Fast Fashion and Its Effects on the Environment

Fast fashion, derived from the term fast food, refers to the affordable pieces you can find in Forever 21. New arrivals appear on shelves almost magically every week, and while consumers can purchase “straight off the runway” for a fraction of the price, the negative externalities of fast fashion can cost the world a lot more than what meets the eye.

Fads come and go, so trend-chasers on a budget turn to stores like H&M, Zara, and Forever 21 to find affordable stylish pieces. To keep up with trends and keep prices at a lower level, manufacturers of fast fashion often select synthetic textiles such as polyester. Not only does the production of this textile emit large amounts of carbon but the machinery requires a whole lot of oil and energy and can create byproducts which end up polluting nearby water.

A research conducted by InBritain showed that “65 pounds of clothing and textiles a year are improperly discarded, and only an eighth of that goes to charities for reuse.” The thrown-out clothes then find a new home in landfills, and their synthetic materials can heavily pollute the earth and water.

If your studded cropped patent-leather reptile-print faux-fur lined jacket suddenly becomes “last season”, consider donating them to thrift shops or a clothes drive instead of tossing them in the dumpster. Companies should also aim to move towards sustainability. That is already apparent in some companies, such as H&M who has already boarded the train of eco-consciousness and sustainability with their trading program, where old clothes can be recycled at their store in exchange for store credit.