The fast fashion industry is one of the main contributors of the global pollution crisis. 

First, let’s start off with the basics. According to Pebble Magazine, “Fast fashion is the mass production of cheap, poor quality, disposable clothing.” Clothing companies such as Shein, Forever 21, H$M, Zara, and many others have proven to be detrimental to the environment. 

Clothing eventually wears down or loses color or shape, and people may throw it out, which takes about 200 years to decompose, according to Pebble Magazine. That is an extremely long time, considering about 10.5 million tons of clothing are dumped into U.S. landfills every year. To put that into perspective,  News 24 claims that this amount of clothing is, “30 times heavier than the Empire State Building.”

To stop this, instead of purchasing from fast fashion companies, try purchasing from more sustainable companies such as “Veja” and “Everlane!”. Products from these companies may be a lot more expensive, but there are valid reasons why. 

These sustainable companies buy organic materials for their products which usually last longer and are worth the money. According to Seastainable.Co, these materials are more expensive for the company to buy because they are grown in an eco-friendly environment. These companies also pay their workers very well and facilitate in a place that does not affect the environment negatively.

As sustainable companies grow, their products may become cheaper so more people will buy their products and help change the clothing industry forever. Do yourself and the Earth a favor: Try purchasing from a sustainable clothing company and see the difference in the quality, then rethink ways of supporting fast fashion. The Earth and the future generations will thank you.🔳