The fashion industry is one of the most destructive industries on earth. Clothes manufacturing alone creates countless environmental hazards, ranging from water pollution to air pollution to deforestation. A single cotton T-shirt needs at least 257 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to assemble the shirt.

Creating synthetic fibers (polyester, acrylic, nylon, etc.) commonly found in most apparel is more energy intensive since they are made from fossil fuels and they emit more carbon. Pollution doesn’t stop during the manufacturing process, either. Half a million tons of plastic microfibers shed during washing end up in the ocean. Then there is the dyeing process, which gives the clothes color and pollutes waters, which affects the fertility of nearby lands.

The next phase after production is the delivery of apparel and accessories all over the world. About 1.26 billion tons of greenhouse emissions are generated every year, which is more than the amount created by international flights and shipping combined.

Fast fashion companies go through the environmentally damaging production and delivery process more than 50 times per year and in the end the surplus ends up in landfills.

A change must be made in the entire fashion industry by implementing stricter policies on manufacturing and delivery. Finding alternatives to harmful materials and slowing down the fashion cycle is a small price to pay for a healthier environment.