New style, new season, buy more, buy cheap, move on, throw away–the excess and scraps that fast fashion are leaving behind create serious dangers in our environment.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a charity committed to creating a circular economy, which is designed to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. The Foundation estimates that a truckload of abandoned fabric is dumped in landfill or placed in an incinerator every second. Clothing and fabrics that go into landfills are landing in oceans and are polluting them with their toxic dye, while also placing many sea animals in danger. Old clothing pieces that have holes put marine life at risk of getting tangled or caught and not being able to swim. Some animals also see clothing and think it is food, causing them to choke.

The fabrics that go to incinerators have impacts on both human health and the environment. The effects that incinerators have on the environment include global warming, smog formation, and human and animal toxicity. This means we are putting ourselves, animals, and future generations in danger of accelerated extinction. Some of the more major impacts on human health are the higher chance of cancer and respiratory problems. 

To fight the effect of pollution, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) launched #BeatPollution, a strategy for rapid and large-scale action against air, land and water pollution. The strategy brings attention to the impact of pollution on the environment and human health. This showcases how transitioning to a pollution-free planet is crucial for future generations.