Poverty is defined as the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount. We, as a culture, look at impoverished people as people who do not have enough money to live. In reality, it goes a lot further than just money. Money may be the deciding factor that labels someone impoverished but poverty affects every aspect of the life that it falls upon.

The fashion industry focuses most of their resources on over-consumers, but what about the under-consumers? Should the fashion industry play to secure the well-being of both types of consumers? I believe that they should. If the fashion industry catered to both consumers, they could double their profit and eliminate some textile waste. The industry could use scrap material or whatever excess product they have and use it to make items for the under-consumers that cannot afford their original products. This way, the under-consumers can get access to the products they need and the industry can eliminate some unnecessary waste.

If the fashion industry could repurpose the waste that they create, this could impact our Earth significantly. The industry is responsible for 26 billion pounds of textile waste that ends up in landfills each year. This excessive waste and pollution results in environmental degradation. The impacts of environmental degradation include the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. It becomes a never-ending cycle for the environment and the people, but like I said, if the fashion industry can reduce waste and the turn the excess material into items that help impoverished people, we can reduce both waste and poverty.