Fast fashion allows shoppers to buy more clothes for less, but why is this not good?
The rise of fast fashion has changed the face of apparel industry drastically, flooding the market with unlimited garments. Fast fashion is pushing shoppers to buy more than what they need, encouraging them to update their wardrobes regularly to keep up with the ever-changing trends.
The industry that survives on higher production and lower costs has surpassed the ideal seasonal collection output by far. Fast fashion has overturned the traditional calendar and has taken it to extremes, with more than "52 micro-collections" coming out every year, encouraging shoppers more than ever to buy clothes at costs as low as a cup of coffee.
Today clothing has become disposable rather than something to be cherished. What used to be a consciously thought out purchase has turned into a series of shopping sprees made at shorter intervals.
All this for profits and bonuses? Environmental concerns regarding fast fashion lifestyle have been raised very often. But why? Why is it a big deal?
Fashion and its Environmental Impact
The fashion industry has a massive impact on our surroundings and has become a barrier to a world trying to adopt sustainable growth. It has a huge environmental footprint, whether it be the production of clothes or disposal.
This is an industry which is the second-largest polluter in the world, producing 10% of the world's carbon emissions. It depends on developing countries for production, where they can find cheap labour. Coal is the major source of energy in these countries, and it takes a significant amount of this power to produce millions of garments. Along with this, the place of production and selling are different, hence a lot of energy is required in shipping these garments worldwide. This extreme demand, manufacturing and transportation results in overwhelming carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to
Its impact on air, fashion has an equally (if not more) staggering impact on our water resources. Toxic, untreated wastewater from factories is often released directly into rivers and streams, making the apparel industry the second most polluting industry for water. Textile treatments and all the dyes that go into our fancy-bright coloured garments are all environmental polluters. These chemicals pollute 20 per cent of the wastewaters worldwide. Additionally, the dumping of leftover water, which contains substances such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, into the surrounding areas increases the risk of exposure to heavy metals. It is incredibly harmful to the aquatic life and the wellness of people living by the banks.
In an interview Stepheny Leah said-
"85% of the daily needs in the water of the entire population of India would be covered by the water used to grow cotton in the country. 100 million people in India do not have access to drinking water."
The fashion industry is one of the biggest consumers of water- the second largest. And as shoppers of fast fashion, we must be aware of the ridiculous amount of water that goes into making our garments. A simple cotton shirt or a pair of denim jeans takes as much as 2500 to 7000 litres of water. This is enough supply to last an individual for up to 10 years.
Besides, the amount of water needed in growing these materials is also immense. Let's take cotton, for instance. These are water-intensive crops and need as much as 20,000 litres of water for cultivation, which is a lot considering the scarcity we face today. The numbers are large and scary when we think about how many cotton shirts and jeans we see on sale daily.
Throwaway Culture
Globally, more than 80 billion pieces of clothing are sold every year.
Over 85% of clothing ends up in landfills every year.
This brings us to the disposable side of the lifecycle. Are we buying clothes only to throw them away?
Fast-fashion has normalized the waste culture. We have come to view clothing as replaceable because of its overabundance. Most of the shoppers end up buying more and more clothes, keep them for a shorter period, wearing them 8-15 times on an average, or sometimes these end up unused at the back of our wardrobes. This leaves us with a lot of clothing waste. Enough waste to fill up truckloads of clothing every second, which is either burnt or end up in landfills.
We are adapting to a society that believes in a throwaway culture, and it has dire consequences. It is time for us to re-think the choices we make as responsible consumers. The industry needs to make use of its ability to capture the hearts and minds of people and bring out a behavioural change. The way forward for the industry should be the goal of zero carbon emissions and ecological balance.
More on fast fashion in our upcoming blogs!
By,
Damini Kasi
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