You’re probably familiar with the fast fashion retail giants Shein, Boohoo and Missguided. As a woman in my twenties I encounter fast fashion-related content almost daily, endlessly fed to me through the Instagram algorithm, YouTube clothing hauls, and online targeted advertisements.
Fast fashion brand Shein
With the rise and prominence of hundreds of online fashion retailers over the last two decades, as well as surges in online shopping due to Covid-19, it is now estimated that the UK consumes a shocking 1.13m tonnes of clothing per year. With the drastic increase in consumption driven by influencer targeted branding as well as rapid offshore manufacturing, the fashion industry now churns out a colossal 80 billion garments a year. So what are the repercussions of buying cheap, low quality clothing and how is the fast fashion industry leaving a lasting mark on the planet?
ENDLESS WASTE
With our desire to keep up with what's ‘new’ and the influencer generation driving the acceleration of short-lived fashion trends, it is now speculated that 10 % of clothing purchased never actually gets worn. In response to this, one solution at first glance seems to be to simply donate the surplus clothing to charity. Unfortunately it isn’t quite that simple. According to statistics, the sheer abundance and lack of quality and integrity of today's clothing means that less than 10% of clothes donated ends up going to second hand shops and a whopping 90% is sent overseas to landfill or textile waste units.
Ghana is becoming littered with the remnants of our fast fashion choices
Many European items end up in landfill in countries such as Ghana which historically has had a vibrant and important second hand clothing industry. The clothes are often sent in bails, purchased by second hand dealers and tailors to resell to local customers. In recent years however, according to one local dealer the imported clothing bails have become increasingly disappointing. The items arrive tattered and beyond repair with half being sent straight to landfill. With the artificial materials used in clothing production today, an item can take as long as 200 years to decompose after being worn merely once or twice. This unfortunately means that the waste produced by European countries as a byproduct of the fast fashion industry ends up polluting countries overseas.
Ecological damage
As well as the social implications and environmental issues caused by fast fashion there are a few other problems that have emerged in recent years. The low-quality materials that form the basis of the garments, are composed of microfibers and microplastics which disintegrate from synthetic fabrics every time you wash your clothes. Unfortunately fast fashion is one of the largest sources putting plastic into our food chain. These harmful plastics are making their way into our water supplies as well as aquatic organisms consumed by fish. Because of our dependence on fast fashion, synthetic materials, and washing machines, microplastic contamination of all habitats is likely to increase. There is irrefutable proof that microfibers are not only polluting the ocean but also making their way to humans which in the long run will have harmful consequences on our health.
SMALL STEPS
When we’re given disposable looking items, we tend to treat them as disposable. Just like single use water bottles or plastic bags our clothing is becoming merely expendable, something to be worn once, posted on instagram then thrown away. It's clear that the problem is largely systemic, more accountability needs to be taken by fast fashion giants who are in charge of the manufacture and production. Clothing production accounts for around 3% of global CO2 emissions so if we want to see a reduction in this we need to put pressure on the brands causing the most issues.
Alongside this, there are also some small steps we can take as individuals to reduce consumption. If you have to buy new clothes, then choose fibres or textiles that are natural as opposed to artificial and made from sustainably sourced materials. By buying fewer clothes you don’t contribute to the wasteful cycle that fast fashion perpetuates. We can choose to wear the clothing we already have and make it last, or invest in pieces that have longevity - this is the most effective way to reduce your footprint as it stops the need for further production at the source.
Today it is all too easy to purchase with the click of a button, but behind that click is a hidden labour and a whole host of environmental and social problems. What we pay for we also vote in advocacy for so by choosing not to support these brands and choosing sustainable options such as buying second hand, we can each make a stand against the fast fashion movement and alleviate pressure being put on our planet's resources.
Sources:
Images:
Fast fashion brand Shein - Copyright https://www.shein.co.uk/ (source https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/06/04/welcome-to-the-dark-side-shein-is-the-biggest-rip-off-since-fast-fashion-was-born
Ghana -ITV https://www.itv.com/news/2020-02-14/how-the-uk-s-fast-fashion-habits-are-polluting-a-country-halfway-around-the-world
Articles:
https://pebblemag.com/magazine/living/whats-wrong-with-fast-fashion
https://www.oceancleanwash.org/the-issue/
Youtube:
Fast fashion in Ghana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnKEJprS3xM
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