The Problem

There are a magnitude of problems with the idea of fast fashion, but the number one issue is how appealing it is to consumers. Today consumers can buy a bunch of different clothing items that match the monthly trends for a very low cost, there is less risk involved for consumers when the items are damaged, no longer in style anymore, or simply just not something consumers reach for in their daily life. However, I am sure that these consumers are not aware that as a result of this:

• 20% of global wastewater comes from textile dyeing. The fashion industry uses about 93 billion cubic meters of water, but since there is so much of it finds its way into oceans, rivers, drinking water supply, and other bodies of water it will contaminate permanently. 

• Synthetic materials such as polyester require about 342 million barrels of oil each year that are carelessly dumped into farmlands and bodies of water around the United States. 

• One garbage truck of clothing is burned or dumped into landfills every second of the day.

• A 2017 report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimated that 35% of all microplastics or very small pieces of plastic that never biodegrade in the ocean came from the laundering of synthetic textiles like polyester. These microplastics dispose into the air we breathe and work their way into the food chain of fish and other wildlife in the sea.

These are just some of the issues that fast fashion produces, and the list will continue to go on and on as long as companies continue to produce 30 collections of clothing each year that consumers continue to purchase. 

What will happen if fast fashion continues?

• These clothing items piled up in a landfill are actually sitting on top of animals' habitats, leaving them with nowhere to go if this continues, and will lead to the extinction of more wildlife.