We are living in a world of fast fashion, where trendy clothes are just a few clicks away from us. But have you ever pondered on the true cost of your fast fashion addiction?
From environmental destruction to exploited workers, the dark side of fast fashion lie behind the curtain of the glitz and glamour of the industry.
This post is aimed at uncovering the top 7 shocking truths about your fast fashion addiction that will make you rethink your shopping habits.
Are you ready? Let’s dive right in.
What is Fast Fashion?
The term fast fashion appeared for the first time in New York Times in 1989.
Fast fashion can be defined as the production and consumption of clothing at a rapid and inexpensive rate to keep up with the changing fashion trends.
The business model of fast fashion revolves around cheap, rapid, and large production of quality-compromised clothing.
Fast fashion may appear to be a terrific method to stay on top of the newest trends without going over budget. It’s critical to recognize the substantial social and environmental costs.
Without further ado, let’s find out what the fast fashion industry costs.
Shocking Truth #1: Fast Fashion is the Second Largest Polluter in the World
Like it or not, fast fashion is the second largest polluter in the world, surpassed only by the oil industry. The combined global carbon emissions of the fast fashion industry stand at around 10% of total emissions.
The extraction of raw materials, processing, manufacturing, and transportation of clothing generate an enormous amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, the fast fashion industry is responsible for textile waste.
Each year, more than 92 million tons of textile waste are generated. Textile waste needs hundreds of years to decompose.
“1 in 3 women under the age of thirty considered a garment worn once or twice to be old. While 1 in 7 in the same age group believes that being photographed in the same outfit twice is a fashion mistake. ”
Business of Fashion State of Fashion Report, 2019
Similarly, fast fashion also causes water and land pollution through the disposal of discarded garments. An average of 3 out of 5 garments produced end up in landfills. This discarded clothing emits toxic chemicals and affects the purity of the environment.
On average, people wear clothes only 7 times and then through them away and buy new ones.
If you have a fast fashion addiction, you may be unaware of these negative consequences. Now that you are aware, it is time to make a change.
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Shocking Truth #2: Fast fashion relies on Unethical Labor Practices
Another less-known fact about fast fashion is the reliance on unethical labor practices. Fast fashion brands around the world pay extremely low wages to their workers and they are forced to work in poor conditions. This is a major culprit behind poverty and exploitation in developing countries.
Another prevailing issue in the fast fashion industry is child labor. Thousands of children are working in fast fashion production centers to support their families. Child labor is a serious corporate offense.
The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour bans child labor. It is a convention to ensure protection against child exploitation.
Likewise, in some cases, workers are subjected to inhumane treatment and physical or verbal abuse. Workspace harassment and labor exploitation are reported across the globe in the fast fashion industry.
Hence, the prevailing unethical labor practices are hard to ignore. The exploitation of workers is a serious violation of human rights. You have a responsibility to raise your voice against this injustice by giving up your fast fashion addiction.
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Shocking Truth #3: 60 % of Sustainability Claims by Fashion Brands Are Fallacious and Misleading
In recent years, there has been a surge in sustainability claims. Most fashion brands around the world are misleading their consumers.
They make their customers believe that they are sustainable and environmentally friendly. However, research shows that many of these claims are fallacious and misleading.
One study found that 60% of sustainability claims are false.
To appeal to eco-conscious consumers, fashion brands employ a tactic known as “Greenwashing,” to exaggerate claims about their environmental practices. Fashion brands claim carbon neutrality without disclosing their carbon neutrality approaches and emission-offsetting mechanisms.
The lack of accountability makes it challenging to cross-check the claims.
With an intent to multiply their revenue, fashion brands use sustainability as a marketing tool rather than a core principle. This often culminates in “greenwashing.”
Overall, it is very critical to be aware of “greenwashing” and other misleading tactics often employed by fast fashion brands to divert attention from their harmful environmental footprint.
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Shocking Truth #4: The EU has Announced Plans to Put an End to Fast Fashion
The recent European Union’s new circular economy action plan is a praiseworthy action to tackle fast fashion and mitigate its harmful impact on the environment. The aim of this plan is to promote sustainable production and consumption of clothing. This step is often hailed as a prerequisite to achieving the EU’s 2050 carbon neutrality targets.
In addition to this, in 2022, the EU announced another plan to put an end to fast fashion by 2030. As per this plan, the fast fashion industry will be required to reveal how much unsold clothing it sent to landfills.
Overall, these regulations will bring about a tectonic shift in the fashion industry by promoting sustainable production and consumption of clothing. The EU is moving towards a future where fashion is both environmentally responsible and stylish; Other regions should follow suit.
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Shocking Truth #5: Each Day More Than 3.8 Million Garments are Produced
The fast fashion industry is known for its rapid production, and each day millions of garments are produced. The number of garments produced each day may vary from season to season, but on average, more than 3.8 million garments are produced.
Yes, you heard that right. In other words, each year more than 100 billion garments are produced, that’s roughly 14 pieces for every person on the planet. While other estimates put the figures close to 150 billion pieces each year. And out of these garments, more than 92 million tonnes end up in landfills.
This rapid pace of production has contributed to several social and environmental problems including resource depletion, labor abuses, and pollution. This dark side of fast fashion is often hidden behind the glamour of the fashion industry.
These issues demand greater accountability and transparency, as well as the promotion of ethical and sustainable industry practices.
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Shocking Truth #6: The Fashion Industry Consumes More Than 79 Trillion Liters of Water Annually
It is hard to believe the figure; it’s true. The fashion industry is one of the most water-intensive industries in the world.
According to World Bank’s estimates (2020), each year fashion industry consumes more than 79 trillion liters of water. It is enough to meet the water consumption needs of more than 5 million people.
Did you know that in the production of one cotton T-shirt, 2700 liters of water is used?
This is due to the fact that Cotton, being one of the most widely used fibers in the clothing industry requires an enormous amount of water for its growth. Additionally, water is needed in the dyeing and finishing processes. Moreover, 20 % of global wastewater comes from dyeing and treatment.
The higher water consumption of the fast fashion industry has led to concerns about sustainability and water conservation. It has also threatened the survival of people living in water-scarce places.
Different efforts have been proposed to address these issues, including promoting sustainable and organic cotton, recycled polyester, and eco-friendly and less water-intensive dyeing and processing techniques.
In this regard, governments as well as consumers have the responsibility to address the environmental impact of this industry. In addition to abandoning fast fashion addiction, better water management and efficient water conservation must be promoted.
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Shocking Truth #7: New White Cotton T-shirt= 35 miles in a Car – Fashion’s Shocking Carbon Footprint
It is hard to believe, isn’t it? Oxfam research reveals that purchasing a new cotton shirt has 35x more carbon footprint than driving a car. Let’s put things into perspective.
In producing a single cotton T-shirt, around 7-10 Kg of carbon dioxide equivalent of emissions are produced. While driving a car for one hour can generate around 5-10 kilograms of carbon emissions.
While it should be noted that these figures may change depending on the specifics, it can be reasonably assumed that the production of a single cotton shirt generates the same amount of emissions as driving a vehicle for an hour.
Through the use of renewable energy such as solar energy and wind energy, these emissions can be eliminated.
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Additional Mind-Boggling Facts About Fast Fashion
- Fast fashion produces more carbon emissions per minute than driving a car around the world six times (Oxfam)
- Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of clean water (WEF)
- In some developing countries, textile workers earn as little as $2 a day and work in unsafe and exploitive conditions
- It takes more than 10,000 liters of water to make one pair of jeans (The UN)
- More than 8000 synthetic chemicals are used in this industry
- In Australia alone, more than $500 million worth of clothing end up in landfill in 2013
- An average person wears a pair of garments 7 times before disposing of them
- An average American throws away around 81 pounds of clothing every year (EPA)
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The Way Forward: Sustainable Fashion is the Way to Go
The solution to all these problems is to adopt sustainable fashion. Sustainable fashion can be defined as a way in which fashion brands create clothing that has minimal impact on the environment.
Moreover, ethical industry practices are adopted.
Simply put, it is fashion that is environmentally friendly and ethically manufactured.
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How Does Sustainable Fashion Address Issues in the Fast Fashion Industry?
Sustainable fashion takes into account the environmental, social, and economic impact of the clothing industry. It can solve a number of issues in the fast fashion industry:
- Sustainable fashion reduces waste
- Sustainable fashion promotes eco-friendly materials
- It prioritizes fair and ethical labor practices
- It educates consumers about the social and environmental impacts of their clothing choices
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, fast fashion addiction is dangerous for your wallet as well as for the planet. Therefore, you need to make the transition towards sustainable fashion which is affordable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.
Remember that it is not too late to reflect on your fast fashion addiction. Being conscious of your shopping habits will pay the way to a sustainable future for everyone, where fashion is both socially just and environmentally responsible.
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