Fast Fashion Vs The Environment

 When we stroll into a store and purchase a few items at the mall, a thought that may cross our mind is, how is it possible for such affordable clothing to be made in mass quantities? 

This is where fast fashion comes in. We will be discussing fast fashion and its impact on the environment in this blog.

Image source: Unsplash

What is Fast Fashion?

The term ‘fast fashion’ has become more prominent in conversations surrounding fashion, sustainability, and environmental consciousness. The term refers to ‘cheaply produced and priced garments that copy the latest catwalk styles and gets pumped quickly through stores in order to maximise on current trends’.

The fast fashion model is so-called because it involves the rapid design, production, distribution, and marketing of clothing, which means that retailers are able to pull large quantities of greater product variety and allow consumers to get more fashion and product differentiation at a low price.

 

Maybe you are not familiar with the term “fast fashion,” but you do know what “fast food” is, right? If not, let us explain it to you. Fast food is a type of mass-produced meal designed for commercial resale and focused on serving and eating fast. It’s not concerned about your health or its impact on our planet. And, when it comes to Fast Fashion, the main concept is basically the same.

To make clothes cheaper and increase sales, some companies adopted a business model that focuses only on profiting and, consequently, production amount. After all, the more they produce, the more they’ll sell.

Of course, there are a lot of strategies behind it, such as marketing, communications, and trend hunting. In short, fast fashion it’s not concerned about the employee’s situation or the environmental impact.

As Good on You defined, fast fashion means cheap, trendy clothing that samples ideas from fashion shows and celebrities and turns them into mass products. With over 12 collections per year, fast fashion brands aim to get the newest styles on the market as fast as possible.

However, this business model has brought a series of social and sustainable problems.

How Did Fast Fashion Begin?

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Before the 1800s, fashion was slow. People didn’t buy as much as today, and when they did, the majority of the purchases would come from small artisanal stores, with high-quality materials and production.

As said in The History of Fashion: “From the 1900s to Today, after the Industrial Revolution, factories adopted new technologies, like the sewing machine. Making clothes became easier, cheaper, and quicker. Dressmaking shops emerged to cater for the middle classes and soon the demand started increasing. Around this time, sweatshops emerged, along with problems with the working conditions of employees and rampant consumption.”

With that, the fast fashion phenomenon emerged not only to fulfil the consumer’s demand but to make them buy more. After all, fast fashion clothes are cheaper, with less quality and super trendy. The last is less than a hyped trend.

Summing it up, those companies and brands are so focused on profit that they left behind important points such as employees’ rights and the environmental impact.

Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact

Clothing retailers like Zara, Forever 21, and H&M make cheap and fashionable clothing to satisfy the needs of young consumers. Yet, fast fashion has a significant environmental impact.

the industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Unfortunately, fast fashion problems are often overlooked by consumers. 

Some Facts About The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion

Data is always a good source to better understand a certain reality. Some worrying facts about the real social & environmental impacts of fast fashion are listed below

1. More than 50% of fast fashion clothes will be discarded within one year of purchase thanks to fast-moving trends and low quality

In 2020, the research on the Social Responsibility Report of China’s Textile and Apparel Industry was released. It showed that major fast fashion companies – such as H&M, Zara, and Forever 21 – release around 14 collections per year. That means more than 1 per month.

Every new collection comes with a comprehensive range of pieces. They want to offer as many options to consumers as possible. Ok, you may think that this is amazing because consumers have freedom of choice.

While the trend-conscious consumer moves fast too, and a trending design can become obsolete within two weeks of its launch. Fast fashion brands leverage social media and influencers to introduce new trends. People who are always searching for the latest fashion find themselves on a rollercoaster trying to keep up with the trends.

2. In 2014, people bought 60% less than in 2000. however, they kept the clothes for half as long

According to the World Economic Forum, fast fashion makes shopping for clothes more affordable, but it comes at an environmental cost. So, even though people are buying less, the clothing also lasts less. Therefore, throwing them away more often and, of course, producing more trash.

3. By 2030, global apparel consumption is projected to rise by 63%

As stated by a UK report, consumption will go from the current 62 million tons to 102 million tons. It is equivalent to more than 500 billion additional T-shirts going out of stores in only one year.

4. The sustainability ‘pulse’ of the fashion industry is 32 out of 100

The impression that the fashion industry is moving towards being greener is not all that real. According to research carried out by Boston Consulting Group and Global Fashion Agenda for the Copenhagen Fashion Summit in 2017 on a scale of 100, the fashion industry is only on 32 when it comes to the desire and real actions towards sustainability.

Fast Fashion Documentary

Clothing production consumes resources and contributes to climate change. According to Fashion Revolution, the raw materials used to make fast fashion clothes require land and water, or the extraction of fossil fuels. This means that the production itself is already cruel to the environment.

                                            Image Source; Unsplash

Also, as said, the products are disposable. Once the material doesn’t have quality, after a couple of times using a piece of clothing, it will become trash. That practice increased the amount of textile waste.

You can see all of this in the documentary The True Cost. in which over 1,000 men and women lost their lives while making our clothes.

Fashion is to love but it is also about human rights, sustainability, and social impact. It needs a change and it’s up to us to make this revolution in the fashion industry by maintaining its profits, but, mostly, making it more transparent, honest, and socially responsible.

Conclusion

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The fashion industry is currently responsible for more annual carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. If the industry maintains its course, an increase of 50% in greenhouse gas emissions is expected within a decade. By analyzing the root causes of the problem, the next steps are easier to understand as we can connect the dots and create solutions. 

A few possible solutions were listed in the article, but some others include mindful purchasing of fast fashion brands and supporting reform. If you are not entirely sure of which brands to support, you are not alone. 

Doing background research on brands before purchasing clothes can help you become a more informed consumer and steer your purchases in a manner that aligns with your environmental values. The fashion industry has caused a substantial amount of damage to our environment. 

However, if we start to take proactive steps towards advocating for a green-friendly fashion industry and becoming an environmentally-conscious consumers, we can finally slow down climate change.

Written by Yakubu Abubakar