In this in-depth project, you will be studying the problem of sustainability and pollution created by the fashion industry. You will be finding information and facts about the fashion industry and discuss possible solutions on a local and global level. Also, why not make yourself into your own object of research?
Step 1: Start by examining your own closet
How many items of clothing do you have in your closet? (20-50, 50-100, 100-200, more than 200) (Leave out socks and underwear).
Are there any garments in your closet that you have never worn or that you seldom wear?
Check the label of twenty random garments. What are they made of? (Natural or synthetic material?)
You can use some of this information in your in-depth study to add relevance to your presentation.
Step 2: Find information about the fashion industry
What is fast fashion? Where does most fast fashion production take place?
Describe the increase in productivity in the fashion industry the last 2-3 decades.
How much water is used to produce various garments?
How much plastic is used in the fashion industry, and what impact does this have on the environment?
How does textile dyeing affect the water quality near the factories?
How much of the world's carbon emission comes from the fashion industry?
How much of the clothing end up in landfills or is burnt every year?
Step 3: How can we solve this problem?
What should the fashion industry do?
What should the government do?
What can YOU do?
Useful sources:
Link to NDLA resource 'Fast Fashion'
Link to The Conscious Club: Water and Clothing
Link to Forbes: The Hidden Cost Of Clothing Is A Water Pollution Crisis
Link to Geneva Environment Network: Environmental Sustainability in the Fashion Industry
Link to Bloomberg: The Global Glut of Clothing Is an Environmental Crisis
Link to Greenpeace: What are microfibers and why are our clothes polluting the oceans?
Link to Discover: How Fast Fashion Harms the Environment — and People's Health
Link to Thred Up: How Dirty is Your Closet. Calculate Your Impact