Do we realise that how we fill our time browsing the shops, we’re really filling landfill, polluting rivers and emitting 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon annually?
Fast fashion is something we are all surrounded by, but generally we don’t know about its true effect on the environment, and therefore on us. Fast fashion refers to the garments we buy from places like Zara, H&M and Forever 21,. They reflect current industry trends, so you don’t look ‘so last season’. Due to consumer demand (that they curated) Zara release new products twice a week, resulting in 12,000 new designs per year. Meaning they require only a week to get from design to shop floor- as opposed to the six-month industry standard. (No wonder they always have a sale on!) Because of this, garments are churned out of factories at alarming rates, and since the industries expansion, the UK now send 235 million items to landfill each year.
China and India, where large amounts of clothing manufacturing take place, both run off of coal-fuelled power plants. This adds to the footprint of each garment fashioned. This has resulted in the fashion industry being responsible for 5% of total greenhouse gas emissions – that’s more than the whole of Russia. The UNFCCC holds the fashion industry accountable for 10% of global carbon emissions. This percentage is currently set to rise by 60% by 2030.
Fast fashion is more damaging than all international flights and maritime shipping combined
As well as carbon emissions, the industry has led to vast water pollution. Farmers in China and India are now able to predict the colour of the next fashion season by the colours their rivers. This is because factories dump their waste dye and material in them, leading to an increase in plastic in our oceans and poisonous toxins contaminating locals who have limited or no access to freshwater.
Not only are the factories energy intensive, but so is the material most commonly used – polyester (it requires fossil fuels to be created). This means the clothes on your back may have led to 5.5kg of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. And that’s only in it's production phase, forget about transport!
It has been found that, if the fast fashion industry retains its current pace, by 2050 it could use more than a quarter of the global carbon budget. The MacArthur Foundation warns that growth of the industry could cause ‘potentially catastrophic’ environmental damage.
Future trends
The fashion industry could move towards more eco-friendly practices, such as using renewable energy, controlling their emissions and pollution, reducing fossil fuel consumption and refining waste management systems. At an educational level The International Textile and Apparel Association state that designers need to be trained with regards to material sustainability and manufacturing. For us consumers there is hope too, we can choose to buy clothes made from linen, hemp, bamboo or other alternative materials. We can also wear clothes that require less chemical treatment (dyes), upicycle our wardrobe, reuse and recycle! There are the classic charity shops, online second hand seller platforms, such as Depop, or there are eco-conscious brands to seek (Alternative Apparel, Fair Indigo, Patagonia etc).
So next time you're scrolling through ASOS, just think - is that new purchase really worth its true cost?
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