Hello and welcome to GSGF! In this blog, we discuss the true environmental impact of fast fashion. Fast fashion has completely altered the way we shop for clothes, allowing for ever changing trends to be extremely accessible from the comfort of our homes and a click of a button. However, this convenient process comes at a great cost to the environment. In this blog, we will be highlighting the grave environmental impacts of fast fashion and offer some easy and sustainable alternatives!
Fast-Fashion Definition
Fast fashion is the business model of duplicating recent catwalk trends and high-fashion designs, mass-producing them at a low cost, and bringing them to retail stores rather quickly.
The term fast fashion is also used generically to describe the products of this business concept, particularly clothing and footwear. Retailers who use the fast fashion strategy include Primark, H&M, Shein, and Zara,[1]
Environmental Impact of Fast-Fashion?
Fast fashion is best known for its low price, attractiveness, and availability, however, there are grave environmental impacts. Did you know that the fashion industry is one of the leading contributors to global waste? The lifespan of clothing has significantly decreased over the years, as a result of fast fashion. As a result, an estimated 92 tonnes of textile end up discarded in landfills where they take hundreds of years to decompose. Additionally, , much of textile production requires the use of a lot of water. For example, a cotton T-shirt needs about 3,000 liters of water to produce. Even crazier, a single pair of jeans requires over 10,000 liters of water to generate the cotton needed. As these pieces of clothing are dyed in an array of appealing colors, the dying process consequently releases an array of harmful pollution into the environment.
Also, microplastics pollution is an underestimated consequence of fast fashion and is the result of incorporating materials known as synthetic fibers, such as nylon and polyester, in the production of textiles. These materials release their poison during the washing and drying process. Nearly 700,000 tiny fibers are released into the ocean during every laundry cycle. These particles travel through our sewage systems and ultimately end up in aquatic environments. Alarmingly, over 14 million tonnes of microplastics have settled on the ocean floor, with research showing that 35% of microplastics in the ocean are due to clothing production.
Fast-Fashion and Climate Change
The unnecessary overproduction of clothing is a leading cause of climate change and plastic pollution. In lieu of that, the fashion industry contributes to about 10% of global CO2 emissions, as a result of the fossil fuels needed for transportation and intensive energy consuming production processes. .
These are some of the many environmental impacts of fast fashion, it highlights the significant need for change and adaptation to more sustainable practices.
Here Are Some Sustainable Fashion Alternatives?
A Capsule Wardrobe
Create your very own capsule wardrobe with timeless, high-quality pieces that have long life spans. They might be more expensive on the get-go but it pays off in the long run as a result of their sturdiness and longevity. These quality pieces can be mixed and matched which maximizes your wardrobe while reducing the urge to purchase new items frequently.
Thrifting
Shopping second-hand greatly reduces waste and extends the life cycles of various, unique pieces of clothing. Thrift stores also provide affordable options, which allows you to build a personal wardrobe. Plus, thrift stores are full of hidden gems that add to your wardrobe.
Sustainable Fashion and Eco-Fashion
Albeit the most difficult, try to avoid retailers such as H&M, Cider, Shein etc.. Instead, look for brands and sustainable designers that prioritize sustainability and ethical practices. Certain companies offer eco-fashion, organic and even recycled clothes that are infinitely better than their fast fashion counterparts.
Join Us In The Fight For Sustainability!
Thank you for reaching the end of this blog! All in all, do your research before purchasing and make thoughtful choices. Consider the above alternatives and make a difference in reducing the environmental impact of fast fashion.
Here are Green Schools Green Future, we pride ourselves in caring for the environment and finding suitable alternatives to everyday necessities, if there are problems in waste management and overall pollution. To continue this directive, Donate to Green Schools Green Future and us build our first school! We greatly appreciate donations and the platform where we can share our vision. Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter for more intriguing topics and constructive articles. See you next time!
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