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Today, I began going through my closet. It’s about that time of year for me where I need to clear out some old clothes and get them ready for a donation bin. But this time was different… I was wondering how I ended up with this pile of clothes in the first place. Well it didn’t take long for me to realize how it happened. I love clothes. And dear reader, unless you’re a nudist, I imagine like me you also at least enjoy wearing clothes.
These days, clothing has become increasingly affordable and accessible to everyone, thanks to innovations in the production of apparel. These innovations have given way to a phenomenon known these days as fast fashion. But what is fast fashion and why should you care?
When I say fast fashion, think popular stores like H&M, Zara, Fashion Nova, etc… These stores are all known for affordable prices, an ability to stay on trend, and a great variety of clothes that they sell.
This seems like a dream, no? Well, the problem with fast fashion lies in what is happening behind closed doors.
Let's take H&M as an example. They have new collections delivered on a weekly basis (H&M, 2016). In contrast, e-retailers like Fashion Nova aren’t limited by the logistics of a traditional retail store, meaning they can release even more styles. Fashion Nova claims to introduce 1000+ new arrivals EVERY WEEK (Fashion Nova, 2021)!
Now you may be asking yourself. Why should I care? Clothes are clothes, right? Well, not all clothes are made equal. Where fast fashion excels in speed of production, it falls behind in craftsmanship, working conditions, and sustainability.
Fast fashion encourages a disposable mentality, provides low wages for its workers, and enables unsafe workplaces. It’s not uncommon from fast fashion to rip, tear, or unravel after just a few wears.
According to Business Insider, the fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions and is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply (McFall-Johnsen, 2019).
The harsh reality of this mass-production is most of the clothes are made of virgin materials, of which 85% end up in landfills (CBC News, 2019).
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Even worse, according to the Recycling Council of Ontario a whopping 95% of the clothing that ends up in landfills could be reused or recycled.
You may be thinking to yourself that this is problematic, but the problem can’t be that bad, right?
Another unfortunate reality about this industry is the sheer volume of waste isn’t the biggest problem. It’s about what makes up that waste.
Something you might not know is that different fabrics require different fibres and, one of the most common fibres of our times is polyester.
Check the tag on your pants or shirt right now!
There’s a 50% chance that it’s made of polyester (Opperskalski, Siew, Tan, & Truscott, 2019).
What most people do not know about polyester is that it’s actually a man-made fibre, made of plastics.
This means that not only is there a considerable amount of resources being devoted to making these clothes, but they’re also made of harmful plastics that get released in your washing machine in every wash, ending up in rivers, oceans, eventually making their way back to ourselves (CFDA, n.d).
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Not only is polyester a big problem, but the people making the garments we wear daily are submitted to bad working conditions. If you need a visual look no further than Rana Plaza (see photo) or this documentary on Netflix, The True Cost.
If you’re able to mend your clothes, try repairing them.
I could also suggest trying to purchase more durable clothing.
You may be thinking, can’t I just donate my clothes?
The intention for donating is admirable and I applaud anyone who takes steps to break the cycle of waste. However, donation centres and thrift stores cannot resell everything. Take for example the Salvation Army. Not every article makes it to the front of the store. Either, a large portion gets sold to other countries or it gets burnt (CBC Marketplace, 2018).
The easiest thing we can all do to fight fast fashion is to wear our clothes longer and buy less often. Try thrifting; it’s not just for Macklemore anymore! I hope I didn’t date myself with that reference, but it’s true.
Another thing you can do to help out is to support businesses with sustainable and transparent practices. I’ve listed a few below for your convenience:
If you know how to sew you can also try Fabcycle; they are a Vancouver based company that collects textile waste from local designers and sells them through their website fabcycle.shop.
The fast fashion industry is everywhere, and it can be hard to avoid. But its environmental impacts are clear. As consumers, we need to take action against Fast Fashion!
That being said, I’d love to hear from you, dear reader! What do you think of the fast fashion industry? Do you think these businesses should be held accountable for their actions? Will you change your buying habits?
Give me a shout on my social media or through the contact forms below!
I look forward to hearing from you, and as always I hope you have a great day!
CBC News (2018, Jan 19). How fast fashion adds to the world's clothing waste problem (Marketplace) [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elU32XNj8PM
Fashion Nova. (2021). About. Retrieved from Fashion Nova: https://www.fashionnova.com/pages/about-us
Getty Images. (n.d.). Report on Bangladesh Building Collapse Finds Widespread Blame. Retrieved from New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/world/asia/report-on-bangladesh-building-collapse-finds-widespread-blame.html
H&M. (2016, December 17). We currently do not have any restock details but we suggest to check back as items are added weekly. (Tweet). https://twitter.com/hm_custserv/status/810189461963341826.
McFall-Johnsen, M. (2019, October 21). The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Here are the biggest ways it impacts the planet. Retrieved from Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10
Opperskalski, S., Siew, S., Tan, E., & Truscott, L. (2019). Preferred Fibre & Materials. Retrieved from Textile Exchange: https://store.textileexchange.org/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2019/11/Textile-Exchange_Preferred-Fiber-Material-Market-Report_2019.pdf
Sun, B. (2018, June 14). The average person throws away 37 kilograms of textiles annually. Retrieved from Recycling Council of Ontario: https://rco.on.ca/the-average-person-throws-away-37-kilograms-of-textiles-annually/