Irish people buy more clothing than most Europeans and spending accelerates as Black Friday approaches, according to sustainability expert Laura Costello.
Previously the Environmental Protection Agency has found one-in-four people have admitted to never wearing some of the clothes in their wardrobes, while 43% of women under 35 report buying clothes they end up wearing only a few times.
Ms Costello told RTÉ's Behind the Story we seem to have gone beyond just what we need.
"We're a wealthy country so we have the money to be able to buy items that aren’t necessarily necessary," she explained.
"We’ve gone beyond the needs that we have as individual humans and gone into this over-consumption habit.
Regulation
Having just returned from Brussels, Ms Costello says regulation of the fast fashion industry is high on the European agenda.
"How can we create systems of responsibility and ownership across the supply chain?
"It’s so important that it’s not just up to policy, but also for people."
Ms Costello said a new de-influencer trend is hoping to turn things around.
Crime correspondent Paul Reynolds also joins Fran McNulty and Aisling Kenny to discuss a cross-border operation that uncovered a billion-dollar money laundering network, which included buying a controlling stake in a bank.
Authorities from Ireland, the UK, USA and France were among those involved in the investigation.
You can listen to Behind the Story which is available on the RTÉ Radio Player.
You can also find episodes on Apple here, or on Spotify here.
