Clothing has always been a powerful way for us to express our identity and culture. Unfortunately, our love of fashion has become a major threat to both people and the planet. 

Sourcing and processing textiles can overexploit natural resources, contaminate water, and pollute air in the same places where the people making the clothing live. And every year, we toss millions of tons of waste that contribute to long-term environmental and health dangers for the often low income communities that live near landfills.

Companies often invest in sustainable materials and charge wealthy shoppers a “green” premium without protecting low wage workers from the harms caused by their own industry. There’s a rise in “greenwashing”: companies using marketing tactics to give consumers the illusion of impact while distracting from real change. This creates a skewed sense of reality where people are celebrated for buying expensive “green” goods, and vilified for consuming cheaper options, regardless of their actual impact.

Sustainability can’t be solely for the wealthy, and a green movement can’t work if it doesn’t uplift the communities most impacted by the problems it’s claiming to solve.