New challenge drives awareness of the environmental impact of clothing

We all need to wear clothing, but the environmental impact of purchasing clothing is significant, and a new initiative asks people to reflect on their own consumption. Participants in the New Clothing Detox Challenge refrain from clothing purchases during the month of March.

“It draws attention to overconsumption habits. Apparel supply chains account for 20 per cent of water pollution, and 10 per cent of overall carbon emissions,” says Javad Nasiry, a Professor of Operations Management at Desautels in an interview with CJAD. “The average Canadian throws away 32 kilograms of clothing each year. We need to pay attention to whether what we are buying is actually what we need.”