Clothing is disposable – the message fast fashion brands broadcast over social media. The promotion of the consumer mindset has had a profound impact on our clothing consumption with each household producing approximately 30kg of textile waste a year. This attitude towards fashion is not sustainable and is killing our planet; fast fashion is contributing to global warming, under-development of countries and is damaging the health of the masses.
Clothing consumption has roughly doubled in the past 15 years, with the average garment being worn just ten times before disposal. This worrying statistic points to a growing issue – the impact of fast fashion on the environment. Following the rise of social media, fast fashion companies have promoted their cheaply made, inexpensive goods everywhere. From billboards to Instagram stories, potential consumers are inundated with advertisements; teased by models sporting trendy outfits; seduced by celebrity collaborations and promotional campaigns. High-end designs find themselves replicated on appealing affordable fast fashion websites. Unfortunately, this rapid cycle of fast fashion is harming not just the original designers and fashion houses but the factory workers, the environment and ultimately the consumer.
To ensure maximum profits, fast fashion brands keep production costs as low as possible. However, this has resulted in the use of toxic dyes, harmful chemicals and synthetic substances that then seep into vital waterways. These are extremely harmful for the aquatic life and the health of the millions of people living near and dependent on affected waters. The contamination also reaches the sea and eventually spreads around the globe. As developing and emerging countries’ economies are dependent on industry such as clothing manufacture, the factory workers are heavily affected by this contamination, causing them to suffer from mercury and arsenic pollution. The lack of assistance from those demanding these goods is leading to the under-development of countries, perpetuating the existing divisions between developed and developing countries.
Moreover, the apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, generating huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions due to the energy required for the production, manufacturing, and transportation of the millions of garments purchased each year. The synthetic fibres (polyester, acrylic, nylon, etc.) used in many fast fashion pieces are made using fossil fuels, meaning production is much more energy-intensive than with natural fibres as most clothes are produced in China, Bangladesh, or India - countries essentially powered by coal. The burning of fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases, causing the enhanced greenhouse effect and contributing to global warming. This will eventually lead to the melting of ice caps; rising sea levels and the extinction of many species’ humans have come to cherish.
In addition to the concerning environmental impacts, fast fashion affects the health of consumers and factory workers. Benzothiazole, a dangerous chemical linked to cancer and respiratory disease has been found in garments on the market on numerous occasions. Furthermore, reports of competition winners of prizes from fast fashion brands such as Boohoo receiving rashes from various garments are flooding the internet. As the skin is the body’s largest organ, should we not be more careful when choosing what to cover it with?
We need to be aware of the profound negative impact our clothing habits are having on our planet. We must purchase sustainably: buy clothes from charity shops or resale apps, donate unwanted clothes to a local collection or donation point. We need to make a change - if not for nature’s sake, then for our own.
