sustainability MAXINE BÉDAT 150 BILLION PIECES OF CLOTHING To put the garments you are wearing as you read this into a global context, we’ll begin with a few facts. There are about seven billion people on our planet; by 2050, we will be nine billion. The most recent data point to 150 billion pieces of clothing produced every year. Do the rudimentary math, and you quickly see that’s a new wardrobe for every man, woman, and child on the planet — every year. The average consumer bought 60% more clothing in 2014 than in 2000, but kept each garment half as long. Should growth continue unchecked, it is expected that clothing sales will triple what they are today. Have your own shopping habits changed from when you were young? Mine certainly have. As a child of the ’80s and ’90s, I was very selective with my clothing purchases, as each…