Podcast looks at environmental impact of used clothing

“Future Fashion,” a new episode of the “What Makes Us Human” podcast series, considers what happens to used clothing, and asks whether we can add value to what we usually treat as waste.

“The fashion industry has a huge and detrimental impact on the environment...the negative impacts of the fashion industry are not just felt in the production and manufacturing phases but also after consumption,” Tasha Lewis, assistant professor in the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design in the College of Human Ecology and Faculty Fellow with the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, says in her podcast.

Lewis’ research interests include the disruptive impact of technology in the apparel industry, the behavior of fashion brands, global and domestic apparel production issues, and the significance of social responsibility and sustainability throughout the apparel supply chain. 

The “What Makes Us Human” podcast’s second season asks the question "Where Is the Human in Climate Change?" and showcases the newest thinking across academic disciplines about the relationship between humans and the environment. The series is produced by the College of Arts and Sciences in collaboration with the Cornell Broadcast Studios and features audio essays written and recorded by Cornell faculty. 

New episodes are released each Tuesday through the spring and are available for download on iTunes and SoundCloud and for streaming on the A&S humanities page, where text versions of the essays are also posted.

This article also appeared in the Cornell Chronicle.