The secret lives of things you own

THINGS. They’re everywhere! And we’re constantly being pushed to buy more of them, like the hottest fashion or the latest tech. But the true cost our planet and its climate are paying is much more than the sticker price we see on the shelf. Dan reveals the hidden fees our planet is paying to make everyday items, like the shirt on your back and the phone in your pocket, and ways we can help offset them by being more sustainable shoppers. Find the text transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/TC4

TED Climate is produced and edited by Sheena Ozaki, mixed by Sam Bair, and hosted by Dan Kwartler. This episode adapted two lessons originally produced in animated form by the TED-Ed team. "The lifecycle of a t-shirt" was written by Angel Chang, and "What's in your smartphone?" was written by Kim Preshoff. Both pieces were produced with editorial support from Emma Bryce and Alex Rosenthal, and fact-checked by Francisco Diez. Special thanks to Gerta Xhelo, Michelle Quint, Banban Cheng, and Anna Phelan.