Society is thirsty for instant gratification, and fashion is no exception. Fast fashion is worth a massive $2.5 trillion, but not to mention the second most polluting industry on Earth, right behind oil. Find out why your ‘of-the-moment’ items aren’t so pretty after all.
Fast fashion is an industry founded upon the rapid production of low-quality cheap garments. The business operates through sampling ideas from high-end fashion shows and celebrity culture. So, effectively a shoddy version of what Kim K wore last night could be yours by tomorrow (with next day delivery of course). This endless stream of resources has essentially forced the fashion industry to switch from two major fashion seasons (Spring/ Summer and Fall/Winter) to 52 ‘micro seasons. For example, VICE found the Boohoo group uploaded 772 new pieces of clothing a week. At first you might be on board with this, after all the freedom to switch up your look every week seems appealing. But this charming craze has a harsh reality; in fact, it’s costing us our planet.
Here’s the evidence:
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of the global carbon dioxide emissions, more than global air-shipping and traffic combined.
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter of clean water and further contributes 35% of all microplastics in the ocean. These microplastics are then consumed by sea animals.
It takes an immense 700 gallons of water to produce a single cotton shirt.
Polyester, a front feature in pretty much all clothing requires 98 million tonnes of crude petroleum per year.
Safe to say the industry’s impact is already frightening, but it doesn’t stop there. The production of fast fashion is wildly detrimental to its workers and it’s not just a problem with business, it’s a feminist issue too. There are around 40 million garment workers worldwide; most do not have rights or protection and approximately 85% of these workers are women. This exploitation is simply too big to overlook. Catastrophes are witnessed but not enough is done. Take Rana Plaza, the clothing factory which took 90 seconds to collapse and took 1,135 lives with it. We don’t even need to look beyond our borders, a clothing factory in Leicester employs its workers on a humiliating £3 an hour.
The sad reality is that fast fashion is unavoidable for most, it’s not just those PLT fans to blame, in truth anyone who shops on the UK high street is complicit. So, it’s up to the clothing brands rather than its consumers to commit to change and mitigate the huge environmental and humanitarian impact of the fashion industry. You’re not totally helpless though, get angry, get your voice heard and strive for actual legislation against such evils. In the meantime, to help alleviate the demand for fast fashion shop thrift and shop local.