T
alk is cheap, but thrifted Levi’s are cheaper. Minimum wage workers are cheap, but conglomerates see children working in Bangladesh garment factories as cheaper. In a world of cost efficiency over conservation, we have to ask ourselves: are inexpensive options actually costing us more? Or do the ethics of “less expensive” check out? Our companies, retailers, and even food sources are digging us a grave in polluted soil that’s getting harder to climb out of. Environmental education can’t stop in elementary school. More than ever, it needs to be taken to the next level.
Starting with ten dollar shirts and second hand sunglasses. From Buswhick to the brownstones of Greenwich Village, thrifted clothes have monopolized the hub of east coast fashion. The train heading into New York Penn Station is always filled with girls in Nike Air Force Ones, lowrise jeans, and baby tees. The new “it girl” style is reminiscent of a mid 2000’s red carpet. Popularized by celebrities and social media influencers alike, thrift stores have become the epicenter of style. Whereas decades earlier, thrifting had no say in the conversation of mainstream fashion.
It’s rise to fame has shifted the way consumers shop for clothes. Once a necessity solely for Americans in a pinch, who had no other option and definitely did not see it as a “trend”, thrifting has expanded its market. Fast fashion brands are no longer on the forefront of consumers minds… and thank God for that. In 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that roughly 16.9 million textiles were generated. Yet, only 2.6 million of all textiles were recycled. Textile waste is responsible for the majority of global pollution. Nearly 20 percent of global wastewater | 51
