Around 10% of CO2 emissions worldwide come from textile production. Much of fast fashion is just thrown away when it goes out of style. Most clothes are designed to last longer and, when not disposed of properly, can take hundreds of years to decompose. Not only does throwing away clothes contribute to pollution, but the creation of the clothes adds to pollution.  The pollution that the textile industry produces comes from three main areas: Dyeing, yarn preparation, and fiber production. Dyeing and finishing makes up 36%, yarn preparation makes up 28%, and fiber production makes up 15% of the pollution produced. These all also contribute to the fossil fuel problem, as they are very “energy-intensive”. Instead of throwing away clothes when you no longer want them, why not donate them to thrift stores? Thrift stores are a great place to get clothes on a budget and buying used clothes helps to cut down on the CO2 emissions produced by throwing them away. Thrifting clothes not only serves a practical use, but an aesthetic one as well. Thrifting can provide a larger range of styles of clothes than just what is in fashion. Some thrift stores are non-profit organizations, like Goodwill or Salvation Army, and provide jobs for many people. To help combat the pollution produced by the textile industry, we can shop at non-profit thrift stores such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, and ReStore.
Another way the textile industry contributes to pollution is by washing clothes. Every year, about 500,000 tons of microfibers are sent out into the ocean by washing clothes. Washing machines do not have small enough filters to catch the microfibers, so when the clothes are washed and the tiny plastics are released they are not caught. They often go through sewage treatment plants and are not caught. They are found everywhere throughout the world, from the peaks of high mountains to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. They can also cause serious health issues such as genetic disruption and poisoning. Not only does washing clothes contribute to pollution, so does the washing machine itself. In addition to using excessive amounts of water to clean clothes, it also “emits an estimated 62 million tonnes of CO2-eq greenhouse gases each year”.

https://goodwillsouthtexas.com/the-trut … ft-stores/
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https://www.nationalgeographic.com/envi … nt%20years.