CBS News Investigates Fashion's Enormous Carbon Impact for Earth Day

Conspicuous consumption is out -- and circular fashion is in. No, the term doesn't refer to round patterns or silhouettes but to extending the lifecycle of well-made garments and recycling their materials into new items. 

This trend is gaining traction as both designers and consumers become increasingly aware of -- and startled by -- the outsize toll linear clothing production takes on the environment. "Fashion's carbon impact is much larger than the industry's GDP. It's taking up more than its fair share of impact on the planet," said Elizabeth L. Cline, author of the forthcoming book "The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good."

The meteoric rise of "fast fashion" -- the business of quickly turning around new collections, often at lower prices to encourage consumption -- in particular is proving to be toxic for the environment. Linear systems use large quantities of nonrenewable resources, and more than half of these styles get tossed within a year, according to McKinsey's 2016 report "Style that's sustainable: A new fast fashion formula."

Read the full article over at CBS News.