A presentation next week will reveal the long life of fast fashion.
Sustainability advocate Robyn Zink’s talk titled "Am I really wearing plastic?" will discuss the environmental impact of plastics in clothing.
It looks at how the fashion industry’s practice of planned obsolescence is putting greater pressure on the planet.
Online retailer Shein commands about 50% of the United States fast-fashion market.
After browsing the company’s website, she noted how easily shoppers could get "sucked in".
"It is like, ‘that is only $15, it looks really nice’," she said.
Once ordered online, returning clothes could feel like "too much of a hassle", even if something was not as expected.
"It only cost $10, it is not what I expected, it is too much of a hassle to send it back, I am just going to ‘biff’ it."
The lure of cheap garments and swiftly changing fashion trends are altering the way people approach their wardrobes.
The average shopper now buys 60% more garments, yet keeps them for only half as long as 15 years ago.
Another challenge is plastics embedded in fabrics.
Synthetic materials have been around since the 1940s.
Global output has climbed from a few thousand tonnes in the 1940s to 60 million tonnes in 2018.
By 2030, annual production of synthetic textiles could top 100 million tonnes.
While a polyester shirt was easy to spot in the 1970s, today’s subtle blends make it harder to tell natural from synthetic.
One example was underwear advertised as 95% cotton, she said.
Shoppers might assume the remaining 5% was the elastic waistband, but it was often more complex.
"Each thread has got a very fine coating of elastane so that it fits nicely.
"So you sort of think you are wearing cotton, but the synthetic is impregnated in."
Even fabrics that feel natural, such as merino, can contain synthetic fibres for added stretch.
"Anything that has got that stretchy feel to it immediately should alert you that there is probably synthetic material woven in."
DETAILS
Seniors Climate Action Network
Robyn Zink: Am I really wearing plastic?
Monday, July 28, noon
Dunningham Suite
Dunedin Public Library
