Environmental impact of fashion

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/environmental-impact-of-fashion

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What does fast fashion mean and why does it hurt the planet?Fast fashion means making clothes very quickly and cheaply, so people buy and throw them away fast. This creates lots of waste and uses a lot of water and energy, which hurts the Earth.
2. Why do clothes end up in landfills and how many are thrown away?Many clothes are thrown away because they are cheap and new styles come out fast. In the U.S., about 85% of clothing goes to landfills, and globally 80 billion items are used each year.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Gases released into the atmosphere that trap heat, contributing to global warming and climate change.
Fast Fashion: A business model characterized by the rapid production of inexpensive, trendy clothing, encouraging frequent purchases and disposability.
Textile Industry: The sector of the economy concerned with the design, production, and distribution of fabrics and clothing, from raw materials to finished garments.
Microfibers: Extremely small synthetic fibers, often shed from clothing during washing, that can pollute water systems and harm aquatic ecosystems.