Recently it seems like the whole world’s been talking about climate change.
All week you’ve been hearing from us and our partners in the media report on climate change as part of the journalism initiative Covering Climate Now. And on Friday, students around the world are skipping school to voice their support for taking action against climate change as part of the Global Youth Climate Strike.
It seems like right now, climate change is trending.
And if there’s one industry out there that knows something about trends, it’s the fashion industry. Long known for churning out cheap garments and burning through resources, some fashion labels like fast fashion giant H&M are now embracing sustainable fashion trends. But can this industry—which is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions—really shed its wasteful business model in favor of one with a lower carbon footprint? Marc Bain, a fashion reporter at Quartz, Maxine Bédat from the New Standard Institute, and Linda Greer, global policy fellow with the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs talk with Ira about the industry’s effort to reduce its climate impact.
Richard from Madison: I try and buy at least half of my clothing secondhand from places like St. Vincent de Paul or Goodwill… Lara from Venice: When I buy clothing I try to make sure that it’s of a natural fiber, that it’s made locally, sometimes even fair trade or organic… David from North Carolina: One thing that I’m looking for is a few good pieces that I can wear over and over instead of hundreds of pieces in my closet… Tamara from Colorado: I consider the environmental impact of my personal clothing extremely conscientiously when I’m picking out clothes. I choose to visit thrift stores. My professional clothes, they’re work pants, they’re heavy-duty pants—I can’t factor in the environmental thoughts for that one, unfortunately.
Something You Can Do!
Rethink how you shop for clothing. Instead of hitting the mall, buy used clothing. And if your local thrift shop isn’t cutting it, try an online used clothing retailer, like thredUP, The RealReal, Swap.com, or many others. Have a kiddo that seems to grow out of their clothes every two weeks? There are even online options for used baby and children’s clothing, like Owl Tree Kids.
And when you’re finished with your clothes, extend their lifetime by tossing them into the donate pile, or selling them on an app like Poshmark or Depop. Some brands, like Eileen Fisher, even have buy-back programs for lightly worn clothing.
Further Reading:
- Read a full report on the fashion industry’s environmental impact.
- Have questions about the fashion resale market? Here are some answers.
- Learn more about what brands can do to reduce their environmental footprint.
- Watch a video on how plastic bottles are recycles into polyester.
- Learn more about circular fashion.
Sign up for Degrees Of Change, and stay on top of today’s most important climate stories.
Segment Guests
Marc Bain is a fashion reporter for Quartz.
Maxine Bédat is the founder and executive director of the New Standard Institute.
Linda Greer is a senior global fellow at the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs in Beijing, China.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Katie Feather
Katie Feather is an associate producer for Science Friday and the proud mother of two cats, Charleigh and Sadie.
About Andrea Corona
Andrea Corona is a science writer and Science Friday’s fall 2019 digital intern. Her favorite conversations to have are about tiny houses, earth-ships, and the microbiome.
About Johanna Mayer
Johanna Mayer is a digital producer at Science Friday. When she’s not working, she’s probably baking a fruit pie. Cherry’s her specialty, but she whips up a mean rhubarb streusel as well.
About Ira Flatow
Ira Flatow is the host and executive producer of Science Friday. His green thumb has revived many an office plant at death’s door.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)