The Washington Post article delves into the various innovations in textile recycling technologies. These advancements are crucial to mitigate the significant amount of textile waste the fashion sector produces. Sophie Scanlon, a textiles specialist at WRAP, a British company focusing on waste, believes that “we can’t just recycle our way out of this issue… We really need to tackle the root issue of, why are we producing and consuming greater and greater quantities of clothing?” Read More.

Used in the production of plastics, Bisphenol A (BPA) has the ability to infiltrate our bodies through ingestion, inhalation, or direct contact with the skin. Given the widespread use of plastic in modern products, BPA can be present in a variety of items, including clothing. The 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), identified measurable levels of BPA in 93 percent of the 2,517 urine samples collected from individuals ages six and older in the United States. Read More.

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In 2021, the United States exported over $834 million worth of used clothing waste to countries around the world. These places are currently undergoing an “environmental and social emergency,” as their communities are suffering from mass amounts of textile waste. “When it rains, floodwaters carry the old garments and dump them in drains, ending up in our water sources and cause havoc to aquatic life,” Justice Adoboe of the Ghana Water and Sanitation Journalists Network told AFP. Read More.

Fast fashion is helping to provide a source of fuel for scorching kilns in Cambodia, where workers are succumbing to serious heat exhaustion. Bags bursting with garment scraps serve as a cheaper source of fuel for the kilns, yet they contain harmful traces of chemicals. “According to a 2018 report - Blood Bricks - by UK academics at Royal Holloway, these scraps have traces of chlorine bleach, formaldehyde and ammonia, as well as heavy metals, PVC and resins used in the dyeing and printing processes.” This report also discovered that workers are suffering from nosebleeds, migraines, and other illnesses. A 47 year old worker says, "It's like working inside a burning prison.” Read More

Chanjuan Chen, an associate professor at the University of North Texas, is paving the way for the future of the fashion industry: 3D printable fashion. Chen is currently researching ways clothing can be developed via 3D printers at home. "The idea is that in the future, you wouldn't even have to go to the store anymore. You could download, print and assemble your own garments at home," Chen says. This revolutionary research would forever change the fashion industry, creating a more sustainable world. Read More

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In Chile, a 30,000 ton landfill made up of used clothing is causing serious damage to Chilean communities and the environment. Chile is not responsible for this waste as the majority of these discarded clothes are coming from the United States, China, and the European Union. The U.N. report explains that this problem can be attributed to “fast fashion” and “unregulated overproduction and overconsumption at a global scale.” Read more

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A new Washington bill was introduced with the intent of regulating the fast fashion industry. This bill specifically addresses fast fashion manufacturers that have an annual global gross income greater than $100,000. Similar bills have been introduced in California and New York, with the objective of requiring fast fashion companies to be transparent about their social and environmental impacts. Read more