Fast Fashion: Is there a Bigger Price to Pay?
Fast fashion. You must have come across this term quite often, right? It ain't a new term. But the question is, do you know what exactly it is? Let's start with a scenario.
You are walking past a boutique. Wait! You just saw this fab backless dress that you were admiring on a model the other day. And guess what?!! It is available at a very very cheap price. Now, you go inside the store and see many more cool outfits at cheap rates. You buy a few of them and gladly so! What a steal, right?!
You go home and look at your wardrobe and realize there are many such 'steals' that have been worn barely once and then stocked for years to finally have it thrown. Ummm...any second thoughts? Was buying these clothes, really a steal?
These low-cost, fashionable clothes produced at a humungous rate are usually how fast fashion is described as. It was a business model that was initiated and popularized in the late 20th century through the introduction of materials like polyester and nylon.
But there's much more to the fast fashion industry; a backstory. All the benefits of fast fashion come at the expense of our environment and many important aspects that sustain life.
The Unknown Side: Impacts of Fast Fashion
The Contribution to Pollution
10% of global carbon emissions - That's how much fast fashion alone contributes and it is the second largest industry that causes so much pollution after the oil industry. The chemicals that constitute these clothes end up in landfills and in various parts of the environment after being thrown out. In the UK alone, an alarming 300,000 tonnes of used clothes are buried in landfills or incinerated every single year.
Water Contamination
The vibrant shades of garments that we all love come with a price - an abundance of toxins. The toxic dyes used in garments are the second-largest pollutant of water. When people wash these clothes ( some venturing to simply dispose of them ) in water bodies, they release toxic fumes, microfibers, pieces of materials that are non-biodegradable. Imagine the detrimental effect it will have on the water bodies and aquatic life!
This is the shocking impact of fast fashion on the environment. However, it doesn’t stop there.
Possible Exploitation of Workers
While we don't have any intentions to thrust accusations on the fast fashion industry, it is true that a major part of this industry exploits workers. In an attempt to fulfill the high demand and produce in colossal numbers, organizations hire a large number of laborers to work for long hours in unsafe conditions with minimal pay. The Rana Plaza incident that took place in 2013 is one of the biggest examples. The workshop had collapsed killing over 1000 workers.
Antidote: Sustainable Fashion
The fashion industry is undergoing a transformation to curb the harmful effects of fast fashion; through sustainable fashion. Sustainable fashion is nothing but clothes being designed, manufactured, distributed, and used in a conscious, environment-friendly manner. Many brands like H&M have already stepped up to do their bit. However, the brands alone can't make this revolution successful. It all comes down to our participation.
It is we who should make conscious decisions to make our wardrobe sustainable. Buy responsibly, know the materials, upcycle clothes, try a hand at secondhand shopping, hand down clothes to people who need them, and most importantly do not waste clothes.
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