5 environmental impacts of fast fashion
Feeling nostalgic lately, I dug up my old dissertation on sustainable fashion. You know what's wild? I realised that since I wrote it back in 2021, I haven't purchased directly from a fast fashion brand!
So, it got me thinking... I'm on a mission to remind everyone about the huge environmental footprint of fast fashion.
In my experience, ditching fast fashion has been a seamless journey (featuring no relapses touch wood…) and I have barely noticed a difference, often being complimented on my second-hand or sustainably made outfits. This post will list 5 environmental impacts of fast fashion that contributed towards my decision to stop shopping at fast fashion brands.
But first, it is probably wise to start with a definition of what fast fashion is. The Oxford Dictionary describes fast fashion as “inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends”.
I would argue the definition stretches further to encompass low quality garments made in unfair and exploitative working conditions that are designed to be worn once and discarded. Fast fashion is often low priced, as it has been made using cheap, synthetic materials and garment workers have not been paid a fair living wage, which brings down the cost for consumers like you and I.
But what are the environmental impacts of this practice?
Water pollution
The fashion industry is a key player when it comes to water pollution, contributing 17-20% of industrial water pollution from the dyeing and treatment processes alone.
Dyes used to colour textiles are often made from harmful, synthetic chemicals which runoff into rivers and freshwater sources during the production process, polluting these water supplies, causing habitat destruction and even potentially causing the death of species such as fish living within them.
Greenhouse gas emissions
The textiles industry accounts for around 10% of global carbon emissions, which is more than the aviation and shipping industries combined.
Because fast fashion is made from cheap, low quality materials, it is likely to be thrown away after a few uses. Discarded clothing often ends up in landfill, where it will emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which contribute to global warming.
Overconsumption
Fast fashion, fuelled by endless hauls on social media, leads to overconsumption. Fast fashion brands often produce garments to emulate microtrends, which are short-lived. Therefore, new clothes are constantly being produced and bought to replace the styles that have gone out of fashion.
The cheap pricing of fast fashion items means people are more likely to purchase more than they actually need, simply because they are getting more for their money. However, the cheap prices offered by fast fashion brands come at the expense of the environment and the garment workers.
Pollution
The low quality of fast fashion items also leads to people ordering multiple of the same item in different sizes and returning the rest, but returns are also damaging for the planet. For example, transporting returns leads to increased emissions.
Most clothing returns are often just destroyed or sent to landfill due to the logistical issues related to returning and redistributing items. When returns are destroyed or sent to landfill, greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere.
Deforestation and land use
As demand for clothing increases, more and more land is being cleared and deforested for cotton and wood-pulp production. Deforestation causes a loss of habitat for local biodiversity and releases carbon, which is stored in trees, into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
The large volume of water required for textile production can also deplete natural water supplies, impacting agricultural land and potentially leading to a loss of earnings for farmers whose water supplies have been diminished for use by the textile industry.
To conclude, fast fashion harms the environment in a number of ways. In order to reduce the impact of the fashion industry on the planet, there needs to be a global mindset shift away from overconsumption and to more mindful and sustainable methods of sourcing clothing.
In the meantime, small individual changes, such as buying only what you need, not following microtrends and shopping second-hand, will contribute towards reducing the impact of clothing on the planet.
