By Anonymous
My Mapping Mason project focuses on the interactions between the waste system of textiles and the environment of George Mason University. The human-environment interaction at the Fairfax campus includes recycling old clothes and encouraging thrifting while putting an end to fast fashion. I chose the Hub as the area of human-environmental interaction because of a thrift sale which was occurring. I partnered with Alpha Kappa Chi, the co-ed environmental fraternity on campus, to host this event to recycle old clothes and put an end to fast fashion on campus. We asked students from George Mason to donate clothing, shoes, jewelry that they didn’t want anymore and resold the items at the Hub. Profits went to various charities such as Patriot Pantry and Valley View Farm Adopt-A-Beehive.
The resource I chose was textiles because it is a big cause of pollution. In 2018, the EPA reported that 11.3 billion tons of textiles were sent to landfills and 3.2 million tons were incarcerated (Marsh, 2022). Additionally, students at Mason often throw away clothes that are out of style or no longer fit. To keep up with trends and have access to cheap clothing, students rely on fast fashion. Fast fashion is a term used to describe cheap and low-quality clothing that is rapidly produced and is cycled in and out of the market quickly to meet new trends. However, the environmental impacts of fast fashion are devastating. There is a significant amount of waste during the large-scale production of clothing, leading to an increasingly large amount of pollution. Textile waste, demand for synthetic fibers, and large consumption of energy are ways that fast fashion harms the environment. Ecological factors tie climate and pollution patterns directly to the fast fashion industry.
The social context of “keeping up with the trends” is what drives fast fashion. Old clothes are “out of style” and new clothes are in style. Each season there is a new style or trend of clothing. Fast fashion makes it possible to generate clothes at a faster pace than the regular industry of sowing or hand stitching. The media glorifies fast fashion and markets it as affordable and trendy hence the gravitation to buy clothes for fast fashion stores like Shein, Forever 21, and more. This way people can keep up with the trends with low prices which brings into play an economic factor of affordability.
Political factors arise when taking into consideration the ethical labor concerns of fast fashion because large scale production requires cheap labor which can be found in developing countries. Textile companies often take advantage of this as developing countries have fewer environmental regulations. Big companies can then pollute natural waterways and release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere without consequences. According to the IPCC, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions each year because greenhouse gasses are produced during the creation of clothes (Marsh, 2022). Consumers who support these fast fashion companies are indirectly fueling capital to damage the environment of developing countries.
The implications of this interaction on humans and the environment is that consumers must shop cautiously. There are companies who are transparent about their production and strive to create sustainable clothing (Marsh, 2022). Shoppers must avoid fast fashion companies and try to purchase clothing sustainably from companies who are candid. Additionally, students should donate unwanted clothing to organizations on campus which are hosting thrift events or donate to their local Goodwill. “Shopping second hand is another way that consumers can avoid fast fashion and the harm that it brings to the Earth’s climate” (Marsh, 2022). Students should also try to buy from Mason or local thrift shops to recycle clothing. As more consumers work towards changing their behavior, the more pressure there will be for “change in the fashion industry to reduce its negative impact on the environment” (Marsh, 2022).
The university is actively working on recycling clothing. The Patriot Packout is an event hosted by University Sustainability where George Mason students come to donate items such as unwanted clothing, shoes, jewelry, and more. According to Mr. Benjamin Auger from University Sustainability, Patriot Packout receives hundreds of pounds of donated clothes each year. From the data that he collected in 2019 the Patriot Packout collected 6,035 lbs and in the spring of 2022, they collected 804 lbs of donated clothes. Patriot Packout will continue to occur at the end of every semester. Additionally student organizations also host thrift events where they collect donations from students and resell them for a better cause. Alpha Kappa Chi has hosted a thrift sale every semester and we plan to host multiple events in the future.
Works Cited
Marsh, J. (2022, October 27). Is fast fashion causing climate change? 5 ways. Environment Co. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://environment.co/5-ways-fast-fashion-is-causing-climate-change/#:~:text=Is%20Fast%20Fashion%20Causing%20Climate%20Change%3F%205%20Ways,Gases%20…%205%205.%20Supports%20Abusive%20Systems%20
Schlossberg, T. (2019, September 3). How fast fashion is destroying the planet. The New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/03/books/review/how-fast-fashion-is-destroying-the-planet.html
Shukla, N. (2022, August 2). Fast fashion pollution and climate change. Earth.Org. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://earth.org/fast-fashion-pollution-and-climate-change/