Fast Fashion
The Impacts of Fast Fashion on our Environment
In our post-industrialized society, we, along with our planetary relatives, have become all too familiar with the concept of overproduction. Modern consumerism thrives upon the pillars of cheap raw materials, efficient labor, and rapidly evolving trends. But how often do these clothing producers consider the lasting effects of textiles’ short-lived life span, and what are the subsequent implications? The current fashion paradigm is far worse for our environment than you may assume - and here’s why:
You may be asking yourself, “what is our current fashion paradigm?”. The first part of this paradigm can be described as a ‘Cradle to Grave Ideology’. In this system, products are typically mass-produced with little to no intention of a second use; thus hindering any possibility of upcycling and preserving the longevity of a material’s usefulness. In this first case, the issue is not that people will inevitably grow tired of their new t-shirt, but that the t-shirt was not manufactured to be reusable. The second aspect of our current fashion paradigm pertains to the speed at which fashion trends surge and fade. Look into your closet and think of how many shirts you have. Do they all serve a unique purpose, or could you get away with not buying that new shirt? As someone who cares about their appearance and style, I am guilty of this as well! But we must ask ourselves if the value of an extra pair of shoes outweighs the well-being of our natural environment. If you are anything like myself, you are asking, “how bad can a wardrobe update really be?”.
Let’s start with textile waste: once discarded, polyester products can take up to 500 years to decompose [1]. In recent years, Americans alone have deposited in excess of 10 million tons of textile waste into landfills annually [2]. For context, this is roughly the same weight as 800,000 school buses. Given these horrifying statistics, humans have come up with the not-so-excellent idea of burning these wasted textiles. However, the combustion of materials such as polyester produces carbon monoxide gas, a toxic chemical that can be both fatal to humans and animals, as well as escalate global warming [3]. The increase in heat-trapping gasses from the textile industry is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Carbon Literacy Project, from production to delivery, the fashion industry releases 1.2 billion tons of carbon emissions every year. This ranks higher than the carbon emissions from all planes flown annually [4].
If you consider any of the previous statistics horrific, consider the implications of the fashion industry’s water usage. Holding the spot for the second-highest industrial water consumption enterprise, the textile industry consumes over 18 trillion gallons of water annually [5]. “To put that in perspective, it takes 2,700 liters of water to make the average cotton t-shirt and that’s enough drinking water for one person for 900 days” [6].
While the environmental ramifications of fast fashion are evidently atrocious, we have yet to touch upon another tragic aspect of the industry; working conditions. In 2022, we continue to see slavery and child labor throughout eastern Asia. Globally, over 70 million people are working in the fast fashion industry, while only 2% of these people earn earning livable wages [7]. In addition, the use of toxic chemicals in these factories has been proven to impact the health and wellness of employees. Big name brands such as H&M, Nike, Adidas, and Victoria’s Secret utilize these cheap, dangerous and so-called “efficient” labor practices [8], behind the eyes of the public. With this said, we must ask, how necessary is fast fashion?
Now, if you are anything like me, you may feel guilty about your consumer practices. So, what can you do?
Go check out local thrift stores and garage sales, and donate your old clothes. While this does not solve our issue from a macro perspective, utilizing preowned clothes rather than buying new ones can reduce our textile consumption.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle → Upcycle
Support sustainable brands. By purchasing upcycled and sustainably sourced clothing, you are reinforcing the ideals and importance of a circular economy.
Avoid fast fashion brands. These brands contribute to millions of tons of pollution and waste.
Shein
H&M
Forever 21
Educate yourself and others on sustainable clothing alternatives.