Maine Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is sounding an alarm over pollution from the textile industry.
A government report requested by Pingree and Connecticut Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro shows an increase in textile waste in recent decades, which she partially attributes to the rise of “fast fashion.”
The report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggest Congress take action to reduce textile waste and boost textile recycling. GAO also made seven recommendations to six federal entities, including that they collaborate through an interagency mechanism.
Pingree says fast fashion has become an urgent environmental problem because it produces short-lived garment use which increases the use of fossil fuels.
According to a release from Pingree’s office, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated 17 million tons of textiles were generated in the U.S. in 2018. The release says textile waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the U.S., but only 15% of clothing in the U.S. is recycled or reused, with the rest either incinerated or sent to landfills for disposal.
A report last year by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) showed the fashion industry accounts for 10% of annual global carbon emissions. The report also found garment production in the last 25 years. It found that consumers buy 60% more clothes now but only wearing them for half as long.
Fast fashion clothes are also often produced using polyester, which is a made from petroleum, a nonrenewable fossil fuel.
“Textile waste—driven by fast fashion—is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the United States, yet no federal entity is required to address this waste. The Government Accountability Office’s report confirms that fast fashion’s toll on our planet is undeniable. From contributing to greenhouse gas emissions to microplastic and forever chemical contamination, the environmental costs are staggering,” said Pingree.
