WEDNESDAY IS EXPECTED TO REVEAL NEW INFORMATION AND FOCUS ON ONGOING THREATS. NATALIE BRAND, CBS NEWS, CAPITOL HILL. >>> PEOPLE ON AVERAGE ARE BUYING 60% MORE CLOTHING TODAY THAN THEY WERE 18 YEARS AGO AND THEY KEEP THOSE CLOTHES ABOUT HALF AS LONG.
>> BROOKE KATZ EXPLORES THE ISSUE OF OVER CONSUMPTION. >> Reporter: IT HAPPENS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU LIKE ON- LINE, PLACE AN ORDER, IT'S IN YOUR CLOSET FOR AWHILE BEFORE BEING DONATED OR PUT DIRECTLY IN THE TRASH.
NOW WITH FAST FASHIONS, THAT CYCLE IS REPETING AT BREAK NECK SPEED AND SHOPPERS LOOKING FOR IT. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE LINED UP IN PLANO AT A POP-UP SITE FOR THE BRAND SHEEHAN. CUSTOMERS WHO WERE ALREADY REGULARLY ORDERING ON-LINE WAITED HOURS TO BUY EVEN MORE.
>> I JUST PLACED AN ORDER LAST WEEK. PROBABLY ONCE A MONTH AT LEAST. >> I ORDER SOMETIMES TWICE A MONTH.
>> TWO TIMES A MONTH. >> Reporter: THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS ARE FEEDING THE NEED TO BUY IT NOW. >> LITERALLY WHATEVER IS POPPING ON INSTAGRAM YOU CAN JUST GET IT.
YOU SEE IT ON TIK TOK. >> AS SOON AS A TREND POPS UP, THEY HAVE IT IN THEIR WEB SITE. >> I'M ALWAYS FIND SIGNIFICANT NEED.
>> WEAR IT AND MOVE ON. >> Reporter: THAT MOVING ON IS FILLING UP OUR LANDFILLS. IT'S ESTIMATED THE AVERAGE AMERICAN THROWS AWAY 81 POUNDS OF CLOTHING EACH YEAR.
>> IT'S A BOMBSHELL SOURCE OF POLLUTION IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. >> Reporter: PROFESSOR MARY ANN KARENS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL AN THE POLLUTION FROM GLOBAL SHIPPING AND EXPLOITATION OF WORKERS IN SOME CASES WITH SWEAT SHOP CONDITIONS. >> YOU'RE PAYING $5 FOR A T- SHIRT, THINK IF YOU WERE GOING TO SEW THAT T-SHIRT, WOULDN'T IT BE MORE THAN $5?
RIGHT. IT'S NOT A THING THAT $5 T- SHIRT WAS HURTING THE ENVIRONMENT OR WORKERS. >> Reporter: THINK ABOUT YOUR CLOTHES, ORGANIC, LOCALLY SOURCED, GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
>> I'M NOT HERE TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT THEY SHOULD BE TELLING ON CLOTHING OR JEANS SHOULD COST THIS AMOUNT. THAT'S DIFFERENT FOR EVERY PERSON. EVERYONE CAN RETHINK THE WAY CLOTHING SHOULD COST AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE ACTUAL COST OF LABOR AND ACTUAL COST OF FABRIC AND OF THAT ITEM IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
>> OUR GOAL WAS TO REDUCE CONSUMPTION PRACTICES TO MAKE A CHANGE. >> Reporter: SHE IS STUDYING SUSTAINABILITY USING HER STUDENTS AS THE SUBJECTS. 255 STUDENTS TRACKED THEIR SHOPPING HABITS FOR THREE MONTHS.
THE DATA SHOWED TOGETHER THEY WORTH $750 MILLION. >> IT WAS COMPLETE SHOP THAT THEY SPENT THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BUY THIS AMOUNT OF ITEMS THEY DON'T NEED. >> Reporter: STUDENTS WORE THE NEW PIECES ON AVERAGE FIVE TIMES EACH.
EVERY SIXTH ITEM WAS NEVER WORN. >> THERE IS A LOT OF SOCIAL PRESSURE TO PURCHASE NEW, TO BUY NEW, TO CHANGE CLOTHES MORE >> Reporter: WHEN THEY DID GET RID OF THE CLOTHING, 90% OF STUDENTS WERE LIKELY TO PUT IT DIRECTLY IN THE TRASH BLAMING POOR QUALITY, FIT OR OUTDATED STYLE. THEY LAUNCHED A SERIES OF MEAN GREEN FIX AND WEAR SHOPS TO FIX THEM HOW TO FIX THEIR OWN CLOTHES FROM BUTTONS TO HOLES.
THE REAL FIX COMES FROM COMPLAINING HOW YOU BUY. >> IT'S OKAY TO LIKE FASHION. I LIKE FASHION.
