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Pollution from fast fashion: H&M

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S M Nazmuz Sakib (Orchid- https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9310-3014) (sakibpedia@gmail.com)
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Graduate of BSc in Business Studies 1
Student of LLB(Hon’s)
School of Business And Trade Faculty of Law
Pilatusstrasse 6003, 6003 Luzern, Switzerland Dhaka International University
House # 4, Road # 1, Block - F, Dhaka 1213
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Student of BSc in Civil Engineering
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Faculty of Science and Engineering Student of BSc in Physiotherapy
Sonargaon University Faculty of Medicine
147/I, Green Road, Panthapath, Dhaka University of Dhaka
Nilkhet Rd, Dhaka 1000

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Author Biography

S M Nazmuz Sakib is an eLearning expert and done more than 500 MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses
and experienced as an instructor in sites like Udemy. He has completed his BSc in Business Studies from School
of Business And Trade, Switzerland with CGPA 4 in the scale of 4 and 97.06% grade marks on an average. He
is also a certified Google IT Support Professional, Google Data Analytics Professional and IBM Customer
Engagement Specialist Professional.

Abstract

The fast fashion industry is growing very fast. The leading companies like H &M are using their
economic power even to cause more consumption. The use of clever marketing, campaigns, and
social media has enabled companies to change clothes' perceptions. Society today now treats
clothes like they are perishable goods. The promotion of the 'throw away' campaign and use of
Supply Chain Management have caused more considerable profits to the companies but at a cost
to the environment. In developed nations, an average citizen buys one pair of jeans every four
weeks. Since fashion clothes change every two weeks, the amount of clothes that go the landfills
is terrifying. The production of low-cost fashion clothes is also causing an environmental
problem. Since most textile companies are located in developing nations in East and South Asia,
the production methods are generally dubious. The sludge and wastewater from the fast fashion
companies are causing water pollution. Once in lakes, the chemicals lead to the death of aquatic
life. The factories are also known a heavy consumer of water which is causing a reduction of
water bodies. Once washed, the tiny plastics and garment chemicals also find their way into the
food chain.

Keywords: H & M, Fashion, fast fashion, fast fashion industry, fashion industry.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4090874

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companies are located in developing nations

in East and South Asia, the production

Introduction
methods are typically done in dubious ways
You love wearing new clothes that
(Niinimäki, 2020). The sludge and
are in fashion, right? I have friends who buy
wastewater from the fast fashion companies
a new cloth every time a new fashion comes
are causing water pollution. This
out. That may seem normal nowadays, but it

is coming at a cost to the environment. Fast

fashion companies are encouraging people to

buy and throw away clothes, as if they are

paper uses H&M as a case study
perishable goods (Stringer et al., 2020). The
organization to discuss the problem and the
fast clothing companies like H and M make
actions being undertaken by the government,
huge profits since customers continuously
businesses, and nonprofits.
buying their clothes. Since fashion clothes
The problem
change every two weeks, the amount of

In 2019 on Vox, Chua published a

headline describing how fast fashion

companies make cheap and disposable

clothes that go the landfills is clothing at the cost to the environment and

terrifying. The production of low-cost the economy. Vox was not the media

fashion clothes is also causing an company concerned. The insider was also

environmental problem. Since most textile alarmed about the rising pollution from

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fashion companies. Their editor, McFall- Even with the alarming trends, people

Johnsen, observed that the fashion industry's have largely turned the eye of pollution to

emission was more than what maritime other industries, such as vehicle emissions,

shipping and international flights emit natural calamities, and wildfires (Zhang et

combined. Everywhere in the world, al., 2021). It is estimated that a population of

consumers are buying more clothes courtesy 1.7 million customers is buying a pair of

of new styles and lower prices. According to jeans every month in Australia. Research also

business daily, people bought 60 percent showed that people were purchasing an

more garments in 2014 than in 2000 (McFall- average of 27 kilograms of clothing each

Johnsen., 2019). In the past ten years up to year. Consequently, the more people buy, the

the year 2011, most fashion companies based more rising of counterfeit clothes in the

in Europe increased their average offerings market, which is, in most cases,

from two collections to five. As of 2019, environmentally unfriendly. Producing

footwear and apparel accounted for 8.1 fashion products leads to water bodies'

percent of the total green gas emission. The pollution, drying up of water sources, and

exact amount is equated to the climate impact carbon emission at the rate of 10 percent.

of all European nations in the same period. Clothes are one of the leading wastes in the

As of 2030, the Euro monitor scientists dumpsites by 85% within one year due to fast

predict that given that the fashion market is wearing causing environmental degradation

growing by five percent every year, the at high rates. A typical case is the Aral Sea

unprecedented strain of resources is which is among the top four largest lakes in

inevitable (Niinimäki, 2020). the world. Chemicals now contaminate the

lake from fast fashion companies.

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Additionally, the company has lost 90 clothing companies' chemical effluents have

percent of its water due to the fast-fashion caused the polluted rivers in Asian counties

companies' exploitation. Agricultural to become dead zones.

cultivation of cotton crops is also causing

The deterioration of the environment
lakes to dry up and the pesticides to poison
is positively correlated to the fast fashion
clean water sources (Xue, 2018).
industry's fast growth, especially in many

A single fast fashion company like parts of Europe. Through strategic marketing

H&M can churn out about half a million and advertising, major fast fashion

clothes to its stores all over the globe. companies like H&M and Zara influence

Notably, the clothing companies' waste has society to adopt the culture of 'throw way.'

caused rivers in Bangladesh, India, and China Such a culture causes people to buy a

to be left wrecked in wastewater from the garment, wear it a few times and then throw

factory's environment (Bojonca, 2019). The it away. That is causing a dangerous social

factories also throw away tiny plastics from change since people seem to think that

synthetic clothes. Additionally, during clothes are also perishable goods. The

laundry, the small synthetic plastics are also consequence of impulse buying of clothes

likely to get into the food chain. There is a has caused more than 85 percent of textile to

high possibility that such tiny particles are be taken into landfills each year(Niinimäki,

already in the supposedly clean water 2020). In 2014, UK citizens threw away

systems in urban and rural households. around £ 40 million worth of garments that

Research has also revealed that some of the ended up in landfills. The projections show

effluents from fashion factories produce that the throw way culture will aid in causing

deadly chemicals (Stringer, 2020). The 25 percent of climate change through clothes

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alone by 2050. When the impact of makes the textile and garment industry the

transportation and manufacturing is added, it second most water-consuming industry in the

causes a very dire problem (Pandit et al., world.

2019).
Currently, the textile and garment

According to Niinimäki (2020), the industry is said to contribute 10 percent of the

problem's principal root is the innovative global CO2 emission. The creation of a single

Supply Chain Management (SCM) adopted pair of jeans is said to cause more greenhouse

by the fast-fashion company. SCM is simply gas as compared to a vehicle re-leveling for

the management of low quality and more than 80 miles. The industry's emission

lightweight flow of goods. H & M, like other is currently estimated to be around 1.7

companies like Zara, have devised their SCM million tons of greenhouse gases, primarily

such that they can transform raw material into carbon monoxide. Given the industry trend, it

final products within a short period, minimize is expected that the emission will double

cost, and maximize gross margins. within a decade (Stringer, 2020)

Furthermore, fashion industries are the

Addressing the Problem
second leading in consuming water that leads
Business
to drying of rivers leaving people suffering.

The fast fashion industry has been estimated Businesses have adopted the

to consume around 80 billion cubic meters of following steps: hyperlocal manufacturing,

water every year. The production of one pair lab-grown materials, resale and rental, fiber-

of pants is said to use about 7600 liters of recycling technology. Recycling textile is

water. Water is utilized in dyeing the fabric one of the major solutions to pollution from

and wet processing (Zhang et al., 2021). That fast fashion and benefiting factor to small

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businesses. The companies have embraced linen making their demand high. Clothes

the technology of recycling different items made from beech tree fiber are smooth, soft,

such as cleaning materials, leisure and retains their strength after washing.

equipment, furniture, and clothing. Some Various businesses that specialize in specific

benefits include; minimized pollution, cloth lines have been created. For example,

decreased required landfill spaces for Nanollose Company that deals with coconut

synthetic fiber products, reduced water, fiber-made cloths. As compared to fast

energy consumption, and reduced dyes fashion woolen cloths, their production saves

demand (Zhang et al., 2021). The technology trees and animals, requires less energy and

creates job opportunities for many water(Pandit et al. 2019).

unemployed youths worldwide who are

Many dissatisfied customers have
employed to collect and process the
turned to hyperlocal eCommerce trend,
materials. Also, business competition for
which provides more reliable and trendy
recovered items has risen due to their low
brands to customers (Pandit et al. 2019). It
prices and good quality.
aims at satisfying customer's demands and

Individuals have run for better reaching broader markets worldwide by

options that are more human and expanding their geographic territories. The

environmentally friendly. These clothing booming of these midsized and small

brands consist of a natural vegan fabric and businesses poses tough competition to more

includes seaweed, linen, beech tree fiber, prominent companies like H$M,

wood, and organic cotton. Businesses dealing compressing them to improve their

with some of these brands are more production and pollution. Hyperlocal

advantaged as they are durable, for example, business models are trustworthy, faster, real-

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time delivery, and promising. The resale and organizations advocate for responsible

rental business model has become a business operations. That creates awareness

significant sustainable platform for to fashion labels as well as consumers.

companies and middle-size businesses. This

Human Right Purse, a nonprofit
runaway business is helping many to earn
formed by volunteers, is dedicated to
cash by renting their wardrobe and upgrade
bringing together and raising awareness of
their fashion. Furthermore, rent the runway
human rights issues to students, campaigners,
has risen to be one of the best consumption
policy makers, and human rights activists.
methods in recent years. It also reduces
The nonprofit, therefore, focuses its
wastage, thus saving of polluting the
resources and synergy in practical, engaging,
environment (Pandit et al. 2019).
and accessible discussions. In January of

Nonprofit 2021, Human Rights Purse observed that

consumerism is threatening human rights and

Nonprofit organizations campaign
promoting climate crisis. Apart from using
towards customer satisfaction, favorable
vulnerable citizens, fast fashion companies
working conditions, labor exploitation, and
like H&M are causing problems through
environmental protection. Clothing
carbon emission, chemical pollution, and
industries, therefore, operate cautiously to
water consumption(Zhang et al., 2021). To
see to it that they produce sustainable designs
offer solutions to mitigate the harmful impact
(Brewer, 2019). In ensuring animals are
of fast fashion, the nonprofit has proposed
protected, clothing brands must uphold
several actions. The organization encourages
ethical values concerning animal welfare
adopting the 'slow fashion' alternative coined
searching for leather and fur. To ensure safety
by Libby Peake, an advocate working with
for both workers and customers, many

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the Green Alliance (Brewer, 2019). Such an An experienced journalist, Dana

alternative would mean that manufacturing Thomas is a famous figure in the media

should be slowed down, changing consumer industry. But given the statistics and trends

behavior to buy new clothes less often. The from his earlier works, Thomas thought of

lifetime of the clothes would also need to be becoming part of the solution. In the early

increased. chapter of her book, Fashion polis, Thomas

highlights that Fast fashion is simply a term

The slow fashion option is also an
that means the companies are involved in
excellent strategy to enhance sustainable
imprudent, manufactured indiscriminately,
manufacturing practices and raise working
disposable garments and cheap clothing. In
conditions in factories. As an organization
any case, fast fashion is inconsiderate of the
dedicated to fighting for human rights,
environmental impact and labor conditions
Human Rights Purse sees the movement as an
(Thomas, 2019).
effective way to promote poor people's rights

in the disadvantaged areas where most The companies mentioned by

fashion clothes companies do manufacturing. Thomas included Fashion Nova, Nasty Gal,

It is also a balanced way of raising the Forever 21, Zara, and H&M. To help, the

economic status of farmers. According to author has decided to be part of the solution

Better Cotton Initiative, a movement for by speaking to the world through her books

farmers' human rights, a slow fashion and articles. She is also very active in

alternative will enable sustainable speaking and joining efforts with advocates,

agricultural cultivation of cotton (Zhang et scientists, and designers trying to save the

al., 2021). environment from the fashion' disease'. Her

book also encourages the use of alternatives

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to fast fashion, such as renting and reselling the companies to push their suppliers,

clothes. Besides, the author describes the use primarily located in China and other Asian

of hyperlocal manufacturing, free lab-grown countries, to avoid releasing hazardous

materials, and fiber recycling technology chemicals in waterways (Rani & Saha, 2021).

(Thomas, 2019). Some organizations, such as Major clothing brands, including Esprit,

Greenpeace, have adopted innovative ways Nike, and Adidas, have already signed into

of educating consumers through online the program. The program is causing a

videos, movies, and documentaries (Seelig, paradigm shift whereby companies are

2019). encouraged to use safer chemicals in their

manufacturing. The ZDHC enables the

Government
companies to control the use of safer inputs
Through the European parliament, the
during production to ensure fresher air,
government condemned the 'throw way'
cleaner water, and safer products. The
culture that the fashion companies are
program's goal is to reduce the chemical
instilling in citizens. Scientists indicated that
footprint created by industries such as the fast
to lower the causing a social change. People
fashion companies like H&M (Nimkar,
could be encouraged to wear one clothing
2018).
item for a period not less than nine months
The UK government Environmental
(Brewer, 2019). That is expected to lower the
Audit Committee (EAC) recommended
carbon printed caused by one person by a
various steps to improve the working
third. H&M and other popular brands are
conditions in fashion industries and end the
being encouraged by governments like in the
trend of throwing away clothes. some of the
UK to use the Zero Discharge of Hazardous
plans to curb fast fashion pollution include;
Chemicals Program (ZDHC). ZDHC enables

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a) recycling, repair, reuse, and rewarding amount of clothes that go the landfills is

projects., the government banned the burning terrifying. The production of low-cost

of unsold stock, charging producers 1p per fashion clothes is also causing an

garment to fund clothes recycling, targeting environmental problem. Since most textile

big fashion retailers. companies are located in developing nations

in East and South Asia, the production

methods are generally dubious. The sludge

Conclusion
and wastewater from the fast fashion

The fast fashion industry is growing companies are causing water pollution. Once

very fast. The leading companies like H &M in lakes, the chemicals lead to the death of

are using their economic power even to cause aquatic life. The factories are also known a

more consumption. The use of clever heavy consumer of water which is causing a

marketing, campaigns, and social media has reduction of water bodies. Once washed, the

enabled companies to change clothes' tiny plastics and garment chemicals also find

perceptions. Society today now treats clothes their way into the food chain.

like they are perishable goods. The

People only focused on other
promotion of the 'throw away' campaign and
pollution sources such as wild fires, vehicles,
use of Supply Chain Management have
and others in the past. However,
caused more considerable profits to the
governments, activists, and businesses are
companies but at a cost to the environment.
joining hands in mitigating the deadly impact
In developed nations, an average citizen buys
of fast fashion. The government is putting up
one pair of jeans every four weeks. Since
policies and laws to force companies to
fashion clothes change every two weeks, the
produce and sell their products in sustainable

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4090874

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ways. Hunting down counterfeit is also being Sustainability and

done to eliminate unfair production and sale Responsibility. Laws, 8(4), 24.

of clothes. Nonprofit organizations and 3. Chua. (2019). The environment and

individuals are active in ensuring the issue is economy are paying the price for fast

known to many through open discussions, fashion — but there's

website content, articles, and books. hope. Vox. https://www.vox.com/201

9/9/12/20860620/fast-fashion-zara-

hm-forever-21-boohoo-environment-

cost

4. McFall-Johnsen. (2019). The fashion

industry emits more carbon than

international flights and maritime

shipping combined. Here are the most

significant ways it impacts the

planet. Insider. https://www.business

insider.com/fast-fashion-

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fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth & Communication Review, 22(1), 45-

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