I've touched a little bit here and there on this blog about fast fashion and how it has produced a record amount of waste. Eileen Fisher is claiming that the business is second only to the oil industry in the amount of toxic waste it generates. Some might question whether that is actually quantifiable, but one thing's for sure, it's a trend that will hopefully experience stricter and better regulations for the remainder of its reign.

According to Glynis Sweeny, here are just a few fast fashion activities that produce volumes of waste:

• While only 2.4 percent of the world’s cropland is planted with cotton, it consumes 10 percent of all agricultural chemicals and 25 percent of insecticides.
• Globalization means that your shirt likely traveled halfway around the world in a container ship fueled by the dirtiest of fossil fuels.
• According to Greenpeace, with 68 percent of the industrial facilities on the Upper Citarum in Indonesia producing textiles, the adverse health effects to the 5 million people living in the river basin and wildlife are alarming.

High fashion has always come at a price but in these trendy days the price tag might be a bit too high. This is one of the reasons I love upcycling and do-it-yourself - there are few things more satisfying than polishing up an old garment or breaking out the sewing machine to create your own unique look. I overwhelmingly value quality over quantity in fine clothing and it really does save money. I love fashion but I also love the environment - we have to keep earth looking beautiful too.  

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