Why is Fast Fashion Bad for the Planet (and you)?
Words by Salima Saunders“Globally, the fashion industry is responsible for around 40 million tons of textile waste a year, most of which is either sent to landfill or incinerated” - Mckinsey State of Fashion Report 2022
We all have experienced fast fashion. It is that endless cycle of fresh clothing at your favorite store, ensuring that you come back often to refresh your summer wardrobe year after year. Even if you had hopes of keeping those outfits for longer, the materials inevitably fall apart or the styles change so drastically that you feel that you don’t have a choice but to buy new things time and time again. Fast fashion is characterized by unsustainable supply chains, exploitation of laborers, huge amounts of waste, and cheap, low quality clothing all in an effort to provide the latest styles to you, the shopper, as quickly as possible.
We at Changing Tides Foundation are constantly committing to doing better for the planet and for our bodies, which includes taking a deeper dive into our consumption choices, like fast fashion and how to combat it with slow fashion, and we want to encourage you to do the same. As it turns out, the effects of fast fashion can be disastrous for the Earth, for our fellow human beings and for plant and animal habitats.
Fast Fashion Pollutes the Earth
“17.5 cubic meters of textiles — the equivalent of one garbage truck — is either burned or sent to landfill every second.” - Mckinsey State of Fashion 2022
This is an enormous amount of waste that will be with us for a very long time. These fabrics do not degrade easily and are not recyclable due to the mix of fabrics that make up that cute top. These clothes can just sit in landfills with nowhere to go which takes up space and burning clothing can release harmful toxins into the air, further compounding greenhouse gas emissions. As clothing breaks down, it can also infiltrate our oceans with microplastics and end up in our food system.
Fast Fashion Hurts Garment Workers
Garment workers in the fast fashion industry are generally extremely underpaid, overworked and are working in dangerous conditions. In 2013, Bangladesh garment workers experienced an unimaginable tragedy when the Rana Plaza Collapsed. The Plaza housed several garment factories, and over 1,000 workers were killed and thousands more injured in the collapse. The fashion industry employs millions of international workers, many of them women, and the working conditions that the factory workers experience can be rife with safety and health hazards. While fashion companies are beginning to take steps to mitigate these risks abroad, it is important for us to think about how our buying choices impact others.
Fast Fashion Harms Animal Habitats
Beyond just occupying land that could have been for forests or native plant and animal habitat,
“the fashion industry contributes to significant biodiversity loss, with 23 percent of the world’s insecticide used in cotton agriculture and 25 percent of industrial water pollution resulting from textile dyeing and treatment.” -Mckinsey State of Fashion Report
In fast fashion, clothing is usually dyed using chemicals, and animals and plants that live downstream from textile dyeing plants, experience high levels of toxicity and habitat loss. The use of pesticides on non-organic cotton plants can further pollute water sources used by humans and animals alike and make it harder for animals to survive.
Enter slow fashion.
Image: Patagonia
Slow fashion is one answer to fast fashion. It is the act of being mindful of your purchasing decisions and researching the companies you are buying from. It is about buying less and reusing, repairing, and repurposing what you have.
Join the Slow Fashion Movement with Changing Tides Foundation by committing to:
Consume Less
When we do consume, lets shop second-hand from thrift stores, consignment boutiques and online used clothing sites.
If you have to buy clothing, stay away from fast fashion. Let's spend a few extra bucks on clothes made from more durable and sustainable and organic materials like wool, hemp and cotton. We should buy from responsible companies and makers that use earth-friendly dyes, pay fair wages and have safe working conditions.
Supporting companies that have take back or up-cycle programs
Don’t throw your clothes away. If it breaks, fix it. If you’re bored of it, upcycle it into something new or host a clothing swap or sell online, or cut them up and make them into dish rags or hankies!
The very last option should be to donate your used clothes to your local homeless shelter, charity or church or a thrift store where it can be put to use.
We are here learning side by side with you! Feel free to write us and share your ideas and tips on slow fashion with us on Instagram. Together we can make a difference with our choices!