There is already enough clothing on this planet to dress the next six generations. For now, we don’t need to make more. Without reinvention, the fashion industry has no future.
As hard as it is for me to admit—because there’s such joy in discovering new fabrics, visiting textile mills, and selecting materials for a fresh collection—the truth is, we must start questioning our methods and finding a more sustainable path forward.
Years ago, I read Cosmos by Neil deGrasse Tyson. I remember a specific moment when he explained the idea of “the fleeting grace of the habitable zone.” It means that no habitable zone lasts forever. In our case, that’s Earth. Our planet has already used up more than 70% of its best years. While maintaining this habitability isn’t entirely in human hands—it also depends on our star, the Sun—we do have the power to speed up or slow down how we pollute it.
Most clothing is produced in the Global North, but its waste overwhelmingly ends up in the Global South. According to the Or Foundation in Accra, Ghana imports 15 million pieces of secondhand clothing every week, much of it from wealthier nations. Of that, at least 40% is too damaged to be reused. These discarded clothes pile up in markets, landfills, rivers, and along the coastlines. In Kantamanto—one of the largest secondhand clothing markets in West Africa—these garments are visible on the streets and in the waterways.
As the environmental damage caused by fashion becomes more visible, many big industry players have responded by adding green tags and sustainability slogans to their products. But in most cases, these “green” efforts have minimal impact. They’re more about easing the conscience of the consumer than truly protecting the planet.
Real change requires transparency in the value chain—knowing not only where a garment is made, but where it ends up. We need full traceability, before and after.
Today’s fashion industry is deeply polluting. We now inhale synthetic microfibers that are becoming part of our DNA. The problem is not just overproduction—it's overconsumption. Fast production for fast use. This careless cycle threatens public health and biodiversity alike. In some places, discarded clothes are even preventing sea turtles from nesting.
This is a multi-layered issue that demands action on every level: Supporting environmental and public health policies that protect vulnerable communities, Holding brands accountable for the full life cycle of their products, And embracing a more conscious, slower approach to clothing consumption.
Large manufacturers can—and eventually will—adapt to different systems. But how soon they do is up to us, the consumers. The less we demand, the sooner they'll be forced to rethink their methods.
Solutions like repairing garments, working with existing textiles, or buying secondhand are all viable ways to keep clothes from ending up in oceans or in massive landfill cities.
Want to learn more? Read The Guardian’s article:
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