The True Cost of Fast Fashion (WasteExpo Together Online 2021)

Fashion is cheaper and more disposable than ever and textiles are the fastest-growing waste stream globally, with an estimated one garbage truck going to landfill every second and posing fresh challenges for waste professionals. Three leading experts in textile waste will discuss the textile waste crisis and emerging solutions. Moderator Elizabeth L. Cline is the author of two books, Overdressed and The Conscious Closet, and her research and writing have investigated the rise of fast fashion and textile waste from New York City's donation stream all the way to the second hand stalls of Nairobi, Kenya. New York Department of Sanitation’s Alissa Westervelt, Senior Manager of DonateNYC, manages one of the United States’ largest and most innovative municipal reuse and donation programs in the country. And Karla Magruder, Founder of Accelerating Circularity, heads an NGO that researches and maps textile waste landscapes and brings together key stakeholders to help build a circular supply chain that's both cost-effective and impactful. The panel will touch on how textiles impact waste management, opportunities to monetize or reduce costs, and the technology and partnerships to know about that are key to leveraging solutions.