Fast fashion is the phenomenon of trendy clothes, affordable prices, and efficient market movement. With this model, companies can manufacture new clothes at a quicker pace than ever before, sometimes within as little as a few weeks to meet demands. Some of the largest companies include Zara, H&M, TopShop, and FashionNova, with Zara producing around 20,000 designs per year alone. Customers are drawn to the idea of keeping up with the latest trends while paying low prices and enjoying easy accessibility. In fact, in the 1980's, the average American bought about 12 new articles of clothing a year. Now, the average American annually buys about 64 new pieces. Despite the demand for fast fashion, this production process damages the environment every step of the way.
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| Popular fast fashion brands |
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| A river in China that has been contaminated with runoff dye from a garment factory |
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| A pile of discarded clothing in a warehouse |
More and more people are demanding for sustainably made clothing as they become aware of fast fashion's negative environmental effects. To meet these demands, companies have begun to greenwash their product or market themselves as being "green" without doing anything to change their production process. Fast fashion brands use terms such as green, eco-friendly, ethically-made, and sustainable because they have no set legal definition. They take advantage of this ambiguity to sell to customers who want to be more responsible in their fashion choices. Nevertheless, if consumers were to actively engage in conscious consumption, wear what they already own, and buy less clothing, the epidemic of fast fashion could be cured.
Things to consider: Do you think about or allow environmental sustainability to dictate your fashion choices? How often do you go out of your way to find responsibly-made clothing? What steps can you take to lessen the negative effects of fast fashion?
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26 comments:
To be honest, I don’t think I have ever considered the environmental impacts of my clothing choices since I didn’t realize the drastic effects of fast fashion on the planet until now. I also don’t recall making the effort to find responsibly made clothing. However, after reading this blog, I do think I will make some changes in my fashion choices. In order to lessen the negative impacts of fast fashion, we can think twice before buying a clothing item and consider whether the uses of the item is worth the environmental impacts. This is also important because I know that many people (including myself) buy clothing that we think we need at the moment, but in the end, we may only wear it once or twice. Therefore, the resources that are used up in the production of these products end up being wasted as they pile up in landfills, as described in this blog. Sustainably made clothing could also be made more accessible and affordable than their less sustainable counterparts. Public service announcements could also be created to spread awareness of the vast effects of fast fashion in order to persuade people to make more sustainable fashion choices.
It never occurred to me how wasteful the clothing industry really is. Well, its more like the fast fashion trend is what is making the clothing industry insufferable. We must nip the fast fashion trend in the bud before people are buying and throwing away pieces of clothing everyday. I was not even aware fast fashion was a thing, so I think spreading awareness comes first. We must make it known to the world that this is an issue that needs to be solved. People should buy clothing much less often than they do now, and should only get rid of clothing that they are incapable of fitting into. When people need to toss out clothes, they should find an actual person they know are going to use the clothes, like a neighbor or family friend, preferably with young children. I'm not exactly sure how sustainable clothing would be made, but if we can find a process to do so, it should be implemented immediately. And to stop companies from using false advertisement, "green" and other terms should be given a legal definition. This will weed out companies that refuse to change, as people will flock to companies that have earned the legally defined label "green".
I actually never really knew how bad the clothing industry really is for the environment. I knew for a while now that jeans was the reason for increased water consumption, but I had no idea that the entire clothing industry is harmful. Because I never knew about this, I never really thought of buying clothing that would have less environmental impacts. I believe that the best thing we can do to limit the effects of clothing on the environment is to create an environment friendly clothing brand. Although I do not know exactly how to do this, I believe that doing this is the best way to make the clothing industry have a smaller impact on the environment. When we create this clothing brand, we can make it more and more popular by getting celebrities to wear it that also want to make a change, which will make the public wear it, thus helping the Environment.
While I've watched several documentaries detailing the horrifying working conditions in sweatshops and how buying "fast fashion" may be supporting unethical companies (that use child/forced labor), Ive never really considered the environmental impact of wasteful clothing. Just another reason to buy more ethical sourced brands. Apart from the waste of resources due to the short lifespan of these clothing, fast fashion also produces pollution and damaging waste. Unfortunately, most ethically sourced, environmentally friendly brands are currently not widely available and are quite expensive. However, as more people become aware of the dangers of fast fashion we may eventually adapt a more sustainable form of clothing.
This article has been truly eye-opening because i have never viewed the clothing industry as an environmentally harmful. It's an everyday industry that is used by everyone even in the poorest countries and areas. The biggest shock for me is finding out that all the clothes that i donate thinking it will be for the right cause is actually largely adding to the waste and degradation of the environment. Yet I believe that its very hard for consumers to go out of their way to find environmentally friendly clothes because it is already so hard to find clothes that match our style and picky choices. There needs to be a change within the production side of clothes development because dependance of buyers in this scenario will not reap the most efficient results. Yet one way that could possibly incentivize people to opt for the better environmentally sustainable clothes is maybe putting a sale or reduced prize so there is a reward for making the better choice, but that's up to the manufacturing and store department.
If I am being completely honest, I have never thought about the environmental consequences that come with the manufacturing and purchasing of clothes. I have not really considered trying to find environmentally responsible-made clothing because I didn't really know that it was a thing. However, thanks to your blog post, I am now aware of the situation, and can look for more environmentally friendly clothes. I am astonished to learn that the clothes that I donate are very likely in a landfill somewhere. I believe that there are so many customers that are not aware of the consequences that come with fast fashion, and so I feel that the first step to controlling the "epidemic" would be to educate the public. Secondly, in order to get customers to opt with environmentally friendly clothes, stores would have to promote these products through sales and clearances in order for them to compete with affordability of fast fashion products.
Although the fact that the fast-fashion industry is detrimental to the environment has never crossed my mind, at this point, it seems reasonable to assume that most industries, in some way or another, negatively affect our environment. It is important that we understand how different industries are affecting us and our surroundings, but, in my opinion, I don't have much hope for any radical change soon. This believe stems from the idea that these major industries are, in fact, "major" because they have accumulated enough power and influence to control the production and consumption of their products in order to make a profit. Similar to the fashion industry, with few restrictions by the government, as mentioned in the blog, other billion and trillion dollar industries are able to finesse their way past a-lot of restrictions and suppress most methods used to regulate their means of producing their products. Therefore, I believe that the only way to make enough change to slow down the current exponential rate of damage to the environment is through strict government policies and regulations on certain industries.
Fast fashion is, without a doubt, a large problem that must be considered and addressed when it comes to protecting the environment. As clothes are thrown away, dyes leak into waterways, and the cycle continues uninterrupted, it begs the question of what we as consumers can do to help. I feel as though a major way we must change is to do research on the various companies that we purchase our clothing from. If we gain more knowledge about the processes they use to make their products, we can stop buying from those that do not use eco-friendly operations. This also goes hand in hand with holding companies accountable. I feel it is important to do this on a government level as they can instill fines and other consequences on companies that do not do their part to combat pollution and climate change. With more awareness and government action, I believe we could help remedy the situation of fast fashion.
Although I've heard of the poor conditions that accompany sweatshops, I'd never stopped to consider the environmental impact that fast fashion has on the environment until it was addressed on an episode of Patriot Act. Although I don't frequently buy new clothing, I'll admit that I resort to buying clothes from places that rely heavily on fast fashion, such as SHEIN. At the price point that SHEIN offers their clothing, there is absolutely no way that the clothes I buy from them are environmentally friendly. However, buying truly "green" clothing would also require spending a large amount of money. This issue makes it harder for people to switch over from fast fashion. I do think that a significant amount of waste could be reduced if people would throw out less clothing and participated in upcycling their old clothes instead.
I’ve honestly never realized how the clothing industry has negatively impacted our environment. Fashion is such a big part of the American culture and I think people need to be more aware of how calamitous this is. I usually do not look at clothes I’m buying to make sure it's responsibly-made and now that I know these poor effects, I will take it into account. Every spring and summer break, my family and I go through our closets and drawers and take out either the clothes that do not fit anymore. Sometimes these clothes are given to my sister or cousins, becoming hand-me-downs. However, most of the time we donate our clothes to goodwill or other charities. I recently, during the winter, held a donation drive collecting different items and some were different types of clothing. After collecting my family and I went down to Austin Street Center, a homeless shelter, and distributed out the items. It is important to buy and dispose of clothing properly.
I never really thought about the effect my clothing shopping has on the environment, and have never really thought about what the effects many shopping can have on the environment. I don’t really purchase at all from fast fashion websites like She-in or Zara, but do add new clothes to my closet fairly often, probably more often than I should. However, I do go thrift shopping pretty often bringing life to old clothes and have clothes in my closet that I have worn to the point of falling apart for years. On the other hand, I have definitely bought things that I didn’t end up wearing nearly at all or bought dresses for a single occasion. I think that I can reduce my footprint by purchasing clothes from retailers less often and only when I really love them and they fit really well, thrift shopping over buying new clothes, wearing the clothes I have for longer, and spending more on more ethically produced materials and practices, like choosing cotton over polyester and other synthetic fibers. I think if people only bought what they really loved instead of buying on impulse, and chose more ethically sourced clothing we could all really reduce our footprints.
I never realized the true environmental impact of fast fashion in the modern world. Unfortunately, consumerism and wastefulness is a large contributor to many of the world's environmental problems. Developed countries generally export these problems to developing countries. Since most of our clothing is abroad, the environmental impact occurs in those developing countries, whose economy is heavily reliant on these clothing companies. Thus, these developing countries don't have the infrastructure or support to focus on the environment when the country is trying to feed its people. Thus, debt bargaining could be a useful policy, reducing a country's debt in return for environmental action. However, the root of this problem lies in a wasteful industry that puts its selfish desires above all else. Using both debt bargaining and enacting regulations that slow consumerism is necessary to reducing the impact of this industry.
Woah, this article really brought some more insight on the problems that the clothing manufacturing process brings! I knew it was pretty bad already considering the terrible working conditions that most laborers in the clothing manufacturing industry have to face, but I never really stopped to consider the extent of the environmental damage caused by this situation. Unfortunately, I'm one of those many people who do not take environmental sustainability into consideration when it comes to fashion. I honestly just find clothes that are discounted and/or cheap (usually in clearance sales). Sadly, I now realize that most of the clothes in the clearance sale are probably all part of fast fashion and were not responsibly made. However, after reading this article, I hope that next time I go shopping for clothes, I would do some research first online on certain brands that try to make more environmentally sustainable clothes WITH verification on how their clothing-making process uses less resources. You pointed out how many companies would throw around the label "environmentally friendly" around since there are no regulations or requirements, and I think there should definitely be legal action to make laws for this since the environmental impacts of this manufacturing can be devastatingly huge.
I am certainly not the most fashion-centered person on the planet, but I have noticed sprawling department stores and my own crowded closet and thought: where is all this coming from? However, I never would have predicted it to be such an issue. Vastly underpaid and overworked laborers are one thing, but the sheer consumerism that degrades the environment only to be thrown away by the end of the season sounds like something straight out of The Lorax. It’s interesting how such a rapid industrialization of the textile industry from something you would wear and repair almost all your life to something that could be thrown away if celebrities stop endorising it. I think a good way to help combat this, along with spreading awareness, could be educating people on clothing creation and reuse, like sewing, as a life skill instead of a hobby. That way, we can reduce and reuse before even having to consider recyling.
I usually do not consider environmental sustainability when I buy my clothes. I just buy whatever looks nice because it is the easiest choice. This mindset stems from my unwillingness to research about the clothing manufacturing practices of specific companies and the fact that I do not want to spend too much time shopping. Some steps that I could take to lessen the negative effects of fast fashion is researching company manufacturing practices prior to shopping. This way I will at least be aware of the effects of the clothing that I am buying and choose a piece of clothing that is more environmentally friendly.
It never occurred to me how rapidly the fashion industry, the fast fashion industry in particular has grown. We should have been focusing on sustainable production and conservation of materials as fashion was on the rise, but instead the productions harm on the environment, and likewise the quality of the garments themselves have spiraled negatively. I also had no idea how many resources it took to produce a single item. I think that efforts should be focused towards finding sustainable ways to produce clothing as well as ways to repurpose clothes and avoid harmful pile ups of discarded items. Consumers should also wear items that they already own rather than buying dozens of pieces each year that will go untouched, or thrift secondhand pieces so that production and discarding slow.
I’ve heard of many people turning away from a clothing brand because of their environmental impact but I’ve never done it myself. I don’t truly go out of my way to find environmentally friendly clothing. I do have to clarify that I buy clothes very rarely and keep them for many years so my environmental impact should be lessened that way. What I did find interesting however is that donated clothes still ends up in landfills. My family donates out clothing but knowing that our attempt at recycling clothing is not working is eye opening. I’d like to know a solution for this issue. To negate the effects of fast fashion, publicizing the impact could bring about more awareness. Makeup companies receive backlash from testing on animals, the same concept could be applied to companies that are not environmentally aware. It’s up to the consumers to reduce the effects of fast fashion.
I never did take into consideration how concerning the fashion industry impacts the environment, though I don’t know why I never realized it. Quite frankly, this doesn’t seem very surprising to me, as our consumption of clothes and the demand for it is fast, rapid, and growing. There will always be new clothes to wear, new trending outfits, and it has to do more with our emotional appeal to looks, and it really can’t be taken away. The demand for clothes won’t ever slow down, but different ways that we can produce these clothes can change. I believe that we can’t do anything to change the ways of the consumers (buyers), because there will always be that need for new clothes that can’t be gotten rid of. Though, we can do something of the ways of the producers (manufacturers). Developing more sustainable ways to produce clothing will be a step in the right path to help conserve the agriculture that is being put to waste on clothing.
To be honest, I did not expect that manufacturing and the purchasing of clothes have environmental consequences. I never really got the chance to consider whether or not my purchased clothing was responsibly made environmentally. Fortunately, this blog post allowed me to become more aware of environmentally healthy clothes and I’ll try my best to make my clothing purchases as eco-friendly as possible. Similarly, I believe that a majority of the nation is not aware that fast fashion comes with consequences. For this reason, I believe the first step to take to control the epidemic would be to bring more awareness to the issue and educate the public. This could be done through advertising and promotions by clothing stores in order to show the public that eco-friendly clothing is available in their stores.
While I knew that the clothing industry led to horrible working conditions in developing countries, I had no idea that it also affected the environment so much. I have never considered where or how my clothes are made when buying them, only how they look. Similarly to buying organic or locally sourced produce, maybe I should also be mindful of how the clothing I buy is made.
This is eye-opening as I never realized how impactful manufacturing clothing was on the environment, especially the fact of how much resources are used just to make some clothing. Personally, I don’t have a fashion sense so I just buy whatever seems comfortable. It’s definitely nice to see more demand for environmentally sustainable clothing which will hopefully increase as time continues. A fair way to make sure our clothing isn’t incinerated in some developing country is to personally give away the clothing you do not need. While eco-friendly clothing may require more time to create, clothing stores can offer incentives for people to purchase environmentally sustainable clothing.
Though I make an effort to reduce my investments in fast fashion companies, it is difficult to avoid them because the clothing market is mostly consists of these fast fashion companies. A major factor in reducing the power of these companies is through education. Many of my friends aren’t even aware of the environmental impacts of fast fashion. Some even impulsively buy clothing that they will only wear once or twice. I think a potential solution to impulsive shopping and investment in fast fashion brands is government action in the form of awareness and more regulations.
The term fast fashion is an entirely new term to me. I already limit buying myself only one or two clothing items a year, but after reading this, I may stop buying new clothes entirely. What was interesting to me was that donating clothing does not necessarily mean the clothing will be used by people. The clothing may be disposed of entirely. Rather than donating clothes then, I would buy clothes from thrift shops rather than buy straight from big clothing companies and contribute to “fast fashion”, even though thrifting is looked upon from a negative perspective.
I generally don't look at the environmental impact of the clothing I purchase. I never really understood the meaning of fast fashion but it intrigues me that clothing donations are even given to the people. I think that there should be advanced regulations on the impacts but also emphasize of culture of reselling in order to circulate clothes rather than to throw them away after one use.
I used to be one of those kinds of people that felt needing to buy cute or cool clothing from certain stores was normal. I had heard about the hard labor that third world countries go through to make them with minimal pay, but I had never considered the environmental impacts that come along with hem. Thrift stores I think are a great way to recycle old clothes or I even saw once of some people making small businesses through taking old jeans and making tote bags. Often times thrift stores are seen as unconventional and a low class society thing to do, but in reality many treasures and limited edition clothing may be found in these stores. I believe that if we encourage thrift store culture, it could hold back the concept of fast fashion in order to lose the environmental cosequences treat come with it.
I did know that getting rid of clothes was harmful for environments, that is why I like to sometimes get clothes from thrift stores. The clothing in these thrift stores will most likely end up in landfills if no one buys them. These landfills lead to more and more pollution and put the environment at risk. However, I did not realize that one cotton t-shirt uses the water supply of one person for almost 3 years. That is absurd to me and makes me think about how much water I could be drinking that is actually stuck in my closet. One thing I can do to lessen the negative effects of fast fashion is take hand me downs from my dad and my brother so that those clothes don’t end up in landfills. Additionally, instead of buying clothes every few months to reshuffle my closet, I can just make do with what I have. I believe that many people don’t actually know the negative environmental effects of the clothing industry, so maybe a public announcement of some sort could bring awareness to this topic. People will be less likely to go out and buy a new closet of clothes every time there is a new trend if they knew the consequences of their actions.
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