Fashion Industry Statistics: The Shocking Truth
Fast fashion production and clothing waste is at an industry record high, harming the environment in an alarming way. Here at Armoire, we take extra care to reduce this impact. We understand how harmful fashion is to the planet so we strive for sustainable fashion habits and processes to ensure we are leaving the best possible impact on the planet. Fashion industry statistics are shocking considering the mass amounts of clothing produced, resources consumed and materials wasted. We are thoughtful about each step that goes into our business from the shipping down to the cleaning process. The idea behind clothing rental is to save money, resources and reduce clothing waste.
How We’re Fighting Mass-Consumption
Renting clothes helps the longevity of clothing and increases the number of times an item is worn. Currently, the average consumer purchases 5 items per month, which equals 60 items per year, which equals hundreds of thousands of items for the totality of our members. Our total inventory available is significantly less than that, while still providing ample selection to find pieces you love. Rental drastically helps reduce individual consumption. In recent decades, the average number of times a garment is worn before disposal has decreased by 36%. We work hard to give our members the highest quality clothes that last years.
Our Cleaning Process
We want to make sure our clients are getting clean clothes that are safe for their health and safe to the environment. Our cleaner uses a non-toxic and safe cleaning process — which is an environmentally safe solution (not PERC). While some may say that cleaning clothes is not environmentally sustainable, the impact of cleaning to be significantly less than the manufacturing and disposal of garments thus reinforcing our business — cleaning and rewearing is less impactful to the environment than fast fashion. A study conducted by the Business of Social Responsibility (BSR) which concluded that a shirt that is worn and washed once and then thrown away has higher emissions than a shirt that is worn and washed 100 times. BSR found that the longer the use of a clothing item (in this case, a shirt) the lower emissions were for the shirt. We thoroughly clean our clothes after each wear so that the next person receiving our clothes gets fresh and clean items. We are working towards rewearing and restyling clothing which in turn will help with lower greenhouse emissions.
Our Shipping Process
We also are aware of our shipping habits and work towards making sure each package has the shortest, fastest and most environmentally conscious way of getting to our members doorstep. Shipping may seem like a big overall contributor to greenhouse gas emissions but shipping is only about 1% of the greenhouse gas emitted in a garments lifecycle. In addition, in Seattle, where we are based, we offer and encourage pickup and drop off which will expand to new locations through our partnership with The Riveter as we grow. We also have a boutique, which is another more environmentally friendly option as we grow — since this reduces shipping. Most members who pick up and drop off don’t use any packaging (plastic, paper, bags) since they bring a reusable bag to transfer their items.
Check this out to read about more shocking fashion industry statistics. Our mission through rental is to create happy members and a happy earth. We hope to keep our members looking good and feeling good about their rental habits. For more reasons to rent clothes click here.