The fast fashion industry and the environmental issue of fast fashion have a tremendous impact on the environment and pose hazards to innocent people, but our actions as consumers can have a tremendous impact on the way these systems change and alter their means of production.
“How much does your wardrobe actually cost?”
I challenge you to ask yourself this question. In reflecting on your answer, you may think of the amount of money you spent on ten sweaters, eight pairs of jeans, twenty-four pairs of socks, twenty t-shirts, etc. Have you ever actually sat down and thought of the true cost of your clothing? Besides just the money you spent, there’s a hidden cost behind each item of clothing that goes unnoticed by the consumer: the cost to the environment.
The fast fashion industry currently emits 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply, and pollutes oceans with endless micro plastics. The hazards that come along with production and manufacturing of garments can adversely impact the health of nearby residents (Bick, 2018). With this, consumerism has reached an all time high in the United States, and the need for newer and better has been driven upwards — negatively impacting the dire fashion emergency at hand. Though this is a multi-faceted issue, and one that requires systemic change as well, changes within the fashion industry can begin with the consumer. How do we, as consumers, make changes in our purchasing habits to slow fast fashion industry production? While chatting with environmental justice activists who advocate for slow fashion and in turn, boycott fast fashion, I was able to gather a great deal of data — data that reflects the dire need to stop human desire for newer and better, and instead — advocate for repurposing, rewearing, and reusing of old clothing.
How did we get here? It really was the time and place for a strong garment industry during the period of United States post-industrialization throughout the end of the twentieth century. This industry played a key role in furthering economic growth and development in many countries, giving them enough momentum to go through rapid industrialization (Linden, 2016). Before this time, fashion was only for the wealthy elite, and excluded those who fell anywhere under upper-class money. The history of this industry in the United States however, is linked closely with Britains Industrial Revolution. Commonly called “Slop shops,” second-hand clothing stores began popping up all over Britain, in urban areas full of middle-class citizens (Linden, 2016). The idea of “ready-made” clothing became somewhat normalized, and these shops took off. Another key element of this time was the invention of the sewing machine, which provided the means to mass-produce garments by the late 1800s (Linden, 2016). According to Linden (2016), “Raw cotton’s ability to be quickly and efficiently manufactured led to low prices never seen before, which allowed a consumer class to emerge and working class people access to better quality clothing” (p. 7).
Fast forward a couple hundred years, and “Climatically, it should not [have] come as such a surprise that apparel companies [have] shifted more and more production to developing countries, where there are ample amounts of low-skilled, lowcost laborers” (Linden 2016, Klein 1999). The fast fashion industry is one of the largest chains of production and consumption. Today, it is estimated that roughly one in six people work within the global fashion industry — making it the most labor dependent industry on Earth (Ross & Morgan 2015).
I urge you to ask yourself, ‘why?’ Why are we exploiting these laborers — enabling unsafe work environments and an industry that is ruining our planet? The simple answer to this is convenience. As the industrialization period boomed — convenience became trendy. Everything was about how fast you could do something, or how convenient a product was to the busy American lifestyle. Fast fashion was a way of convenience, globally. It emerged during a time where the concept of “sustainability” hadn’t even been thought of. How do we change the rhetoric today? The unsustainable emergence of fast fashion happened quickly and skillfully. Is there any way to strip it all away and start over?
The Modern Age, American Consumer: Our Role
“It’s not just about clothing, it’s about a disposable society,” Michael Solomon, a consumer behavior expert, told Vox. According to Solomon, fast fashion’s development falls in line with globalization and the logistical efficiency of the 21st century (2020). Companies weren’t able to have such a quick turnaround time, and now with artificial intelligence, they can be even more efficient” (2020). The average modern-day fashion consumer yearns for newer and better. Piles and piles of new, cheaply-made clothing sits untouched in an overwhelming amount of American homes today. Modern day consumers are so far removed from the true cost of their clothing, meaning they will continue to overlook the tremendous amount of labor that is poured into their products. Professor Karen Miller specializes in consumer economics and marketing, and has studied the topic of consumer-behavior extensively. She finds that many fast fashion consumers seek pleasure and says that “hedonism” influences them. She defines hedonism as "the ability to experience pleasure in life and is self-oriented and associated with the acquisition of experiences or products that involve fun, fantasy, and pleasure” (Miller 2013, 161). Fast fashion brands actually strive to reach this point with their consumers. Getting people psychologically hooked on that feeling when they purchase clothing — marketers, advertisers, and workers in this industry know exactly how to get you to buy what they sell.
A trend that has surfaced on platforms like YouTube showcases this exact consumer-mindset: shopping “hauls.” Bloggers take to social media platforms to share with their viewers the products they purchased, boasting of cheap prices and unmatched looks. With over 63- thousand subscribers on YouTube, blogger and influencer Brittney Mooney shares endless videos with titles like “HUGE $700 PRINCESS POLLY CLOTHING HAUL.” In this specific video she talks about the shirt she’s wearing, saying, “This is just like a piece you [like] need to [like] live a nice life… my life was [like] not that good until I got this shirt” (Mooney, 2020, 1:19-1:22). Fashion chains like Princess Polly connect with people like Mooney, knowing that if she “promotes” their clothing, they can influence other shoppers to continue purchasing their products. This consumer mindset has become normalized in a society where “newer is better” and human greed is strikingly present. How do we actually end this vicious cycle? Are there ways we can change the narrative — other options we can consider?
Case Study: Bangladesh and the Garment Industry
While the average American plays the role of consumer, the Bangladeshi garment worker is the key piece to the fast fashion industry. However, these workers aren’t treated as such; working for an average of $3 a day in unsafe and unjust conditions — garment workers endure the hardships the industry poses, working tirelessly to supply for Western world greed (True Cost, 2016). The new Coronavirus outbreak has left the garment sector in Bangladesh reeling, and thousands of garment factory workers are bearing the brunt of it as their livelihoods have been abruptly taken from them. The textile industry is the most significant export sector in Bangladesh and plays a key role in the global textile and clothing market, “…particularly supplying brands and their retailers in Europe and UK” (Parker, 2011, p.5). The Bangladeshi garment industry has become a huge environmental and social justice topic over the last few years — with activists from outside the country claiming the work is unjust, the working conditions are worse than ever, and the pay is nowhere near the living wage. The industry is built on, and arguably thrives from the exploitation of people living under the poverty line in developing countries. It is estimated that 3.5 million Bangladeshis work in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry, the majority of whom are women (Parker, 2011, p.7). So here, we run into a problem. How do you abolish an industry with over 3.5 million jobs — jobs that are desperately needed to support the majority of Bangladeshi families — in a heroic act to save the planet and “save” its people? This is the conundrum — and it’s one so many scientists, researchers, activists and advocates fight over, day in and day out.
In Bangladesh, the garment industry is burdened by Western corporations pushing their factories to keep products as cheap as possible. Garment factories use tons of toxic chemicals as dyes, and these harmful chemicals are released into nearby rivers, which now sit heavily polluted. Not only do these dyes pollute the waterways of Bangladesh, but studies have shown a rise of diseases in nearby communities. Teachers at nearby schools struggle to concentrate, and students don’t want to study at school because of the suffocating stench coming from the wastewater (Bramwell, 2020, p.10). “The World Bank found that the procedure of textile dyeing contributes around 20% of industrial water pollution” (p.10). The means of garment production are in no way sustainable, and continues to negatively impact both the land and water of Bangladesh, in addition to its people, and their health and wellness. Environmental justice activists advocate for the social side of this issue as well — but pay closer attention to the catastrophic damage the garment industry has on the environment and on human health. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, human rights promises to individuals the right to freedom from pollution, environmental degradation and activities that adversely affect the environment, threaten life, health, livelihood, well-being or sustainable development (UNEP, 2019). Is this promise kept? How do we restructure an entire system like this in Bangladesh? How can we still ensure jobs for all 3.5 million who work in the RMG industry, while also ensuring environmental health, safety and protection for all workers?
Potent Pollutant: Environmental Hazards of the Fast Fashion Industry
Digging deeper into the negative impact the garment industry has on the environment and its inhabitants — fast fashion is legitimately, in simple terms, killing our planet (Schlossberg, 2019). Think about the materials your clothing is made of. Another negative aspect of fast fashion is its disastrous affect on the environment, polluting and hazarding human health in the process. For example, polyester, commonly found in most clothing items, sheets, towels, etc. is the most widely used manufactured fiber. Polyester is made from petroleum. Due to consumer demand, production in the fashion industry has risen exponentially, and the demand for man-made fibers, especially polyester, has “…nearly doubled in the last 15 years, according to figures from the Technical Textile Markets” (Claudio 2007, para. 4). Processing polyester and other synthetic fabrics is extremely energy-intensive and requires a substantial amount of oil and release of emissions of certain compounds that can increase disease in any given area. Volatile monomers, solvents, and other by-products of polyester production are emitted in the wastewater from polyester manufacturing plants. "The EPA, under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, considers many textile manufacturing facilities to be hazardous waste generators” (Claudio 2007). The price of the clothing we buy is so much more costly than we think. Unfortunately, it is not only man-made fabrics that have such a negative impact on environmental health and safety of people. Even cotton, a versatile and common fiber used in clothing manufacture, has its limitations. The environmental footprint of cotton is serious as well, as it accounts for a quarter of all the pesticides used in the United States, the current largest exporter of cotton in the world. Discouraging as it is, though cotton is presumably a better alternative than synthetic fibers like polyester, its high production at subsidized low prices is “…one of the first spokes in the wheel that drives the globalization of fashion” (Claudio). Both the chemicals used to manufacture these clothes, as well as the agricultural weight certain crops like cotton carry, are pressing reasons why the “need” for fast fashion has to stop. By purchasing clothing that is manufactured in this way, at cheap prices, with no real understanding of the “true cost,” we are only adding to a worsening problem.
Plan of Action: A “Slow Fashion” Solution & Furthering Conscious Steps in Consumer Behavior
We hear the term “fast fashion,” often — usually signifying convenient, ready-made, stylish and trendy clothing; sold at cheap, unmatchable prices. We see dresses that are look-a-likes of Kim Kardashian’s latest Instagram outfit, sold for $20 at Forever 21, and the “need” for the product skyrockets. We buy piles and piles of clothing each year. According to Livia Firth, executive producer of “The True Cost” documentary, “The average American [now] generates 82 pounds of textile waste each year. That adds up to more than 11 million tons of textile waste from the U.S. alone” (Firth, 2016). We purchase this cheap clothing, and it sits untouched. Next year, when certain looks go out of style, or are not viewed as “trendy” anymore, we toss them — at what cost?
There are distinct, ethical ways to be a more conscious consumer when it comes to fashion. One fashion-forward approach has been taken by a distinguished company, Patagonia. “Innovative eco-fashions are being developed and becoming available to consumers at different levels of the fashion spectrum, from casual clothing to haute couture” (Claudio 2007). Patagonia, a major retailer, has been selling fleece clothing made from postconsumer plastic soda bottles since 1993. The process involves melting clear plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and reconfiguring them into fibers that will eventually be woven into fabrics to be used for clothing manufacture. This way of creating clothing is one way industry is taking a lead on a “slow fashion” alternative (Claudio, 2007).
By learning to adopt a more intentional mindset, we can make a conscious effort to consume less. Because the fast fashion industry operates solely on consumer demand, purchasing less means less clothing demand. Supporting brands that are transparent with where their products come from is also essential to ethical consumption. By giving our money to these brands, we are creating more space in the market for ethically-produced clothing — clothing that will hopefully be more available and accessible to all people, no matter their economic or financial background.
According to many modern-day environmental justice activists, “Fast fashion is not essential…I love fashion in so many ways: it can be empowering to wear a great outfit and feel good wearing it. But, after watching the film, “The True Cost” five years ago, I realized that this empowerment had only been one way: oppression of the people who made my clothes was the cost of my empowerment. That cost is way too high” (Loach, 2020). In an effort to actually recognize the negative effects of the fast fashion industry, environmental justice advocate, medical student and Edinburgh resident, Mikaela Loach — dedicated herself to a complete stop of purchasing fast fashion products. She, along with many other environmental and social justice activists advocate for something coined “slow fashion,” a just alternative to the capitalist, destructive structures that are in place today. Advocating for second-hand shopping, and use of apps like “Depop,” a second-hand clothing app, these activists are pushing for consumers to stray away from fast fashion, in order to lessen the extreme demand. Another goal for these activists, including Loach, is to force companies to be transparent with their buyers. Where did this item come from? What is the current lowest wage of anyone in their supply chain? By putting pressure on these brands to do better, they are unable to wiggle their way out of decent transparency with consumers. The #LowestWageChallenge took center stage for these activists late last year, where they worked tirelessly to put an emphasis on the fact that “Respecting workers and giving them rights shouldn’t be something we [to] celebrate: it should be normal” (Loach, 2019). The steps Loach took towards practicing slow fashion and the strong sense of advocacy she has in protecting worker rights have made her an icon in the fashion revolution. Her actions as an inclusive environmental justice activist have helped pave the way for future movements in this area. Just because fast fashion is easier or “more convenient,” does not mean it is right — “Our desire for expression should not cause someone else’s oppression” (Loach, 2019).
Though there are many obstacles that must be attacked from a systemic level, the issue of fast fashion has and always will be up to the consumer. In this case, this element of environmental change and climate action is in your hands. Do we actually pay attention to where our clothing comes from? Not just the store we purchased the item at, but rather the many steps it took on a long journey to get to that clothing outlet, folded neatly on a shelf for our convenience. The true cost behind clothing and the matter of the fast fashion industry is a complex, deeply-rooted issue of social and Environmental Justice, posing a lack of supposedly-guaranteed health and safety for all individuals. The worst part is, the people who did the least to cause the crisis we are in will be effected most by its ramifications. Scientists have found that “…countries which tend to be poorer and have contributed less to climate change are set to disproportionately suffer from some of the more severe effects” (Mooney, C. 2018). This is why the issue of climate, and especially fast fashion, is a crisis of injustice on all fronts. It is not only an environmental injustice, posing horrific and disastrous damage to our home — but a social injustice — causing health hazards, as well as a lack of safety, and disregard for basic human rights.
Personally, the steps I have taken in this arena took place in my year spent traveling, where I committed to a low-waste lifestyle, buying zero new clothing for the entirety of the year, from January to December (2019). I chose to purchase strictly second-hand if I absolutely “needed” something, and avoided mainstream stores like H&M, Pull and Bear, and Primark — all very popular throughout Europe, where I was traveling around. I chose to take these steps in changing my consumer behavior, because I realized that my actions could influence positive change. I inspired a few other close friends to also quit fast fashion for a few months, and we spent many of our “off” days finding vintage thrift shops, and exploring new ways to express our individuality through unique and different clothing. This step seemed small at first — I often asked myself how this year off from purchasing fast fashion would really create any change. I was one person, and these industries would keep producing clothing even if I wasn’t buying it, right? However, I began to recognize the power of supply and demand, and how its gears turn in a consumer society. As one person, I was demanding less of something, therefore not feeding into the negative system I despised. It was a simple way of practicing what I preached, but it helped me to appreciate the clothes I did own, the fun of swapping and trading with friends I travelled with, and also unveiled a new hobby of mine — thrifting. Through these actions, I have recognized this: increasing consumer awareness about less toxic and sustainable products may provide some impetus to revolutionize the garment industry. However, the biggest impacts for increasing sustainability in the clothing industry rests with the consumer — with you and me.
References (including embedded links)
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