion and fiber art. She grows her own plants and herbs that she uses to dye her specially-designed clothing. Levi uses biodegradable fabrics with natural fibers so they can decompose into the earth and not create waste in a landfill. In addition to using organic material, she uses natural dyes made from plants, which aren’t harmful to the user or the environment. Once the final product is received, each piece is hand dyed in a prepared dye bath.

The textile industry's use of synthetic dyes results in significant water pollution. Because these dyes do not bond well with the fabric, they are released as overflow into water areas. When wastewater is discharged from numerous textile factories without proper treatment, it can cause negative environmental and health effects. The contamination of bodies of water by textile dyes is a concern because it can enter the food chain, to be later ingested by humans.

Companies are able to produce fast fashion products typically by exploitating of workers and causing detrimental damage to the environment. 60% of all materials used by the fashion industry are made from plastic, according to the UN Environment Programme. This means that all clothes that end up in landfills will break down and leave behind plastic microfibers.

Everyday, many people make the choice to put on clothes made of various materials without any regard to where they came from or where they may be going. The fibers and dyes used to create popular clothing items are not only harming the environment, but people as well. Fast fashion, clothing that is mass produced in a short amount of time using cheap materials, is a leading contributor to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Constantly buying new pieces of clothing and throwing them away leads to waste. Sustainable
shopping shouldn't be reserved for wealthy individuals or those well versed in fashion, but rather
a way for more people to incorporate sustainability into their everyday lives. Fast fashion can also be used to describe designs that replicate ‘high fashion’ brands and are produced on a mass scale — cheap and effectively.

The fashion industry is one of the causes of global warming, bringing in approximately 10% of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, as well as producing 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year. According to scientists at Fraser Institute and United Nations (UN) Environmental Representatives, we are quickly approaching the deadline to reverse climate change.

The internationally agreed upon goal is to lower greenhouse gas emissions to decrease global temperatures bt 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030. Currently, that goal is not projected to succeed. Temperatures are expected to rise to 2.5 degrees Celsius by the time we reach 2030. This means that even if the deadline is met, with the way global warming is looking now, it is impossible to reach the agreed upon number. According to the UN environment agency’s report, there is no sure pathway to 1.5 degrees Celsius at this point.

Emily Schwartz, a resale stylist based in Denver, is passionate about fashion and encouraging people to shop second hand. “There are more options today than ever before – more apps, brand resale programs, consignment stores – making this not just possible, but a way to actually move the needle and make a tangible environmental impact,” Schwartz said. “For example, buying just one pair of jeans that you otherwise would have purchased brand new saves approximately 2,400 gallons of water.”

“Every week, approximately 15 million pieces of used clothing are shipped to Ghana and at least 40% of this shipment is sent straight to landfills,” Schwartz pointed out. “Only 8.6% of materials extracted from the earth make it back for a second act. Additionally, the $2.5 trillion new clothing sector spews more carbon emissions than international flights and shipping combined.

“At the end of the day, people end up prioritizing convenience and price over sustainability,” said Schwartz. “It's no secret that items branded as "sustainable" often come with a markup, and 31% of consumers say the higher cost of sustainable products is the largest barrier to making behavior changes.”

“Shopping the circular economy is hands down my favorite place to embrace and celebrate style,” Schwartz said. "New" doesn't by default equal "Stylish." Katie Konin, a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder and a fashion enthusiast, finds that thrifting is a more tactically effective way to curate her own unique style. “I thrift because I can develop a completely unique style of my own,” said Konin.

“It is [thrifting] one way to effectively practice conscious consumerism and decrease my personal carbon footprint,” she added.

Another aspect of fast fashion that goes overlooked is the negative impacts it can cause on human health. When a garment is made out of cheap material, that material breaks down during every wash and dry. Using organic materials not only benefits the environment, it benefits the user as well.

Scientists estimate that textiles produce 35% of the microplastic pollution in the world's oceans (in the form of synthetic microfibers), making textiles the largest known source of marine microplastic pollution. That's about 2.2 million tons of microfibers entering the ocean every year.

Microfibers are released from textiles during production as well as disposal. Fibers that shed from textiles and garments, especially microfibers, are everywhere, in air, soil, rivers, lakes, and oceans, and are regarded as anthropogenic litter that has become a global concern for the sustainability of the textile and fashion industry. When you wash your clothes, the microfibers break down and drain into public waters. Synthetic microfibers and nano fibers have been estimated to comprise up to 35% of primary microplastics in the marine environment.

Additionally, microfibers have been detected in the digestive tract of a range of aquatic organisms and seafood. Finding microfibers in aquatic life has led scientists to believe that these same particles are being consumed by humans through seafood purchased at grocery stores. These fibers come from our washing machines and eventually find their way into our food for us to reinvest.

The concern is that the particles entering our waters are small enough to be consumed by aquatic life, which means the food chain could be contaminated. Plastic fibers, like those which hold cans together, are larger and harder to consume, while fibers released from clothing during the wash and dry cycle are much smaller, therefore increasing the likelihood of aquatic consumption.

Mariam Diamond, a professor of environmental chemistry at the University of Toronto, said the best way for people to be more environmentally friendly is to decrease their fast fashion purchasing. Diamond talked about how microfibers are released from washing, explaining that fine lint is picked up when you wash clothes, which leads to pilling. Pilling is the shorter fibers coming loose from the longer woven fibers.

The individual fibers are released during the washing process, according to Diamond. From the dryer, the microfibers are then released into water. In addition to the release of microfibers, chemicals from products like Gore Tex or stain resistant materials can be released just from wearing the clothing item.

Additionally, clothing items made from fleece are known to release, on average, 1.7 grams of microfibers each wash. Occasionally, wastewater treatment plants are able to turn the waste into agricultural waste to be used again. The likelihood of this happening is slim and 40% of waste is usually deposited into local waterways.

Products like the Cora Ball and the Guppyfriend laundry bag were invented to reduce the amount of microfibers released from the wash into local waterways. The Cora Ball was modeled based on the way coral filters water in the ocean. It catches the lint from the clothes before it has a chance to be released and can later be cleaned by hand.

The Guppyfriend is a laundry bag that acts as a filter for microfibers. The clothes are put into the bag which is then washed all together. The broken fibers collect in the corners of the washing bag, making it easy to remove and dispose of. While buying fast fashion might seem like a great way to stay up-to-date with the latest trends without spending too much money, the environmental draw backs are. Fast fashion clothing is made from low quality material that is designed to fall apart quickly, forcing you to spend more money to replace it.

Paper As An Clothing Alternative

Max Boykoff, a professor of environmental studies at CU Boulder, studied and analyzed the use of trash as a design material during a runway show that took place in Boulder. Trash The Runway is an annual fashion show put on by local students and volunteer designers. Designs are made completely from recycled materials that would otherwise be considered trash.

“[We need to] raise awareness about the environmental impact of fast fashion,” said Boykoff. “People often
overlook their daily interaction with the environment. It is a daily choice.”Boykoff’s students at CU Boulder partner with young designers participating in Trash The Runway to mentor them throughout the design and production process. This mentorship helps young designers articulate themselves while developing a deeper understanding as to why sustainable fashion matters.

Similar to Trash The Runway, the annual Paper Fashion Show, presented by CU Boulder’she ONE Club for Creativity, is a fashion show where designers craft couture designs out of paper. This year, designers were instructed to choose an artist, of any form or era, and design a piece inspired by their chosen person. Over 40 designs were shown as designers competed for first, second and third place. Designs were made mostly of paper, with minimal accessories made from other materials.

“Trash TheRunway has provided empowering spaces for young people,” said Boykoff. “There's a lot to be bummed about but this is a place to voice aspirations and ambitions.”