The fast fashion industry has made considerable changes in our way of obtaining clothing by offering affordable stylish clothes and a set of new collections with a quick life cycle. But with the convenience comes a significant and rapidly growing environmental price. Inside and deforestation, besides pollution and waste, fast fashion is damaging even carbon footprint. Therefore, we can see that the damage of fast fashion can be so huge. The absence of many vital factors can lead to the extinction of species, and the planet can be left without the majority of ecosystems.
The True Cost of Fast Fashion
The production of clothing is extremely water-intensive. For instance, it takes approximately 2,700 liters of water to produce a single cotton t-shirt. A large amount of water is consumed, and as a result, the neighboring regions struggle with a shortage of water. Besides, providing energy to extract it from the water, we are also using fossil fuels to convert it into the materials we are wearing. Specifically, we need to come to terms with the fact that clothes are made from water, soil, and plants that we take or destroy which causes a lack of such resources for other organisms.
Energy Consumption: Fast fashion relies on fossil fuels for the production of synthetic fibers like polyester, which accounts for a large portion of the industry's output. The energy required for manufacturing and transportation contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
Pollution Chemical Usage: The textile industry is one of the largest users of thousands of chemicals used for dyeing, bleaching, and finishing of textiles. These chemicals usually penetrate into water bodies, which results in severe pollution and at the same time, causes aquatic animals to suffer. Besides, the discharge of untreated waste from factories is the main cause, as the water sources are then contaminated. Microplastics: The fibers of synthetic materials like polyester release microplastics when they are washed. These small plastic particles flow through rivers, oceans, and lakes, where they are collected by marine organisms. After this, they are ingested by those species and get into the food chain causing wreckages.
Chemical Usage: The fashion industry that mainly is assigned for dyeing, bleaching, and finishing the fabrics is one of the biggest consumers of chemicals that pollute the environment. The release of the chemicals into the water areas is a key reason for the pollution and the loss of life to aquatic organisms. The release of untreated wastewater from factories can lead to the contamination of drinking water sources.
Unsold Inventory: The ever-changing nature of fashion forces brands to overproduce clothing items. Overproduction leads to the existing problem of enormous amounts of clothing that are left unsold and are either disposed of, burned, or landfilled to the detriment of the environment.
Making Sustainable Choices
Buying fewer, but higher-quality clothing is a good choice for sustainability since they tend to last a long time. Many of the higher-quality items also tend to feature more natural materials such as cotton or wool that are better for the environment when compared to synthetic fibers which are made of plastics and are harmful.
Buying clothes from thrift stores and charity shops are a good way to promote sustainability. By purchasing second-hand items, you contribute to reducing the demand for new products, which in turn conserves resources and minimizes waste.
Sustainable brands supporting sustainable production practices involve using ecologically responsible practices, e.g. recycling/reusing materials, ensuring decent living conditions for laborers, and instituting lower energy technologies. To ensure that more products are ethically sourced and do not harm the environment without any satisfactory proof therefore make certain that brands are true to their claims with certifications such as Fair Trade, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS, and OEKO-TEX)
Properly maintaining your clothes is a good way of ensuring that the garment's lifespan is as long as possible, meaning that there is no need to throw out the clothes and contribute to landfill waste.
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