November 26, 2024
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Fast fashion affects the climate, It exploits workers and creates enormous textile waste
Fast fashion may seem cheap, but it is expensive on the planet—and in millions of young people
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The conversationan online publication featuring the latest research.
Fast fashion is everywhere: in almost every mall, in the feeds of social media influencers promoting excessive consumptionand constantly in the advertisements that appear online.
Fast fashion’s focus on the constant production of new clothes is marked by rapid cycles concept its name. Fast fashion aims to quickly copy high-end designs, but with low-quality materials, resulting in poorly made clothes to be worn once or twice before being thrown away.
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One of the leading fast fashion companies, Zara, has a mission to put clothes in stores 15 days after the initial design. another, Shein adds until 2,000 new items to his website every day.
While others in the fashion industry are working towards more sustainable clothing, fast fashion is focused on profit. It was market value It was estimated to be around $100 billion in 2022 and growing fast. It is a big part of the global reason clothing production doubled from 2000 to 2014.
The big winners in this game are corporations. The industry has a reputation for exploiting workers and due to excessive pollution and extra waste. Consumers are included in one unhealthy, spiraling pressure because cheap clothes to buy more quickly disintegrate.
Fast fashion has an increasing influence on the global climate. is responsible for one it is estimated at 8 to 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissionsand they are his broadcasts it is expected to grow rapidly as the industry expanded.
I teach courses Explore fast fashion and sustainability. The growth of the industry seems unstoppable, but a combination of legislation and willpower can stop it.
Understanding the damage
About 60 percent off fast fashion items they are made of synthetic fabrics derived from plastics and chemicals that start life as fossil fuels. When this synthetic clothes are washed or thrown in landfills to decompose, it is possible it releases microplastics into the environment. Microplastics contain chemicals phthalates and bisphenol A which can affect the health of humans and animals.
Natural fibers have their own impact on the environment. Growing cotton requires large amounts of water, and pesticides can run off farmland into streams, rivers, and bays. Water is also used for chemical treatment and dyeing of fabrics. in 2005 A report led by the United Nations about cotton water use, on average, only one cotton T-shirt needs about 700 liters (2,650 gallons) of water from the crop to the laundry tub, with about 300 gallons (1,135 gallons) for irrigation.
Chemicals used to process fabrics for clothing for the fashion industry also pollute wastewater heavy metals such as cadmium and lead, and toxic dyes. And that waste water it ends in waterways in many countries, affecting the environment and fauna.
High performance of fast fashion too literally creates mountains of waste. more than 90 million tons An estimated amount of textile waste ends up in landfills worldwide. addition to greenhouse gases as it slowly decomposes. A only A small percentage of discarded clothing is recycled.
From fashionista to environmentalist
In many cultures, of the people self-perception is closely related to fashion choices, reflecting culture and alliances.
The appeal of buying new items comes from many sources. Influencers in social networks play on the FOMO– fear of losing Cheap items can also lead to impulse purchases.
Research shows it can even lead to purchases euphoric feeling of happiness. However, of fast fashion speed and marketing can also prepare consumers enter “psychological obsolescence“It causes them to dislike the purchases they used to like, so they quickly replace them with new purchases.
Celebrities may be helping to drive this trend. The social network explodes when the first ladyor Kate Middleton, princess of waleswears an outfit more than once. the movement #30dressingchallenge it starts with small steps, asking consumers to plan to wear each item of clothing they buy at least 30 times.
It’s upcycling (turning old clothes into new clothes) and buying durable, quality clothes that can last for years. Sponsored by the United Nations and other organizations, among others alliances in the fashion industry.
There are also some agents promoting more sustainable fashion brands. Research has shown this peer influence can be a powerful motivator to make more sustainable choices. It is the largest market for fast fashion Generation Z, 12 to 27 years oldmany of them are also concerned about climate change and might reconsider buying fast fashion if they knew the links between fast fashion and environmental damage.
Some governments are also taking steps to reduce waste in fashion and other consumer products. It is the European Union developing clothing requirements to last longer and to prohibit companies from disposing of unsold textiles and shoes. France has pending legislation that, if passed, would do ban fast fashion companies from advertising and their products, require them to publish the environmental impact of their products and impose fines for violations.
Changes in consumer habits, new technologies and legislation can help reduce the demand for unsustainable fashion. The cost of cheap clothes that are worn a few times also adds up. Next time you buy clothes, think about the long-term value for you and the planet.
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