By: Emma Recker

Fort Collins, Colo. — H&M, the third most popular clothing retailer internationally, sells around 500 million items annually among its 1700 stores; however, these quantities do not consider unsold and discarded items. 

Fashion seasons have drastically changed with time as there are now 26 seasons, indicating there is a new fashion season biweekly. This is problematic because fast fashion companies like H&M are committed to producing low-quality products utilizing unethical work conditions and cheap materials leading to a short-lasting, temporarily trending product. 

The speed of production and constantly changing microtrends affect distribution because H&M is committed to having multiple low-costing suppliers producing their products. After all, cheap suppliers are easily replaceable, hence leaving the flow of products into stores undisturbed if something goes wrong. 

H&M produces griege goods, so low quality clothing pieces are produced and move factories to be dyed and finalized. These goods must be rapidly transported and involve the heavy use of synthetic dyes, chemicals, and pesticides. H&M has a goal of maximizing their corporation’s profits, therefore they scout factories in underdeveloped countries to produce their products for the lowest wages possible. 

Large corporations dominate the industry of fast fashion, unethical labor practices, and contribute the most detriment to the environment. Chemicals in textile wastewater are a commonly discussed phenomenon as cotton and various fibers go through bleaching and chemical processing. 

However, it is rarely discussed how the remaining chemicals left on an article of clothing can be harmful to human skin. Benzothiazole is a toxic chemical used as a synthetic dye in clothes, it is hazardous when in contact with human skin. It can also be found in water sources due to manufacturing processes and improper disposal of products and wastewater. 

Textiles are processed using pesticides and synthetic chemicals in copious quantities, which results in soil and water quality degradation. Fast fashion contributes to an increase in carbon emissions as quick transportation between factories and retail outlets leads to large emissions of greenhouse gases. 

Thrift shopping is a growing alternative to purchasing cheap fast fashion as items are second-hand, personal, environmentally beneficial, and typically low-priced. Fort Collins is a mid-sized college town known for its unprecedented charisma and socioenvironmental efforts for its sustainability, so it makes a good hub for thrift stores. 

Fort Collins has a quirky feel, and everybody embodies an unmatched, personalized style, so thrifting appeals to locals as stores offer one-of-a-kind statement pieces, hidden vintage items, and cheap basic pieces. Arc Thrift Stores is essential when thrifting in Northern Colorado as it offers a ginormous inventory offering clothing sorted by size and article, home décor, appliances, and toys. 

Brand Spanking Used Thrift Store is known for lining its shelves with outlandish and quirky statement pieces, in addition to casual basics. It is a two-story thrift store, so there is furniture and home décor hidden beneath the top level.

Eco-Thrift, a thrift store offering gently used items and lifestyle essentials, and Funktional, an upscale boutique, are sister secondhand stores in Fort Collins. Eco-Thrift is collaborative within the community as they partner with local businesses and nonprofits to boost sustainability efforts. In addition to accepting clothes, 

Eco-Thrift gathers used electronics, metals, and mattresses, so they can be properly reused and recycled. Eco-Thrift has an Eco Tool Lending Library, which allows people to rent kitchen implements, gardening tools, automotive tools, and hand tools for a low cost. Citizens of Fort Collins are allowed to rent home tools through a membership that costs $9 per month. 

This is an innovative measure towards sustainability as most humans will not use a home tool more than a few times, so when these tools are thrown out, lots of close to new metal is being wasted. Reusing and recycling items is beneficial both for one’s pocketbook and for the environment.