Is fast fashion destroying our environment?

In this Our Changing Climate environmental video essay, I look at the environmental impact of fast fashion. Specifically, I look at how fast fashion impacts climate change through the production process of polyester and post-consumption through waste. As a result, stores like H&M, Uniqlo, and Zara have huge carbon footprints and negatively affect the environment.
Help me make more videos like this via Patreon: bit.ly/2iz4lIV
Twitter: / ourclimatenow
Facebook: / occvideos
Instagram: / occ.climate
Email: [e-mail]
______
Resources:
1. If your clothes aren’t already made out of plastic, they will be (Quartz): qz.com/414223/...
2. How H&M Churns Out New Styles In Just 2 Weeks (Business Insider): www.businessin...
3. Inside the lonely fight against the biggest environmental problem you've never heard (The Guardian): ofwww.theguardia...
4. Here’s How Much It Actually Costs to Make Your Shirt (Racked): www.racked.com...
5. Your next item of clothing should be so expensive it hurts (Quartz): qz.com/507904/...
6. The High Cost of Our Cheap Fashion (TEDx): • The High Cost of Our C...
#fastfashion #waste #climatechange
I use Artlist.io for all my music. You can get 2 months free of Artlist.io with this link: artlist.io/Cha...

[@OurChangingClimate]

Hey team!! Thanks for watching. What are some ways you've tried to avoid the fast fashion industry?

[@MedlifeCrisis]

Came here from the WCE Slack, really really impressive production quality and educational content. To answer your question - the ways I've tried to avoid the fast fashion industry is by being deeply unfashionable my whole life and buying clothes about once every 3 years lol

[@ronan_42]

Repair, recycle, regift ;) My city has a pretty cool free shop at the autonomous centre, where I got three super nice t-shirts recently. Otherwise, flea markets! If stuff has holes I'll fix them with thread or some anarchist patches, but I guess that's an aesthetic not everyone appreciates :D For new clothes, there's a shop of an ethical brand here, that tries to really minimise their ecological impact. It's quite expensive, but also really high quality.

[@OurChangingClimate]

@@ronan_42 woah sounds like your doing some awesome work to minimize your clothing impact. That autonomous centre sounds awesome!

[@SarahKarver]

I haven't bought new clothes in 2 years!

[@Emilia-lr6vc]

I came here because I saw a documentary in Netflix and my father hates Zara but i didn't believe him

[@ronan_42]

I watched "The True Cost" a few years back, which is a documentary about exactly this, plus the human rights issues. Seeing interviews with actual seamstresses talking about how they got beat up by their bosses for trying to unionise really changed my mind about fashion. I'd recommend this film to everyone.

[@HeathifyMyLife]

Thank you

[@TLSH12]

Great recommendation, going to check that out later. Cheers

[@user-ys16sxyz54]

I watched it and it totally changed my way of thinking

[@xJessiGirlProx]

Thank you for the recommendation! I’m new to this topic and was eager to learn more.

[@jhoannefrancisco490]

This is why i opt for thrift stores even though i get side eyes and shit but atleast its cheaper and sometimes u can steal branded clothes for half the price

[@alyssataylor2159]

Girl I got a Joseph A. Bank sweater for like $10 at Goodwill, that sweater’s real price was from $85-$300

[@Clownbabydoll1219]

I once thrift a vintage looking pair of Lee shorts for a $1 idk if they were vintage and my only two brandy pieces I thrifted

[@ursulasmith6402]

So true, so do I.

[@Helaw0lf]

I got made fun of for my thrift clothing attire at a job once. I rather just keep clothes out of landfill as long as they still have use and purpose.

[@henryfleischer404]

I sometimes get complements for my clothing, and the jacket I usually wear is from an antique store. I feel like timeless is much better than timely for fashion.

[@TheYoungFilmmaker]

Thanks for all the effort you put into these educational films.

[@OurChangingClimate]

Thanks! I'm glad you like em. I took a peek at your channel as well and it's awesome. Keep up the great work!

[@FilmThought]

This channel actually deserves so much more recognition

[@Jose-bt6ri]

im a fashion designer and I am really aware of this problem I would like to raise more awareness among people and designers so they can start thinking before buy and design something out of recycled fibers so thanks for the video and I will share it

[@amctothemoon8376]

JOSEPH LOUIS MARTIN Great for you, although many designers are not the problem. It’s H&M and Zara for example. The more expensive brands don’t do any fast fashion and the workers are well paid

[@LeahandLevi]

Dude this was an awesome video. You should make a follow up on a brand that you recommend and why!

[@OurChangingClimate]

Ooo good idea!! Look out for it in the not too distant future!

[@meggink9126]

I'm in highschool so these eco friendly brands are way too expensive for me and I still often buy at h&m (guilty). But I try to buy stuff in the sale section of more expensive stores, these brands are not much better than h&m have researchers found, but they do last a lot longer. This pair of jeans from a more high end kids store has lasted me more than four years of intensive use, just went to get a new pair for the next four years.

[@GrumpyStormtrooper]

high end brands are definitely more ethical than h&m

[@aluacage1054]

I am in highschool and I only buy my clothes on thrift shops. Where I live there is a lot of good ones, and many people of my high school try to buy there too.

[@twiceabroad7471]

Try to buy clothing made of natural fibers (as they don’t shed microplastics in the wash) and buy only what you need, even if you have to get fast fashion. Ethical clothing can also become unethical when produced in abnormally high quantities. I think the biggest problem is that people just buy too much clothing. Natural fibers and only buying what you NEED, WHEN you need it is something we can all do today. And if you can afford to, buy from ethical companies.

[@f4d4]

/!\ Read this to make your school more eco friendly /!\ Please make your school organise a clothes trade. In my school we cleared a spot in the hall for people to drop their old clothes and pick 'new' ones. Then at the end of the week (we did this for climate week) we donated the leftover clothes to homeless shelters. The clothe industry is the 2nd most polluting industry in the world and second hand and trade are an important solution. Please try to do this in your school by proposing it to your environmental club, your students' house or even asking your principal. In my school, and especially in my section, we have a lot of ecologists and activists and we are therefore pretty aware of the issues with our environment. We organise a lot of things (#1pieceofrubbish, #FrydaysforFuture,park cleaning, trash art, gardening sessions, conferences and debates maybe a future school compost...) and still have a lot planned. Please if you have any other ideas of things we could do in that school club post them under this comment.

[@SuchiththaW]

If you want to make a really good ethical choice, go buy older fabrics from second hand/thrift/charity stores. Jeans shouldn't last you 4 years. They should last two decades. They do last two decades when made well.

[@kimichiroo]

I really appreciate how my family was never into these trendy items of clothing, we would custem make our own clothing at tailer after choosing our fabric of choice, or use second hand clothes and give them to our relatives.I used to think we're lame when i was young but now i really feel proud of it.

[@samanthaalfaro3642]

I'm not buying new clothes anymore, all vintage and good quality

[@f4d4]

/!\ Read this to make your school more eco friendly /!\ Please make your school organise a clothes trade. In my school we cleared a spot in the hall for people to drop their old clothes and pick 'new' ones. Then at the end of the week (we did this for climate week) we donated the leftover clothes to homeless shelters. The clothe industry is the 2nd most polluting industry in the world and second hand and trade are an important solution. Please try to do this in your school by proposing it to your environmental club, your students' house or even asking your principal. In my school, and especially in my section, we have a lot of ecologists and activists and we are therefore pretty aware of the issues with our environment. We organise a lot of things (#1pieceofrubbish, #FrydaysforFuture,park cleaning, trash art, gardening sessions, conferences and debates maybe a future school compost...) and still have a lot planned. Please if you have any other ideas of things we could do in that school club post them under this comment.

[@Volksgeist]

Great video, I care about this topic a lot. Thanks bro

[@OurChangingClimate]

:) thanks man!!

[@leviie]

This morning I translated the subtitles of this video to Portuguese. thank you for the video I hope to help more in the next videos.

[@Pandababy1950]

Please avoid poly at all costs. After a few washes it always pills and suffocates the body. Modal and bamboo feel amazing but thin out easily after a few wears. I still have my heavy weight cotton graduation tshirt that i still wear from grade school no worse for wear. Buy good quality materials that lasts.

[@specialopsdave]

50% poly-cotton blends work fine if you iron them every once in a while Pure poly sucks tho

[@hioagnes3822]

A friend of mine makes her own clothes. I have always wondered why. Now I know why.

[@jsebbf]

Second hand shopping is underrated. Gotten so many cheap gems

[@greenleafyman1028]

It is popular here in Southeast Asia.

[@behindyou666]

Its not perfect tho and the clothes have to be transported long distances. Thrift shopping is way better than buying from fast fashion stores, but if you contstantly buy clothes from thrift stores, then you arent really contributing that much to the climate.

[@SarahKarver]

Thank you for not using the "2nd" most polluting fact!!! This is such a great synthesis of the problem. So glad I stumbled across your channel!

[@sonyaliinomebarlow100]

i love that you use examples from your own life to demonstrate the bad we as a society do. good job!

[@kirbybie]

Literally got an American appeal ad before this

[@madhusai7021]

I'm 100 percent sure this channel will get to Million followers in no time. Godspeed OCC

[@dorianschubel7015]

too bad.....it didn't work

[@elleb2266]

I had done a presentation on how greatly the clothing industry pollutes the environment in high school a few years back so I have always been interested in the topic so thank you for making a video on the matter to spread awareness

[@nadasimane8363]

I'm doing a school presentation about fast fashion and ur video helped me a lot thank uuu

[@hbarudi]

Good that the video shows about the issues of clothing. I barely bought clothing on my own, but parents regularly buy me clothing to the point where my closet is always full. I always say that if your total clothing in your closet can't fit in a single 50 pound check in piece of luggage, you have too much clothing.

[@putripadfoot26]

For years, I have been buying stuffs either from the 2nd hand retails or outlet stores. the main reason back then was the price, why should you buy something which has the same quality but 100% more expensive. but then I started working in the production of fast fashion industry, i can say that I've experienced and seen it all, the >60 hours of work weekly, the labours that are treated rather unfairly, the waste. i dont know about others but this job alone has caused me to have existential crisis daily, it also because of i got to see people around me to suffer from depression due to the pressure of having to produce high quality goods with the minimum budget the company could spend.

[@LogicGated]

I'm always saddened when I see huge fast fashion clothing haul videos on youtube

[@turtleneck4985]

This is SO important, unfortunately as Kristen Leo said, often people who already try to live sustainably watch this kind of videos and seek for informations, not the ones who don't really care

[@alinamunir6933]

I was a minimalist cz that's my nature by default to not cluster or gather, i never knew the depth of it like this. I'm very impressed by this video, it's amazing. Every piece of clothing/shoes i have can fit in one bag and means a lot to me

[@wannabehistorian371]

I still wear stuff I have since elementary school if I can lol. If you can still wear it keep wearing it. Look up how to stretch it out, pay a clothing repair service, donate wearable stuff that shrunk in the wash to the thrift store. You’re lucky if you live somewhere like the rural/suburban US where no one would care if you’re in a T shirt and shorts from 10 years ago. But I still wear my old clothes as room wear. It’s nice and comfy.

[@PeaceJohanna]

I'd rather spend more on fair trade, recycled or organic clothing, even if it means owning less. The clothing is better quality, so it lasts longer. Owning less means less to fold, less clutter, and it's easier deciding what to wear each day.

[@MAR7LO]

My thoughts 🙌🏾

[@taeyeonspie5356]

i'm so glad people are being aware about this topic

[@luc6284]

Commenting on this video because the algorithm needs to show people your content

[@Earth098]

1) Most of the apparel products comes from developing countries such as China and Bangladesh. In these places wages are much lower compared to developed countries, regardless of the industry you work in. Therefore it's not always accurate to say these low wages are human right violations. However, this does not mean workers are always treated properly, it totally depends on the individual organizations. 2) Fast fashion is the problem here, not just cheap cloths. It's a good thing that people have access to cheaper clothing. The problem is that most people throw away their cloths and buy new ones, just to look fashionable.

[@janini1232]

I'm just greeting the algorithm, to support this video!

[@EdieAyala]

Heartbreaking. I live in Chile, south of the used garment dumping ground in the Atacama Desert. I have written a novel called THREADS, in which fast fashion and resulting environmental damage is an underlying theme. Also a take on contrasting cultures.

[@jackiecherry5917]

Do you think you could post this on IGTV, I’d love to repost this. I think more people need to see!

[@Userjellyfish43]

Another issue with polyester is its poor quality. Although the material may take a very long time to biodegrade it doesn’t hold seams that well. Once a clothing item is ripped most people just throw it out. Therefore, once you start buying fast fashion it’s impossible to stop because you are constantly in need of new clothing. The best ways to avoid it all together is by buying products made out of cotton, or buying from higher quality stores. It may be more expensive, but in the long run you’ll spend less money. If you do get rid of clothes just because you don’t want them anymore, donate them or give them to someone.

[@owlright7524]

I’m a Bangladeshi-American and more than anyone else, I realize how horrible fast fashion is for my people. Not only the fact that fast fashion is treating millions of workers in Bangladesh like slaves, but also the fact that Bangladesh is one of the top countries vulnerable to climate change. Even after being abused financially by fast fashion, we continue to suffer environmentally. If not for you, please do it for the hundreds of millions of people in Bangladesh and their history and culture of thousands of years. Please refrain from buying new clothes and adding to the problem. Please let’s create a movement to hold these companies accountable. please let’s consume less bc afterall, businesses are controlled by customers.

[@becmkh]

Oh wow the ad before this is h&m, how ironic!

[@Patricia-gj8uo]

amazing info, it hurts me to see what our clothes do to our environment. we need to make a change

[@lachlanmcintosh72]

A company called Beekeeper Parade in Australia makes bags out of clothes that have been thrown out.

[@laurenbirchfield126]

Thank you for taking the time to educate the public on such a controversial topic.

[@jac42]

i have to watch this for school at home

[@flux202]

"Over 93 countries?" Umm, 94?

[@sk8iny0]

Just found out about this channel and it's amazing! subscribed! :)

[@saramorris6686]

I remember, maybe back in 2019, that a Forever 21 store had closed in an area that I considered had overly priced clothing, and the price of their final sale items were phenomenal. My mother and grandma bought final sale pieces that were as low as $1. At the time, I regretted not spending time with them to catch that opportunity, and I remember feeling bad that Forever 21 had closed. After this revelation and journey that I've found out about fast fashion has now made me glad that Forever 21 did close in that area. I still have those $1 pieces that my mother handed down to me. While the price was quite the deal, I now know that the impact that fast fashion has on the environment, so not even $1 is worth it. But I do wonder, if a fast fashion brand isn't profiting off of their clothes, but are still putting a price tag to offset the loss of cash into making their clothes, is it more sustainable to purchase the clothing or to leave it in the hands of the fast fashion brand (where they might discard unsold clothing)?

[@agustinapairola6903]

Do you guys have a podcast available on spotify by chance?

[@sheebakrishnakumar6851]

Try to use everything to its maximum lifespan instead of one time use.By doing this we can reduce a huge amount of waste.Just try to understand that it's not that bad to reuse materials which can be reused.

[@andydutton455]

The whole clothing industry needs to change.

[@majesticpegasus]

great video! do one on everlane!

[@magilla5433]

Thank you so much for this educative video. I think fast fashion is a very interesting topic

[@thecheezoftheweek1370]

Got a Hollister ad before this

[@atriapeter4649]

Thank you for taking the time to make such great videos!!

[@МиланаГоменюк-щ9м]

Большое спасибо переводчице за проделанный труд. Тема интереснейшая

[@tubebuz]

What would you choose? - New clothes every week or being able to eat what you like? Soon we will all have to make a choice.

[@jonci9712]

I was thinking of applying to zumiez but I don’t know if i want to support this fast fashion trend.

[@Noname-ic1iq]

I don't know, me being just a single lone person deciding for myself, what i do- i just recycle my old clothes so i don't buy clothes anymore

[@kamranm987]

Came here from your Canada Goose video. Great channel - Subscribed!

[@Veryyy_bery]

Your videos inspire me :) maybe next video should be "Animal testing products and cosmetics ".. its something I was google it .. and was suprised how many popular brands doest it ! Cheers

[@Mere_dithM]

youre my new fav educational channel. love your message

[@eshavpotdar1607]

this is so true

[@Mahsajoyce]

I LOVE your channel. Keep on sharing and spreading awareness. 👏

[@MyMEGAamazinglife1]

I prefer to thrift but sometimes it's still cheaper to shop at the cotton on clearance centre. I bought a linen blend top for $3 which is ridiculous. They are more ethical than brands like H&M though.

[@HeathifyMyLife]

Vintage stores, second hand for a new life, clothes swap or even naturism are some of the alternatives. Which one you follow yourself?

[@shaunaburton7136]

I think our schools should teach kids who want to learn mending, clothing care, dying etc...... Courses on it.

[@vanessad.8701]

I appreciate your work. Your channel will grow in time for sure 😊

[@slinky8957]

who else only thrifts?

[@ursulasmith6402]

I do

[@davidperry4013]

I prefer high quality long lasting clothing. I like 100 polyester for active wear but for other clothes, cotton is king. I have 8 year t shirts that still look good and are in emasculate condition. Also some 4 year old blue jeans that are in great condition.

[@alexandert4463]

A Uniqlo ad played for me before this video started 😭

[@summer78946]

Thank you for the video ❤ It was very informative ❤❤

[@Clownbabydoll1219]

I'm trying to watch less fast fashion hauls and more thrift hauls so I'm less likely to want to buy fast fashion

[@mgs649]

Love your videos! You should look into Tentree brand and their tree planting claim, or the green labelling of major fashion brands like Adidas with Recycled materials!

[@kisuzaruthketty9378]

Wow ...very educative🌺🌺🌺🌺

[@jon6309]

Hmm not all clothes from H&M are poor quality. I have a sweater from H&M that is still in tack after 10 years. I noticed certain article of clothings tend to last longer than certain ones. Sweaters and polos are built to last longer. T-Shirts don’t really last regardless if it’s a cheap or expensive brand!

[@NeighborhoodBasketCase]

This is why I buy from thrift stores! And if those clothes lasted on one person it's bound to last on me too

[@rindeer8094]

Just made a video about the environmental impacts of 'decluttering' methods like the konmari method and I linked to this video in it :)

[@n.k.7840]

This is why I don't follow fashion and buy as less clothing and only have one pair of shoes and try to keep them for as long as I can.

[@aidanlangford8154]

Who tf throws close away? I just let my old, small, stained, hole filled shirts sit in my closet for years, LIKE EVERY NORMAL PERSON!!! OKAY?!

[@Lojainaheshamsaad]

Be green 💚

[@ColinPlayzPianoC418Music]

Minimalism people minimalism

[@martijn2246]

Got a add for C&A lol

[@Kevin_geekgineering]

if it's cheap someones else is paying for that (your cloths, your subsidized gas price, and the fact that you can afford to live an american life style, all means some where else the true cost is payed : future of environment, other animals lives, other people's lives, you name it)

[@shaunaburton7136]

Fast fashion needs to go!

[@ludlowvics]

i feel like these days people like influencers get shamed for rewearing clothes, and therefore people following them always seem them in new clothes, and this pressures followers to abstain the same lifestyle. Clothes used to be designed to be worn and worn again, but now its all about making a trendy outfit to wear out once, and then go out to buy a new outfit the next day.

[@tiffanyhoang6327]

Thank you for this video, this is an important topic that i have learned recently. And thank you very much for providing the sources! Not a lot of video and channels do that, so it is appreciated.

[@cindykidd4238]

Thank you so much for this video! I am just building a website on luxury sustainable living and I will share this video with my followers!

[@funwritings3096]

Very interesting video, I'll share

[@michaelmorris1255]

I have a few shirts I really like that contain polyester and elastane, is there any way I can stop them from shedding microplastics? I’m slowly trying to replace all of my clothes that do contain microplastics but trying to find socks that don’t contain some kind of plastic is so difficult.

[@tomjones2157]

Wash in a front loader instead of a top loader washing machine. Line dry instead of in the dryer.

[@evija1159]

Which song is played in the background?

[@kaelart5876]

I LOVE YOUR CONTENT !!!

[@suehowser3659]

Why can't materials like polyester be banned? It's clear that people don't need this level of overproduction. What is wanted is not the same as what is needed.

[@hand4you700]

great video, worth subscribing !

[@lzebell5082]

Sad that ethical companies can’t compete with the fast fashion giants! My favorites seem to all close (including Elizabeth Suzann that’s featured in the video)

[@jamesx2703]

Started buying second hand on ebay, its actually amazing :) like new Ralph Lauren hoodies for 15 instead of 90 lol why didn't I do this before?

[@dhe-origjin]

Aren't cotton and wool also a problem?

[@UntappedUtopia]

2:50 I thought my phone was gonna fall!! So I quickly put my phone around it! Made me feel like I’m spider man cuz that was quick 🤭🤭🤭🤭🥴🥴

[@grimtheghastly8878]

I'm surprised you haven't brought up hand-me-downs yet. We buy new toys or clothes for your kids when you can just give them the ones you played as a child? And they can pass those toys and clothes on to either their siblings or if it survives that long, their kids of their own. If a toy or an article of clothing is even broken you can just repair it. If the damage is so bad that maybe you can't fix it or they outgrow it, you trash it and get a new one. It reduces waste, saves time, and saves money.

[@goldy4631]

You just got s new subscriber my guy

[@sarahpeck1819]

Gorgeous videos!

[@jonathandjing1065]

It is !

[@liviavh2236]

hi, do you publish your sources somewhere?