The Dangers of the Fast Fashion Industry:
- Girl Up McMaster
- Nov 2, 2021
- 3 min read
I am sure that myself, along with many of you, are constantly hearing the term “fast fashion” being thrown around these days. Yet it was not until I did some research of my own, that I realized how this exploitative business model is a tremendous human rights and gender based issue that is extremely detrimental to the environment.
So what actually is “Fast Fashion''? Fast fashion refers to mass-produced clothing that's made quickly, cheaply, and in trending styles.The ultimate goal of this business model is for companies to get their products into the hands of their customers as quickly as possible, while disregarding the quality and external costs. To understand the magnitude of this issue, it is important to note that the fast fashion industry releases 80 billion clothing pieces a year. According to a Clothes Waste Charity, these garments are only worn about 10 times before being thrown away. Like me, you may be sad to learn that some of your favourite clothing stores are a part of this business scheme, including retailers such as Uniqlo, H&M, Top Shop, Shein, and Victoria Secret.
The fashion industry is currently the second largest polluter in the world behind the oil industry and its environmental damage only continues to increase as fashion trends cycle through time. Notably, this business model consumes large quantities of water; according to Sustain Your Style, it can take up to 200 tons of fresh water per ton of dyed fabric. In particular, cotton needs a lot of water to grow, putting an abundance of pressure on this resource that is already in such short supply. Since clothing has such a short life span today, this has generated tremendous amounts of textile waste. Did you know that the average family in the Western world throws away about 30kg of clothing each year?
The fast fashion industry has also proven to be a major human rights violation to those who work in it. Garment workers are forced to work in precarious and dangerous conditions for long hours and for very little pay. Here, these labourers are exposed to harsh chemicals which can be extremely damaging for their respiratory systems. The UAB Institute for Human Rights published a report in 2016 stating that the average worker earns around 67 dollars a month which is simply unsustainable. Moreover, the fashion industry has proven to be a gender based issue against women as they are generally primary makers of these garments. Women make up 80% of all clothing workers and many of them continue to overwork themselves in these factories not only because they are unable to leave due to gender, age, and pregnancy-based discrimination from factory management, but also because they need to provide for their families.
Though it may feel as if you are hopeless in combating this environmental and human rights issue, there are many steps you can take in your personal life to mitigate these issues and transform this industry. The first step is to be aware of your clothing purchases. This includes paying attention to brands that are notorious for fast fashion, as well as buying less clothes, which in the long run, makes it easier to justify spending more on an item… right? Another solution is to look out for sustainable and ethical materials, which are often also better quality. I know it can be tough for students to afford expensive pieces, so something I personally recommend is buying second-hand. You can find pretty amazing and unique finds at local thrift stores just for a few dollars!
Though we sometimes face tremendous pressure to keep up with the latest trends, it is important to begin recognizing the detrimental effects of fast fashion and learn to shop less and buy smarter!
Citations:
By Isabella Krizman '23 (Blog Subcommittee Member)
Comentarios