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Sustainable Fashion Quiz Part Two
Sustainable Fashion Quiz Part Two
Take our quiz and learn about sustainable fashion.
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What percentage of used clothing is recycled?
Less than 1% of clothing is recycled. Repurposing or 'downcycling' of textiles (often mislabeled as recycling) involves breaking down materials into lower-grade products such as insulation, stuffing materials or industrial wipes. But true textile-to-textile recycling involves mechanically or chemically processing garments so their fibers can be used to make new clothing.
How many chemicals are used in the manufacture of our clothes?
In the middle processing stages, chemicals are applied to garments including pretreatment, coloration and finishing. Many are carcinogenic, reprotoxic and mutagenic and can be absorbed through the skin. Of the thousands of textile dyes, the World Bank has identified 72 toxic chemicals including some known to be carcinogenic. Phthalates, APEOs, BPAs are linked to hormone disruption, reproductive issues, and cancer. PFAS used for flame retardancy and water resistance are 'forever chemicals' that can cause cancer, fetal abnormalities, and immune system suppression' - even in minuscule blood concentrations.
Which of the following does a fast fashion brand use to appeal to customers?
Fast fashion brands use algorithmic, personalized recommendations. Fast-fashion companies also use a mix of psychological, technological, and economic tactics designed to encourage reflexive, impulse buying. These include timed markdowns, artificial scarcity (“only 2 left in stock”), ultra-low prices reducing perceived risk, influencer marketing and haul videos that normalize overconsumption, and constant release of new styles that create a fear of missing out (FOMO).
Instead of throwing out unwanted clothing and contributing to textile waste, what can you do instead?
All are good alternatives to throwing out unwanted clothing and there are many ways to upcycle your clothes into something new.
Only 10–30% of donated clothing is resold by charities; the rest is typically sold to for-profit ‘salvage’ companies. What happens to the garments next?
Unfortunately, very few garments end up being sold to textile-to-textile recyclers. Some are downcycled into industrial wipes, carpeting, or insulation, while unusable items end up in landfills or incinerated. A significant portion—up to 45% by some estimates—is exported in bales to countries like Ghana, Kenya, Guatemala, and Chile. In many cases, local infrastructure cannot handle the volume; in Ghana, around 40% of these imports go directly to landfill. Rather than getting a second life, these clothes contribute to environmental pollution in the receiving countries.
Approximately what percentage of new clothing is made partially or entirely of synthetic fibers?
Synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon, spandex, acrylic) which are crude oil derivatives represent over two-thirds (69%) of all materials used in textiles. The production of fossil fuel-based fibers is energy-intensive and, in manufacturing regions, plants rely heavily on coal fired plants. Polyester production increased from approximately 61 million tonnes in 2021 to 78 million tonnes in 2024, a rise of nearly 28% in just three years. Polyester accounts for roughly 43% of the greenhouse gas emissions of all textile fiber production. Garments made from polyester and other synthetic fibers are a prime source of microplastic pollution.
Man Made Cellulosic Fibers (MMCFs) are sustainable.
MMCFs are made of wood which is inherently more sustainable than fossil fuel derived fibers. They are processed, however, with highly toxic chemicals that can escape the system. Closed-loop processes like Lyocell eliminate chemical risks, but raw material also factors in as 40-50% of all MMCF are at risk of being sourced from ancient or endangered forests. Using alternative cellulosic sources like bamboo, hemp, byproducts (cotton linters), waste materials or recycled textiles can further reduce the impact of man-made cellulosic fiber production on people and the environment.
Climate change critically affects millions of garment workers in the global south. What is the most important factor in climate adaptation that can protect workers as temperatures continue to rise?
Apparel workers are located in tropical zones where climate change threatens lives in rising sea levels, floods that can last for several months, water pollution and heat-stricken factory floors. Workers can miss as many as three days of work a month due to flooding and heat illness amounting to 10% of their income when living costs - electricity and medicine, surge. When wages are among the lowest globally, people are susceptible to malnutrition, poor healthcare, and a diminished living standard. While all of the above answers are important, the primary, most effective and immediate form of climate adaptation in developing nations is raising wages.
In 2023 apparel sector greenhouse gas emissions increased 7.5% from the previous year. What is the reason for this rise in GHG emissions?
According to the Apparel Impact Institute, which tracks fashion's greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver is the growth in polyester fiber use which fuels garment production and the rise of ‘ultra-fast fashion’ brands that rely heavily on polyester.
In 2016, it was discovered that 92% of the ‘microplastics’ found in the Arctic Ocean were actually microfibers. What percentage of these was polyester?
In this study, of all the microplastics found in the Arctic Ocean, 92% were microfibers and of these 73% were polyester, the findings pointing to their widespread distribution through domestic wastewater. Microplastics represent an emerging threat to vulnerable Arctic ecosystems.
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