According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12), unsustainable production and consumption patterns are the “root cause” of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. We live in an era where overconsumption is predominant, where people don’t want to repeat outfits because it is a social media taboo. However, the seemingly “affordable” clothes are causing a big problem in our society and our planet.
Over 150 billion garments are produced annually1, with over 80 billion pieces of clothing purchased yearly, translating to over $1.3 trillion annually for the global fashion industry2. How is that possible? Consider the viral “TikTok jump into clothes transitions” and “Walk In Closet Tours”, amongst other trends.
These statistics may seem staggering, but they only scratch the surface of the dangers of fast fashion. To put things into perspective, the rate of clothing disposal to landfill is estimated at “one rubbish truck per second,” with an estimated worth of £140 million3. Furthermore, WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) estimates the value of unused clothing in wardrobes at around £30 billion. This overconsumption and waste of clothing are not only a significant environmental issue but also a social and economic one.
By becoming more aware of the impact of the fast fashion industry, we can consciously reduce the impact our fashion choices have on the environment and society. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 12.8 means promoting an understanding of sustainable lifestyles universally, ensuring everyone has the awareness and information necessary to support sustainable development and harmonious lifestyles with nature4.
What Is Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion has become an increasingly dominant trend in the global fashion industry, characterised by rapidly changing styles, low-cost production, and a seemingly endless supply of new clothing. Fast fashion refers to the astonishing speed at which retailers can move designs from the runaways to stores within weeks or even days, striving to cater to the ever-changing and constant demand for more diverse and trendy clothing. In addition, fast fashion companies aim to make fashion more affordable and accessible to the general public by mass-producing cheaper alternatives to top fashion houses.
A Brief History Of The Fast Fashion Industry
Fast fashion, as we know it today, emerged around the 1970s with the rise of companies like Zara, H&M, and Forever 21. These companies could produce clothing quickly and cheaply, thanks to a globalised and fragmented supply chain, which allowed them to move production to countries with lower labour costs.
By the 2000s, they had expanded globally, radically transforming the fashion landscape. The combination of cheap labour, fast production times, and frequent inventory turnover allowed these companies to offer trendy clothing at low prices, appealing to consumers who wanted to keep up with the latest fashion trends.
Before the rise of fast fashion, the fashion industry operated on a biannual seasonal model, with fashion houses presenting new collections twice a year during fashion weeks in Paris, Milan, London, and New York. However, the fast fashion business model disrupted this cycle by introducing ‘micro-seasons,’ a concept referring to the frequent introduction of new collections throughout the year – as many as 52, effectively a new collection every week. In addition, this business model created a sense of urgency among consumers to purchase products before they sold out, fuelling impulse buying and fostering a ‘buy now or miss out’ mentality.
Why Does Fast Fashion Exist?
Fast fashion exists due to a combination of factors, primarily centered around three key players; the fast fashion brands (supply), the consumers (demand) and the regulatory bodies.
Fast Fashion Brands’ Contribution
On the supply side, technological advancements and improvements in logistics have made faster, more efficient, and low-cost production processes possible. This efficiency, coupled with the rise of e-commerce, allows fast fashion companies to reach wider audiences and mass-produce ‘disposable fashion.’
Furthermore, fast fashion retailers are not just responding to trends but creating them. With the rise of influencer marketing and the affordability of their products, these companies can shape consumer demand by promoting new trends through social media influencers.
Consumers Contribution
From a demand perspective, consumer behavior has significantly changed. According to The Guardian, one in three young women in Britain considers a garment worn once or twice to be old5. This shift in mindset illustrates the growing desire for new, trendy, and affordable clothing—a demand that fast fashion readily caters to. Social media platforms have accelerated this trend, with influencers promoting constant wardrobe updates.
Additionally, fashion can be accessed at the press of a button, with or without available cash. You can order new clothes from the comfort of your home via online shopping to be delivered the next day and pay using credit facilities such as Klarna that allow you to spread the cost of your purchase into three interest-free instalments.
Regulatory Bodies’ Contribution
The fast fashion market runs on a “free world” approach; the industry has been allowed to thrive despite the social and environmental harm caused to the world. This, in part, is due to a lack of regulation from governing bodies enabling the companies to operate with little oversight or accountability. In addition, supply chains’ complex and fragmented nature make it almost impossible for companies to be regulated. The garment production processes, from sourcing raw materials to packing the finished products, often occur in different locations in different countries, making monitoring and enforcing regulations more difficult due to blurred jurisdictional boundaries.
Furthermore, the globalisation of the fashion industry has led to a stark contrast in labour and environmental standards across different countries; whilst some countries have stringent regulations in place, others have little to none. Fast fashion companies know this and take advantage of the weaker environmental protection measures in certain regions, especially developing countries.
The government has been slow to introduce and enforce regulations to address the negative impacts of fast fashion partly due to the economic benefits such as export revenue generated. The many existing efforts to improve sustainability and labour practices in the fashion industry are often voluntary, with companies having the choice to decide whether or not they want to do the needful.
Why Is Fast Fashion Bad?
As a consumer, you might wonder how fast fashion is terrible if you get the many benefits of affordable and trendy clothing. However, you will reconsider when you know the range of negative consequences that warrant serious concern. We’ll explore the environmental, societal and economic impacts and the challenges it poses to sustainability and ethical practices in the fashion industry.
Environmental Impact Of Fast Fashion
The low cost and speed at which the fast apparel industry operates have profound impacts on our environment, such as resource depletion, pollution and immense waste.
Resource Depletion
The fashion industry’s insatiable demand for natural resources, such as water and energy, leads to excessive raw material consumption. As an example, 90% of clothing sold in the United States is made using cotton or polyester. Cotton production requires large amounts of water and pesticides, causing water scarcity in the growing regions. Similarly, polyester, a synthetic textile derived from petroleum, has its own environmental implications. Although the industry has sought alternatives, it merely shifts the environmental impact rather than eliminating it.
Pollution
Textile production and garment manufacturing generate substantial pollution. Textile production is one of the most polluting industries producing over 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent annually, more than international flights and maritime shipping, contributing about 10% of total global emissions6. This is because a garment travels extensively throughout its lifecycle, creating massive greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, most garments are manufactured in countries that rely on coal-fuelled power plants, further increasing each garment’s environmental footprint.
Moreover, textiles are estimated to be the source of over 35% of microfibers released into the waterways. The dyeing and finishing processes also contribute to toxic water waste, which often ends up in local water systems untreated, harming aquatic life and humans alike.
Waste
Lastly, the environmental cost of fast fashion is witnessed in the massive textile waste generated. The use of low-quality materials and the disposable nature of these clothes increase the volume of discarded clothing in landfills or incinerators. Reportedly, 60% of all clothing is disposed of within a year of purchase7. In the U.S. alone, approximately 80 pounds of clothing and textiles are thrown away annually, occupying 5% of landfill space. An alternative to this is exporting used clothes for the second-hand clothing trade, popularly known as “Okrika” or “bend down select” in Nigeria. The U.S. exports approximately 500,000 tons of used clothing annually to low and middle-income countries. However, this merely shifts the problem elsewhere rather than solving it.
The Social Impact Of Fast Fashion
The social implications of fast fashion are as severe as the environmental ones, impacting workers and local communities involved in the production process. These impacts stem from the very factors driving the fast fashion industry: the relentless pursuit of cheaper production and higher profits.
Labour Exploitation
Fast fashion brands often outsource production to low and middle-income countries to cut costs. The workers in these garment-producing factories face long working hours, unsafe working conditions, and low wages. While industry disasters like the “1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire” in New York City improved work standards in the United States, the burdens were simply shifted to other countries. The devastating “2013 Rana Plaza Factory Collapse” in Bangladesh that took 1,132 lives is a stark reminder of this reality8. It is crucial to remember that no one should risk their lives for fashion or profit.
Women And Child Labour
Children and women are particularly vulnerable to the exploitative practices of fast fashion companies. Children are often denied educational opportunities and spend their days stitching beads onto clothing items9. Conversely, women may receive less than $3 daily, with many reporting violent and sexual harassment10. This exploitation is often justified as cost-cutting measures but can also be tied to wider societal issues, such as male labor exportation in low and middle-income countries11.
Beyond labor exploitation, fast fashion often undermines traditional craftsmanship and small business owners as artisans struggle to compete with cheap, mass-produced items. In reality, each person has the same 24 hours to earn a living, and there is only so much one can do in those 24 hours. The accumulation of wealth and power by these corporations, who profit from the combined labor of thousands of workers, results in a severe imbalance. This represents social injustice in one of its most glaring forms, illustrating the profound inequity at the heart of the fast fashion world.
The Economic Impact Of Fast Fashion
The economic impact of fast fashion is as significant as its environmental and social impacts. While the industry contributes to economic growth in some areas, it also perpetuates a damaging cycle of overconsumption and waste.
Consumer Debt
Fast fashion’s continuous stream of new styles can lead to overspending, as consumers feel pressured to keep up with the latest trends. ‘Buy now, pay later’ services such as Klarna, Affirm, Clearpay, and Afterpay, common on major brand e-commerce sites like Nike and Sweaty Betty, have normalized deferring payments and instalment buying. Researchers estimate that spending through these channels doubled in 2021, reaching £5.7 billion, up from £2.7 billion in 202012. While such services offer short-term financial flexibility, they contribute to significant consumer debt by promoting overspending on items that may not be affordable in the long run. The illusion of affordability encourages impulse buying and allows consumers to amass small debts that can add up to considerable financial burdens.
Short-term Economic Gain, Long-term Loss
The fast fashion model focuses on short-term profits, which have negative long-term consequences as the environmental impact and social cost of fashion production ultimately harm the economy and community as a whole. This can be seen in the scarcity and increased competition for natural resources that drive up costs and negatively impact other industries that rely on them, such as water availability for food farmers. Furthermore, climate change resulting from fast fashion clothing production contributes to economic disadvantage by reducing agricultural productivity and infrastructure damage such as deforestation due to extreme weather events. Finally, the waste management caused by the waste generated by the garment industry is costly and places a financial burden on local governments and communities.
Slow Fashion And Sustainable Practices
In response to the adverse effects of fast fashion, slow fashion has emerged, emphasising sustainability, fair labor practices and more responsible and environmentally conscious fashion brands.
Brands
Environmental Sustainability
The word “Sustainability”, coined around 1987, generally surrounds the idea that raw resources should be used to satisfy our current needs without compromising the need of future generations. Furthermore, sustainability in an organisation should focus on three key areas; people, planet and profit. That is people’s social well-being, the planet’s health and a just economy.
Sustainable activities must be activities that can continue indefinitely. Thus a sustainable fashion brand produces sustainable clothing to meet consumer demand without causing harm to the environment by minimising resource usage, reducing pollution and using environmentally friendly materials and production methods.
However, these practices must also consider the unintended consequences, such as the larger arable land requirements for organic cotton due to its lower yields.
Quality And Longevity
Slow fashion advocates that clothing companies produce clothes that are well-made and designed for longevity. Higher quality garments and the physical durability of textiles used allow extended garment use time and re-wear. Furthermore, there is a need for a fashion revolution that emphasises timeless designs. All these will help to reduce the need for frequent replacements and ultimately reduce textile waste, resource consumption and pollution associated with mass production.
Additionally, the fast fashion clothing industry should adopt circular economy principles by extending the lifecycle of products by offering customers the ability to repair, repurpose or recycle their unwanted clothes through channels such as their retail stores.
Ethical Practices
The clothing sector must take responsibility for its actions; cheap labor and unsafe working must be abolished. Fair labor practices ensure that garment workers receive fair wages, safe working environments and the respect and growth they deserve. This promotes social equity and improves the overall well-being of the communities that carry the burden of the fast fashion industrial revolution. In addition, fast fashion clothing lines should improve transparency in their supply chain, allowing consumers to make informed decisions and hold businesses accountable for their social and environmental impacts.
Consumers
The absence of regulations in the clothing industry places a greater responsibility on consumers to make informed choices about the clothing purchased. However, consumer awareness regarding the actual cost of the affordable prices that come with fast fashion is limited. Phrases like “less is more” must replace “more for less” offered by fast fashion brands to ensure sustainable consumption patterns. In addition, more consumers are advocating the purchase of sustainable fashion pieces to meet their psychological needs, such as their attitudes towards equality and sustainability.
What Can You Do As A Consumer To Combat Fast Fashion?
Increase awareness: You can help increase awareness about the fast fashion menace by sharing posts like this on your social media channels and conversing with your friends and family about it so they can make conscious choices .
Extend the life of your clothes: You can care for your clothing better by following the wash and care information and repairing clothes instead of disposing of them. Most importantly, embrace repeating outfits; their first true purpose is protection and concealing.
Buy and sell second-hand: Whenever you can buy second-hand outfits, great options are available, from vintage to more modern styles. On the other hand, if you do not need a piece of clothing again due to outgrowing the size or style, thrift it! However, do not wait for the clothes to be worn out before thrifting.
Buy less, buy classics: Opt for high-quality classic looks in your wardrobe that can be restyled and layered for different seasons. Consciously choose to buy less, especially clothes that are non-versatile. Consider renting outfits for special occasions.
Support small businesses: When possible, support ethical and sustainable brands, especially small local artisans; this helps preserve traditional crafts and cultural heritage and fosters economic diversity.
Be aware of greenwashing: You need to be conscious of “greenwashing”, a deceptive marketing tactic some brands use to create a false impression of their environment and social responsibility. By making misleading claims or promoting superficial eco-friendly initiatives, these companies attempt to capitalise on the growing demand for sustainable products without substantially improving their practices. Continually evaluate what brands claim versus what you see them do, research their sustainability efforts and prioritise supporting those that are transparent.
In conclusion, fast fashion’s adverse environmental, social, and economic impacts far outweigh the temporary benefits of low-cost, on-trend clothing. Despite the substantial revenue it generates and the job opportunities it creates, this industry perpetuates a vicious cycle of overconsumption, waste, and exploitation. The absence of strict regulations and the discretionary nature of sustainability initiatives exacerbate these challenges.
As consumers, we can drive change by making more conscious, sustainable choices, supporting ethical and slow fashion brands, and heightening awareness about the negative implications of fast fashion. We encourage you to join us at Ejire Okin in embracing sustainable fashion habits. Shop our vibrant thrift wardrobe @tgocthrift on Vinted & Depop .
By consuming responsibly, we can collectively foster an ethical and sustainable fashion industry prioritising people and the planet over quick profits. Your choices matter, and together, we can transform the fashion landscape.
Read our post on how to build a versatile capsule workout wardrobe .
