EDN - Earth Day Network

01/22/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/22/2025 08:27

EARTH DAY.ORG RELEASES FIRST OF ITS KIND FAST FASHION LEGISLATION REPORT

Washington, DC (January 22, 2025) - EARTHDAY.ORG,(EDO), the global leader in Earth Day advocacy, today released its ground-breaking report, Broken Threads & Twisted Yarns: Legislating the Reform of Fashion.. The report underscores the urgent need for reform in the fast fashion industry, advocating for stronger regulations to address its widespread environmental and human rights abuses.

The fashion industry, particularly fast fashion, has long operated with minimal oversight, resulting in significant environmental damage-from pollution and deforestation to over-exploitation of natural resources and microplastic contamination. Meanwhile, workers throughout the supply chain often endure exploitation and unsafe conditions. These harmful practices not only affect local communities but also contribute to climate change and global sustainability challenges.

Broken Threads and Twisted Yarns outlines key industry issues and offers a comprehensive look at recent and pending legislation in the European Union, the United States, and Canada. The report highlights key initiatives such as the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, the U.S. Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act, and Canada's proposed national strategy on textile waste reduction. Each of these efforts aims to push the fashion industry toward a more sustainable and equitable future, emphasizing transparency, supply chain responsibility, and environmental impact reduction.

"The United States Congress has lagged behind other countries in addressing the enormous impacts of the $2.5 trillion fashion industry," said Shelley Rogers, Fashion for the Earth, EARTHDAY.ORG. "Hopefully this will change. Our report highlights the damage fashion inflicts on the environment and the unbridled growth that fuels it. Production has doubled over the past 15 years and will double again by 2030. Every year, fashion uses vast amounts of the earth's limited resources, conservatively making 100 billion garments a year which globally amounts to 92 million tons of waste. Only 1% is ever recycled. Legislation is the answer."

With this report, EARTHDAY.ORG hopes to provide a vital resource for tracking these legislative developments and ensuring that meaningful change is achieved within the fashion sector.

"Now is the time to stop the fast fashion industry from driving a global crisis of waste and environmental harm," said Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG. "Around the world, legislators are stepping up with new measures to curb the mounting waste from disposable garments, many of which are made from plastic-based materials like polyester and nylon. This report shines a light on these legislative efforts and their potential to drive real change."

About EARTHDAY.ORG: Founded in 1970 by the organizers of the first Earth Day, EARTHDAY.ORG has grown into one of the world's largest environmental movements, mobilizing over one billion people annually on Earth Day and every day to protect the planet and its people. Our mission is to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental community globally. As the largest recruiter to this movement, EARTHDAY.ORG partners with more than 150,000 organizations in nearly 192 countries to promote environmental democracy. This year Earth Day marks its 55th anniversary and has designated this year's Earth Day theme as Our Power, Our Planet. Learn more at EARTHDAY.ORG.

For media inquiries/quotes/comment/inspiration/resources and interviews:

Sarah T Davies, [email protected], +1 240 463 1341 (Washington DC)

Terran Fielder, [email protected], +1 661 444 4436 (Washington DC)