Learn more about TED-Ed Clubs here: https://ed.ted.com/clubs View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-life-cycle-of-a-t-shirt-angel-chang Consider the classic white t-shirt. Annually, we sell and buy 2 billion t-shirts globally, making it one of the most common garments in the world. But how and where is the average t-shirt made, and what's its environmental impact?

The apparel industry has become the second largest polluting industry in the world after oil. This is due in part to a shift in consumer behavior, but mostly due to fast fashion.

Please consider producing, buying and wearing organic cotton when you can. Buy second hand when you're looking for a deal, and please buy things that can be worn for more than a season. ✌🏽

Also - pro tip:

100% cotton denim and knits (ie tees, sweatshirts, etc) made in USA and Peru have the highest chances of being single origin goods. This means that that from seed to finished product, single origin garments are entirely made in one country, thereby lessening their carbon footprint. A majority of consumers don't realize that most garments are a global trade, no matter where the tag says they're made, because fibers can come from one country, the yarn can be spun in another, the fabric is likely woven or spun in another country; so the label that reads "Made in X" only denotes where the garment was actually cut and sewn.

This means that basically all garments are pollutants to some capacity, so it is extra important to be mindful of what and how you buy.

Thanks for reading/watching.

-Courtney Cady, 2017

(Video reposted from Armstrong Peru)