If you’ve been paying attention to sustainability current events, you may have noticed the phrase “fast fashion” being tossed around a few times. Simply put, fast fashion is the modern phenomenon of producing clothes cheaply and quickly to replicate trends as soon as they appear. While this might not seem like a very scientific issue, fast fashion can have catastrophic effects on the environment.
Fast fashion has only really hit the runways in the last decade or so. Before, there were four fashion seasons a year. Designers had time to plan ahead, to predict upcoming trends. They could put care into their work, create unique, fashionable garments built to last.
The rise of fast fashion, of instantaneous consumption of goods before moving on to the next great thing, has changed all of that.
Now, brands launch new collections every week. As soon as a product is spotted on a celebrity or model, it’s mass-produced with low-quality material, all so it can become available quickly and at a low cost to customers. We consume and consume, rarely stopping to think about how our clothing usage can damage the planet we live on.
When our waste is sent to landfills, it sits there for decades, decomposing into its primary components. But what happens when those basic components are bad for the environment, or, worse, what if they don’t decompose at all?
The fabric that makes up our clothes is largely toxic to living things. More than 60 percent of this fabric is synthetic—lab-generated, rather than natural— and made with fossil fuels. Not only does this mean that it contributes to our carbon footprint, but it also doesn’t break down in landfills, nor does it decompose in oceans, where it ends up all too often.
The biocides, lead, and other dangerous chemicals that constitute our wardrobe are released into our water, air, and the very soil we walk upon, as long as our textile waste sits in landfills. And landfills aren’t the only place where our clothes can hurt us. When the clothing is manufactured or washed, its dyes and synthetic materials enter our water supply. This means that, if you wash your trendy new clothes at home, chances are you’re poisoning your water supply, slowly but surely. If you live on public water supply, this could lead to health effects not just for your family but for your whole town.
Poisoned water. Literal tons of deadly textiles sitting in landfills near us. It can all sound a little scary, but fortunately, there’s ways we can help.
Go local.
The fashion industry costs us 24 trillion dollars every year, through manufacturing, shipping, and reselling. But it doesn’t have to. If you purchase clothing made of locally grown materials, you can support small businesses and help the environment at the same time. Clothes made of cotton, wool, and other natural materials last longer and are better for your skin than synthetic fabrics.
Reuse, reduce, recycle.
The mantra that we all learned in elementary school proves true even now. Rent clothes that you only plan to wear once, instead of buying them only to keep them in your closet for years. Go to thrift stores. When your jeans rip, patch them yourself, instead of throwing them out. When you go shopping, look for clothes made of recycled fabric. By making your clothes last longer, you’ll also be saving money.
Educate others.
Like with all things, education and awareness are key. Tell all your friends about the best thrift stores to visit. Talk to your family about fast fashion. If we all work together and spread the word about the hidden horrors of the fashion industry, we can make a real difference in our environment.
Schlossberg, Tatiana. “How Fast Fashion Is Destroying the Planet.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 Sept. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/09/03/books/review/how-fast-fashion-is-destroying-the-planet.html.
Stanton, Audrey. “What Is Fast Fashion, Anyway?” The Good Trade, The Good Trade, 24 Apr. 2020, www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-fast-fashion.