What are the negative effects of fast fashion?
Fashion is driven by new seasons, new styles, cheap prices, moving on, and discarding. Fast fashion contributes to the triple planetary crisis by generating pollution, waste, and emissions. The textiles value chain can achieve circularity and sustainable fashion, but not without consumers’ help! Because consumers around the world consume more clothes than ever before, wear them for a shorter period of time, and discard garments as quickly as trends change.
The negative effects of fast fashion are causing problems for our planet nowadays, and that's why we're about to have an overview of fast fashion problems.
What is fast fashion?
The reality is that fast fashion is a monster in our closets as it causes extensive damage to the earth, harms animals, and exploits workers. In simple terms, fast fashion comprises cheap, trendy garments that are derived from the catwalk or celebrity culture. People buy these garments in street stores to imitate celebrities and catwalk models and get the newest styles. Unfortunately, shoppers discard them after a few wears. Essentially, fast fashion reinforces the idea that wearing the same outfit over and over is a fashion faux pas, and keeping up with the latest trends is the key to remaining relevant. This problematic feature of fast fashion has made it one of the world`s largest polluters.
In 1960, American adults bought fewer than 25 items of clothing per year and spent about 10% of their income on clothing. But things changed in the 70s. Massive factories opened around the world and produced clothes with cheap labor and materials. In the 80s, some American retail stores started to outsource production.
Clothes became cheaper and consumers started to buy more. Quality and durability were lost and seasonal trends have grown up. So an American adult buys about 70 pieces of clothing per year and spends less on clothes!
How did fast fashion happen?
Fast-fashion brands like Topshop, H&M, and Zara gained popularity after the low-cost fashion trend peaked in the late 1990s and 2000s. People began shopping more frequently online with fast fashion retailers, which led to an overall decline in traditional shopping habits.
Fast fashion brands use clever marketing tactics to encourage consumers to buy more clothes than they need. They offer clothing at low prices like “Missguided's $1 bikini” and produce new styles on a regular basis.
Current fast fashion trends are tied to celebrity and influencer culture. One of these cultures is the rapid release of trending fashions due to someone wearing a new outfit in a picture posted to social media. This encourages fast fashion brands to compete with each other to be the first to release these updated designs. Surveys show that close to 75% of 18-24-year-old Gen Zs believe influencers can be held partially or fully accountable for the rise of disposable fashion. This is due to their upbringing in a culture where they are surrounded by social media and influencer culture. Additionally, many of them have grown up with the internet having full access.
Fast fashion problems and issues for the environment
The various destructive effects on the environment remain one of the most significant issues pertaining to fast fashion. Thus, it falls upon us (environmentalists) to explore the problems and issues of the environmental impact of fast fashion. It encourages people to switch to sustainable fashion and helps the planet. Find out how fast fashion is destroying our planet by reading on.
1-Water pollution
Most factories that produce garments, dump untreated toxic wastewater which contains mercury, arsenic, and lead into the rivers. All of them harm aquatic life and people who live close to those rivers. Finally, the contamination reaches the sea and spreads around the world.
For producing cotton, they use fertilizers which also pollute the waters. It is another major source of water pollution.
2-Water consumption
The dyeing and finishing process for garments and clothes needs a huge quantity of fresh water. That’s why fast fashion is a big water consumer.
When it comes to cotton, we need lots of water to grow it. As it is usually cultivated in dry and warm areas, we need about 10/000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of cotton. This puts huge pressure on this precious resource which is currently scarce.
3-Sustainability
The biggest problem that fast fashion is now facing is sustainability as it is the second most polluting industry in the world. Plenty of natural resources are used to create clothes. As a result, a lot of harmful waste is generated and pollutes waterways. Only sustainable brands try to produce without harming the environment.
Consumers have become conditioned to think of clothing as a fast-moving commodity by fast fashion. This way of thinking leads people to discard garments and clothes after only a few uses. More produce, more purchases, and more pollution.
4- Microfibers pollution
In high concentrations, synthetic fibers end up in our oceans after every wash. Microfibers found in clothing break down into smaller pieces while they’re in the washing machine. Small aquatic organisms ingest microfibers, small fishes eat those small aquatics and then bigger fishes eat those small fishes. That`s how they enter the ecosystem.
Washing clothes releases small plastic fibers into the air. On top of that, people wearing synthetic fibers release millions more into the air every year. A single person could release up to 300 million polyester microfibers each year into the environment by washing clothes and over 900 million by wearing them.
5-Waste problem
We discard more and more clothing each year. This results in increased waste of fabric. Each year families discard roughly 11 kilograms of clothing. Only 15% is recycled or donated to someone else; the rest is either incinerated or put into a landfill.
Synthetic fibers are plastic fibers that cannot be broken down into biodegradable materials. They can take up to 200 years to decompose.
6-Chemicals in the fashion industry
Many chemicals are used during the dyeing, bleaching, wet processing, and fiber production of garments. Cotton farmers are being exposed to heavy chemicals, which are causing illnesses and deaths. Freshwater and ocean water are also being polluted, and the soil is being degraded. Chemicals can also harm consumers.
7-Greenhouse gases emissions
Fast fashion generates about 5-10% of global greenhouse gases. A million garments are purchased each year and their production, manufacturing, and transportation require lots of energy which causes greenhouse gases. In comparison to natural fibers, synthetic fibers (polyester, acrylic, nylon, etc.) are generated from fossil fuels and are therefore much more energy-intensive to produce.
Countries powered by coal (like India, China, or Bangladesh) produce most of our clothes. As it releases lots of carbon, it can be the dirtiest type of energy.
James Conca in FORBES says: " Cheap synthetic fibers also emit gases like N2O, which is 300 times more damaging than CO2."
8-Soils degradation
Fast fashion has a huge impact on soil degradation. The production of fast fashion results in a lot of waste, which is often dumped into landfills or burned, creating air pollution. This waste can seep into the soil, polluting it and making it barren. Additionally, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in fast fashion production can also damage the soil and make it unable to support crops. This means that the soil isn't able to help the environment in the way it should. This can result in a loss of biodiversity and decreased fertility of the soil.
One of the most significant elements of our ecosystem is soil as it is necessary for food production. Fast fashion causes soil degradation in different ways. For example:
Overgrazing pastures to use their wool
Soil degradation due to the extensive use of chemicals to grow cotton
Deforestation to produce wood fibers such as rayon
9-Harming animals
Fast fashion can harm animals in a number of ways. First, many of the fabrics used in fast fashion production come from animals, such as leather, fur, and wool. By buying and wearing these fabrics, we are encouraging the demand for these materials and the exploitation of animals. Additionally, the use of chemical dyes and toxic chemicals in fast fashion production can have negative impacts on animals. This is because they can be released into the environment and ingested by animals. Finally, the production of fast fashion often takes place in sweatshops. In these sweatshops, workers are often exposed to hazardous conditions, which can have a negative effect on the health and welfare of animals in the area.
It can be devastating to marine life and land mammals alike when toxic dyes and microfibres are released into waterways.
Because of terrible conditions in fur farms for producing fur, it's become so much cheaper for consumers to buy fur!
Conclusion
Fast fashion has a devastating impact on our planet. The production of clothing for fast fashion companies often takes place in sweatshops with substandard working conditions. It leads to unsafe and unhealthy environments for workers. Additionally, the fabrics used in fast fashion production, such as synthetic fibers, are made with chemicals and dyes that can be released into the environment. This can pollute our air, water, and soil. The manufacturing process also uses a large amount of energy, water, and other resources, which can lead to deforestation, water shortages, and other environmental issues. Finally, the production of fast fashion leads to an ever-increasing amount of clothing waste, as many of these garments are only worn a few times before being thrown away.
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