Ten years ago, Aiste Zitnikaite worked in the design room of a large Canadian company that sells winter coats and jackets. She helped with pattern making and spent the majority of her time working on a computer. But behind the scenes, the clothing she was helping to produce was harming the planet. At the time, much of the clothing was being made in Pakistan, where “the rivers there were all different colors from the dyes, and the life expectancy of people who lived around there was like 38 years old because they were exposed to chemicals,” Zitnikaite says. She learned that across the world, workers are being exploited and the environment is being harmed, all in the name of fashion. Zitnikaite left the company and opened her own clothing brand that actually prioritizes sustainability.

The monstrosities that Zitnikaite witnessed are unfortunately not uncommon. The fashion industry as a whole is extremely damaging. In order for the industry to become sustainable, clothing needs to be made in both an environmentally friendly and socially-ethical way. That is currently not the case.  

According to Business Insider, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. “For every step in the life cycle, there are emissions associated with it because it takes energy to do everything,” says James Baldwin, a senior lecturer at Boston University. The industry is also the second-largest consumer of water worldwide and is responsible for 20% of worldwide water pollution. It’s undeniable that the fashion industry is one of the most polluting and harmful industries.