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Fast fashion – a pressing issue
Fast fashion causes detrimental effects to our environment, our physical and mental health, and to humanity itself. According to the Australian government, the average Australian throws out 23kg of clothing a year! That's after making around 27kg in individual purchases.
To help raise awareness of this issue, Alana Lopera, Environmental Sustainability Prefect at Glen Waverley Campus, organised a ‘Sustainable Market Day.’ Students volunteered their time after school to set up and run their own stalls, selling an array of secondhand clothes, beeswax candles and baked goods. The Senior School at Glen Waverley came along and supported the event, purchasing and buying each other’s clothes and items.
‘The aim of this day was to remind people of the power of community, and how we can all make a difference by reusing what has already been created,’ said Alana. ‘I hoped to plant a seed in people’s minds to think locally before purchasing globally. Sometimes, convenience needs to be sacrificed for a greater good. This could be as sustainable as borrowing clothing from a friend, buying from an op shop, or supporting ethical and sustainable small businesses.’
So next time you need something new to wear, take a moment to ask yourself these simple questions: ‘What environmental impact am I having? What ethical impact am I having? Where else can I source this? And more importantly, how does it make me feel?’