Photographer in disbelief after eerie beach discovery raises questions: 'I recovered clothing ... from different eras'

A photographer used her craft to document how fast fashion is rapidly becoming a danger to the environment.

Mandy Barker has spent the last decade and a half using her art as a way to increase awareness about plastic pollution on the coast of the United Kingdom. The effects of fast fashion waste are explored in her latest book, "Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections."

What's happening?

Barker started the project after mistaking a piece of cloth for seaweed. She eventually recovered 200 seaweed-like fabric samples of waste clothing from 121 beaches along the coast. The photographer said the damaged textile samples are the type of synthetic clothing that often contributes to plastic pollution in the sea.

"I didn't only find socks or items that could have been left by someone visiting the beach," Barker said. "I recovered clothing identified from different eras like the 1970s."

The fashion industry is a major contributor to environmental harm. According to Business Insider, the fashion industry produces 10% of all carbon pollution. It's also the second-largest consumer of the world's water supply.

Why is the impact of fast fashion important?

Fast fashion refers to trendy, low-quality clothing that is quickly produced and sold to consumers at affordable prices. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 35% of microplastics found in the ocean come from synthetic fabrics that are often used for fast fashion.

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The rapid production of fast fashion is responsible for massive amounts of waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the main source of textiles in municipal solid waste is discarded clothing. Around 92 million tons of clothes-related waste are discarded every year, per Earth.org.

What's being done about fast fashion?

In an effort to curb the effects of fast fashion, the United Nations launched an initiative called the Alliance for Sustainable Fashion. The U.N. said the alliance is committed to reducing the negative environmental and social impacts of the fashion industry.

There's also the slow fashion movement. Slow fashion is dedicated to reducing overproduction and overconsumption and urges consumers to shift from quantity to quality.

Consumers can save hundreds of dollars by breaking up with fast fashion. Consider shopping at thrift stores or browsing resale platforms such as ThredUp to find more durable secondhand clothing.