FAST FASHION

Chosen STS Issue/Problem

With the constant evolution of fashion trends, the fashion industry is propelled to satisfy
consumer needs. As it is a given in businesses that a bigger amount of units produced at once
will lessen the cost of each, fast fashion is focused on selling trendy clothes with cheap costs.
This causes the rise of fast fashion brands that mass-produce new garments that fit every
emerging trend. This also means that they mass produce clothing items that may easily die out of
trend, leaving excessive amounts of textile waste. In fact, after oil, it is the biggest pollutant on
Earth (BWWS, 2019). Aside from the fact that it causes the buildup of textile waste piling up on
landfills, the colorants being used to dye fabrics often have toxic contents ending up in the ocean.
Additives such as this are behind approximately one-fifths of the world's wastewater.

Additionally, fast fashion brands use synthetic fibers to be able to sell high-quality
clothing for a cheaper cost. The most common synthetic fabric used in this industry is polyester,
which is a family of plastic. Every time polyester garments are put for washing through the
washing machine, microplastics depart from the fabric, mix into the water, and are released into
the ocean (Tobin, 2020). These microplastics, given how tiny they are, become a threat to marine
life as these materials can be consumed unintentionally. While this harms them, it could also
harm us when we end up consuming some of these creatures. Instead of natural and
biodegradable materials, fast fashion contributes to the evolution of a plastic-dominated globe.

Relation to UN Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 goals that the United Nations hopes
to achieve by 2030. Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production is one of them, and it is
related to fast fashion nowadays because it aims to tackle the problem of over-consumption,
which is responsible for many environmental problems around the world. It calls for sustainable
consumption and production patterns that embody the principle of shared responsibility between
all human beings, present and future generations, for protecting nature. The goal stresses that
business enterprises must move from a focus on maximizing short-term profits to one of building
long-term products that can be recycled or reused in order to minimize waste and ensure survival
into the future.

Fast fashion has been blamed for contributing to the global plastic waste crisis and has
also been blamed for causing climate change by consuming a lot of water, energy and resources.
In an article by United Nations Development Programme, the harm and negative effects of the
fashion industry have been listed, and such effects are, but are not limited to: (1) creates a huge
waste, (2) billions of microplastics are being dumped in the oceans, (3) results in unsafe working
conditions, which leads to human rights abuse, and (4) leaves a big carbon footprint
(Mikolajczak, 2019). Not to mention, the fashion industry releases 10% of the greenhouse gas
emissions per year and is the second-largest water consumer globally, according to the World
Economic Forum (McFall-Johnsen, 2020). As a result, many companies are working hard to
implement responsible consumption and production practices into their operations and supply
chains.

Why consider it a problem?

The concept of fast fashion has captured many individuals' attention in the beginning due
to its more affordable, quick manufacturing and shipping processes, customers' growing appetite
for contemporary fashions, and consumers' increased purchasing power, particularly among
young people to satisfy their desires for fast gratification (Hayes, 2022). However, the consumers
soon realized the negative impacts fast fashion brings to society and became conscious of
purchasing products from the fast fashion industry. Speaking globally, 80 billion pieces of new
clothing are purchased each year, translating to $1.2 trillion annually for the global fashion
industry. The fast fashion industry encourages consumers to view clothing as disposable. In fact,
approximately 80 pounds of clothing and textiles are thrown away by the average American
annually, occupying nearly 5% of landfill space (Bick, Halsey, & Ekenga, 2018). Additionally, it
was estimated that the fashion industry is responsible for 4 percent of the world’s greenhouse-gas
emissions as of 2018 (Berg, et al., 2020).

Moreover, the negative impacts include not only environmental but ethical issues as well,
thus making fast fashion brands a big problem to fast fashion brands. Most of the ethical issues
of fast fashion are evident in its production process. Polyester, a synthetic textile, is derived from
oil, while cotton, which requires large amounts of water and pesticides to grow, are two main raw
materials needed when manufacturing textiles, therefore, resulting in significant health impacts.
Textile dyeing as well results in additional hazards including the discharge of untreated
wastewater from dyes into local water systems, hence, releasing heavy toxicants that can
adversely impact the health of animals in addition to nearby residents (Bick, Halsey, & Ekenga,
2018). Besides, fast fashion has an impact on a variety of human rights issues, particularly in
developing countries where businesses and suppliers can take advantage of cheap labor and
inadequate environmental restrictions. For instance, evidence of forced and child labor in the
said industry was observed in countries like Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India,
Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam, and others stated by a 2018 US Department of
Labor report (Reichart & Drew, 2019). Ethical issues such as those mentioned above are critical
issues to fast fashion brands that must be resolved as this could put them at risk of losing
consumer loyalty and profitability.

Moreover, the Phlippines can also be considered a country that rides with the trend of fast
fashion. In the Philippines, already considered one of the world’s biggest plastic polluters, this is
compounded by gaps in sewerage systems and the popularity of cheap “fast fashion.” One of
Philippine newspaper companies published an article stating that a 2017 survey by YouGov,
records people’s habits and opinions, nearly three in ten, or 29 percent, have thrown away a
clothing piece after wearing it just once. About 18 percent of the respondents have thrown away
in the past year at least three items that they’ve only worn once. According to the study, 60
percent of Filipinos dispose of their clothes because they no longer fit, while 46 percent do so
because of damage. Some 34 percent of Pinoys discard clothes that have developed a fault, 21
percent dispose of their outfits that are “more than a few seasons old,” while 14 percent were
simply bored of wearing it (Baclig, 2022). This making fast fashion brand responsible for
mountains of textile waste burned or dumped in landfills every year.

Why need to be addressed?

The environmental impact of fast fashion is highly associated with producing huge
amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, also known as the primary cause of global warming.
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (2018), the fashion industry
is responsible for 8-10% of global emissions as opposed to aviation and shipping combined. It
has also been found that the textile industry is the primary contributor to plastic taking up the
ocean. Although given the increase in job employment, the industry is said to have had
hazardous working conditions because of impractical operations and chemical substances
proliferating the production process. More so, such an industry focuses on cost efficiency and
delivering goods in a short amount of time, leading to time pressure amongst its employees
leading to workers suffering from working intensively with low pay (UNECE, 2018).

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (as cited in World Bank
Group, 2019), it is estimated that it takes 3,781 liters of water to make a pair of jeans. With this
huge amount of numbers, it is said that the emissions take up about 33.4 kilograms of carbon
equivalent. If 87% of the total fiber input that the fashion industry accumulates and around 20%
of wastewater is due to fabric dyeing and treatment, the fashion industry’s greenhouse gas
emission is said to increase by more than 50% by the year 2030. As the lifestyle patterns of
individuals continuously change, an average person in today’s time is said to purchase 60% more
clothing than in previous years. With this, the amount of clothes an individual can buy comes
with the fact that they also discard more.

Plastic fibers are often processed into textiles which are mostly used in making garments.
This procedure is energy-intensive, requires large amounts of petroleum, and releases volatile
chemicals and acids like hydrogen chloride. According to Maiti (2022), cotton, which is
commonly used in fast fashion products, is also not environmentally appropriate for it is said to
have required the presence of pesticides which imposes health risks on farmers. Not only that,
but the fast fashion industry has also had severe social impacts. Developing countries are
vulnerable to housing garment industries which promote cheap labor, vast tax breaks, and lenient
laws and regulations. China, for example, is infamous for producing fast fashion but is also
known to have contributed to land degradation and air and water pollution.

These are just a few of the many impacts that fast fashion has on the global and social
environment. If this issue is not further addressed by society itself, it could severely affect and
progress into a much larger issue affecting the very nature of the lives of our environment.
However, being more aware of such a systemic and timely manner, it takes a lot on our part to
simply just do something about it. Slow fashion has become a widespread trend by advocating
for manufacturing that cares about the environment, people, and animals. Furthermore, the
government also plays an important role in being more involved and helping mitigate the
detrimental impacts of the fast fashion industry.

References:

Baclig, C. E. (2022, August 9). P100,000 “trash” bag and the unseen climate costs of fashion.
INQUIRER.net.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1643474/for-posting-edited-p100000-trash-bag-and-the-unse
en-climate-costs-of-fashion#ixzz7hXaaj5jl
‌Berg, A., Granskog, A., Lee, L., & Magnus, K., (August 26. 2020). How the fashion industry can
urgently act to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. McKinsey.
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/fashion-on-climate
Bick, R., Halsey, E. & Ekenga, C.C. (2018). The global environmental injustice of fast fashion.
Environ Health 17, 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7
BWWS. (2019, August 27). The Problem with Fast Fashion. BWSS Org.
https://www.bwss.org/fastfashion/#:~:text=Fashion%E2%80%94a%20%242.5%20trillion
%20sector
Hayes, A., (September 16, 2022). What Is Fast Fashion? Investopedia.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fast-fashion.asp
McFall-Johnsen, M. (2020, January 31). Is fashion bad for the environment? World Economic
Forum.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/fashion-industry-carbon-unsustainable-enviro
nment-pollution/
Mission | UNECE. (2022). Unece.org. https://unece.org/mission
Mikolajczak, C. (2019, September 17). Six things you didn’t know about the true cost of fast
fashion | United Nations Development Programme. UNDP.
https://www.undp.org/blog/six-things-you-didnt-know-about-true-cost-fast-fashion?utm_
source=EN&utm_medium=GSR&utm_content=US_UNDP_PaidSearch_Brand_English
&utm_campaign=CENTRAL&c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnP-Z
 BhDiARIsAH3FSRdHT2oC1D0eyDq5reP-u45iBnAugyRvMXLf0C5uKjETtIvTnVMQF
oMaApp0EALw_wcB
Reichart, E., & Dre, D., (January 10, 2019). By the Numbers: The Economic, Social and
Environmental Impacts of “Fast Fashion.” World Resources Institute.
https://www.wri.org/insights/numbers-economic-social-and-environmental-impacts-fast-f
ashion
Stallard, E. (2022, July 29). Fast fashion: How clothes are linked to climate change. BBC News;
BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60382624

Tobin, C. (2020, July 30). How Plastic Pollution is Being Woven into Fast Fashion Culture. New
Security Beat. Retrieved October 13, 2022, from
https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2020/07/plastic-pollution-woven-fast-fashion-culture-2/

Maiti, R. (2022, June 12). Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact | Earth.org. Earth.org;
Earth.org.
https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/#:~:text=The%20en
vironmental%20impact%20of%20fast,amounts%20of%20water%20and%20energy.
UN Alliance aims to put fashion on path to sustainability | UNECE. (2018, July 12). Unece.org.
https://unece.org/forestry/press/un-alliance-aims-put-fashion-path-sustainability
World Bank Group. (2019, October 8). How Much Do Our Wardrobes Cost to the Environment?
World Bank; World Bank Group.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/09/23/costo-moda-medio-ambiente