Every piece of clothing has a story, one that begins long before it sees your wardrobe and continues even after you let go of it. With this year’s theme for Fashion Revolution week, Think Globally, Act Locally, we would like to take a closer look at the journey of our clothes, the environmental and social impact they have, and what we can do to make a difference.
Fast Fashion has a huge impact on our planet. 80 to 150 billion garments are produced yearly, but the exact size remains unknown as only 11% of the brands share their production volumes. The resources required to make just a single t-shirt is almost 2,500 litres of water while a pair of jeans needs almost 3 times as much. And when these clothes are thrown away the consequences are just as heavy. In the UK alone, discarded clothing from one year could fill Wembley Stadium. Worse, 95% of discarded clothing could have been recycled or upcycled, yet much of it ends up in landfills.
Fast fashion not only harms the environment but also exploits workers, with 50 million people trapped in forced labor. Many garment workers endure extreme exploitation, yet only 1% of fashion brands disclose how many of their workers earn a living wage. In Cambodia, for example, the average garment worker earns just $260 per month, while the cost of living is nearly $500, making survival a daily struggle. Additionally, gender pay gaps persist, with wage disparities ranging from 22-30% in Bangladesh and 4-17% in Turkey. The lack of transparency and fair wages in the industry keeps millions trapped in cycles of poverty and exploitation.
Foto: Jan Lietaert
So, what can we do? Acting locally can drive meaningful change. Here are some steps you can take:
Get creative with what you own by repurposing old clothes instead of buying new ones, and if you buy new clothes, buy fair (check gentfairtrade.be/hotspots)
Repair instead of replace – Find a local repair café or tailor (check repairshare.be/kaart for locations).
Donate to second-hand shops – Organizations like We Make Hope, Oxfam, and Kringwinkel give clothes a second life.
Find new uses by for example turning old t-shirts into cleaning rags or pillow stuffing, or making reusable wax wraps.
By making conscious choices, we can reduce waste, minimize our impact on the environment, and support ethical fashion practices. The power is in our hands! Let’s Think Globally and Act Locally for a fairer and more sustainable fashion industry.
