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Fast Fashion & Landfills — The ugly side of style
That $5 top you bought for brunch? It might have a hidden price tag — one that someone else is paying.
In this episode of Talk Earthy to Me, we’re unravelling the messy truth behind fast fashion. From underpaid garment workers and overflowing landfills to communities in Ghana and Chile drowning in textile waste, we’re exposing the real cost of our cheap closets.
You’ll learn why fast fashion is one of the biggest polluters on the planet, how our donated clothes often become someone else’s environmental nightmare, and what you can do — personally, collectively, and politically — to help turn the tide.
Additionally, we’ll spotlight The OR Foundation, a powerhouse nonprofit organisation fighting textile waste in Ghana, and share easy swaps that keep your closet both cute and conscious.
Because good style doesn’t have to come at a bad cost.
Works Cited
Changing Markets Foundation. Fossil Fashion: The Hidden Reliance of Fast Fashion on Fossil Fuels. Changing Markets Foundation, 2023.
CNN. “Kantamanto Textile Market in Ghana: Fast Fashion’s Waste Crisis.” CNN, 10 Aug. 2023.
Earth.org. “Fast Fashion’s Detrimental Effect on the Environment.” Earth.org, 2023.
Earth.org. “Statistics About Fast Fashion Waste.” Earth.org, 2023.
Earthday.org. “Beneath the Seams: The Human Toll of Fast Fashion.” Earth Day Network, 2023.
Europarl. “The Impact of Textile Production and Waste on the Environment.” European Parliament, 2020.
Fashion Revolution. About Fashion Revolution. Fashion Revolution, 2023.
Forbes. Pinnock, Olivia. “The Plastic Pollution Hiding in Your Wardrobe—and How to Tackle It.” Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024.
Green America. “What Really Happens to Unwanted Clothes.” Green America, 2023.
Greenpeace Africa. “Fast Fashion, Slow Poison: New Report Exposes Toxic Impact of Global Textile Waste in Ghana.” Greenpeace Africa, 2023.
International Labour Organization. Rana Plaza: Country Focus. ILO, 2023.
National Geographic. “Chile’s Desert Is Buried in Unwanted Clothes.” National Geographic, 2023.
National Geographic. “Is There a Better Way to Get Rid of Old Clothes?” National Geographic, 2023.
Nature. “Textile Production and Its Environmental Impact.” Nature Climate Change, vol. 7, 2017, pp. 713–720.
Planetaid. “The Truth About Secondhand Clothes.” Planetaid, 2023.
ScienceDirect. “Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion Supply Chains.” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 277, 2020.
Smith, Matthew. “The Hidden Cost of Fast Fashion: What You’re Really Paying For.” Waste Free Planet, 2023.
The OR Foundation. Work and Impact Report. The OR Foundation, 2023.
Time. “Ghana’s Fight Against Fast Fashion Waste Pollution.” Time, 2024.
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. “UN Alliance Aims to Put Fashion on a Path to Sustainability.” UNECE, 2023.
United Nations Environment Programme. “Fashion’s Tiny Hidden Secret.” UNEP, 2023.
United Nations Environment Programme. “Unsustainable Fashion and Textiles in Focus.” UNEP, 2023.
United Nations Regional Information Centre. “From Petroleum to Pollution: The Cost of Polyester.” UNRIC, 2023.
Wired. “The Growing Problem of Fashion Waste.” Wired, 2023.
World Wildlife Fund. “Handle With Care.” WWF Magazine, Spring 2014.
YouTube. “Fast Fashion and Its Impact.” YouTube, uploaded 2023.
View all episodes
By Isabelle FrazierThat $5 top you bought for brunch? It might have a hidden price tag — one that someone else is paying.
In this episode of Talk Earthy to Me, we’re unravelling the messy truth behind fast fashion. From underpaid garment workers and overflowing landfills to communities in Ghana and Chile drowning in textile waste, we’re exposing the real cost of our cheap closets.
You’ll learn why fast fashion is one of the biggest polluters on the planet, how our donated clothes often become someone else’s environmental nightmare, and what you can do — personally, collectively, and politically — to help turn the tide.
Additionally, we’ll spotlight The OR Foundation, a powerhouse nonprofit organisation fighting textile waste in Ghana, and share easy swaps that keep your closet both cute and conscious.
Because good style doesn’t have to come at a bad cost.
Works Cited
Changing Markets Foundation. Fossil Fashion: The Hidden Reliance of Fast Fashion on Fossil Fuels. Changing Markets Foundation, 2023.
CNN. “Kantamanto Textile Market in Ghana: Fast Fashion’s Waste Crisis.” CNN, 10 Aug. 2023.
Earth.org. “Fast Fashion’s Detrimental Effect on the Environment.” Earth.org, 2023.
Earth.org. “Statistics About Fast Fashion Waste.” Earth.org, 2023.
Earthday.org. “Beneath the Seams: The Human Toll of Fast Fashion.” Earth Day Network, 2023.
Europarl. “The Impact of Textile Production and Waste on the Environment.” European Parliament, 2020.
Fashion Revolution. About Fashion Revolution. Fashion Revolution, 2023.
Forbes. Pinnock, Olivia. “The Plastic Pollution Hiding in Your Wardrobe—and How to Tackle It.” Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024.
Green America. “What Really Happens to Unwanted Clothes.” Green America, 2023.
Greenpeace Africa. “Fast Fashion, Slow Poison: New Report Exposes Toxic Impact of Global Textile Waste in Ghana.” Greenpeace Africa, 2023.
International Labour Organization. Rana Plaza: Country Focus. ILO, 2023.
National Geographic. “Chile’s Desert Is Buried in Unwanted Clothes.” National Geographic, 2023.
National Geographic. “Is There a Better Way to Get Rid of Old Clothes?” National Geographic, 2023.
Nature. “Textile Production and Its Environmental Impact.” Nature Climate Change, vol. 7, 2017, pp. 713–720.
Planetaid. “The Truth About Secondhand Clothes.” Planetaid, 2023.
ScienceDirect. “Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion Supply Chains.” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 277, 2020.
Smith, Matthew. “The Hidden Cost of Fast Fashion: What You’re Really Paying For.” Waste Free Planet, 2023.
The OR Foundation. Work and Impact Report. The OR Foundation, 2023.
Time. “Ghana’s Fight Against Fast Fashion Waste Pollution.” Time, 2024.
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. “UN Alliance Aims to Put Fashion on a Path to Sustainability.” UNECE, 2023.
United Nations Environment Programme. “Fashion’s Tiny Hidden Secret.” UNEP, 2023.
United Nations Environment Programme. “Unsustainable Fashion and Textiles in Focus.” UNEP, 2023.
United Nations Regional Information Centre. “From Petroleum to Pollution: The Cost of Polyester.” UNRIC, 2023.
Wired. “The Growing Problem of Fashion Waste.” Wired, 2023.
World Wildlife Fund. “Handle With Care.” WWF Magazine, Spring 2014.
YouTube. “Fast Fashion and Its Impact.” YouTube, uploaded 2023.