Many people are aware that most things nowadays are produced abroad; However, not much thought is given to what it takes to produce the simple things we buy and use every day. A basic t-shirt purchased at a low price has priceless consequences. The fast fashion industry is growing rapidly and offers a continuous cycle of cheap clothing designed for the landfill. In the film Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard explains the linear process from extraction to disposal that applies to the fast fashion industry, which impacts the environment, production workers, and the amount of consumer waste. The environmental impact of fabric and clothing production is harmful to natural resources and is unsustainable. Buying a cotton shirt seems like a good choice for most consumers because its material is produced from a plant. What people don't know is that cotton is the dirtiest crop in the world due to the massive use of insecticides and pesticides. “Cotton covers 2.5% of the world's cropland, but uses 16% of the world's insecticides, more than any other major crop” (Organic Trade Association, 2011). In addition to soil pollution from agricultural production, coal-burning factories and textile mills release chemicals into the air and water. As Leonard (2007) argues, factories built abroad not only pollute water, land and air, but the pollution also ends up flowing back into the water and wind currents. The water is contaminated with countless toxic chemicals and used in excess to grow and produce fabrics for clothing production. A great example of this abundant waste is that it takes 2,700 liters of water to produce one t-shirt. Fast fashion is harming the environment on a global scale and this is just the beginning of this broken system….. middle of paper…oices and “vote with my dollar” to make a little change. There are many ways to recycle, upcycle and refurbish old clothes that could make a small difference, such as donating, buying second-hand or vintage clothes, altering and updating, and using old materials for rags. As Beth Greer (2013) points out in her article “The Truth About the Clothes We Wear,” we should look for “organic cotton and fair trade products, avoid polyester and nylon because they are derived from petroleum, and avoid any clothing advertised as shrink-proof.” , antibacterial, antimicrobial, antistatic, anti-odour, anti-flame, anti-wrinkle or anti-stain. All of these contain chemicals not tested for safety in humans. Unfortunately it will still be decades before there is enough change to begin to reduce the amount of damage created by this industry, but I hope to see this change in my lifetime.