Stop Chasing Fast Fashion
You may have seen the stunning pictures (stunning in a bad way) of the clothing dump in the Atacama Desert in Chile, which is one of the world’s fastest growing dumps of discarded clothes. Or perhaps you’ve heard how Western countries lead the world in secondhand clothing exports, which are overwhelming the Global South. These are just two of the examples of how fast fashion is negatively impacting our planet, and the vulnerable groups of people that are going to feel that impact the most.
In our consumer-driven economy, we are constantly being bombarded with advertising and other messaging telling us about all of the products that we “need” to buy. The propaganda is nowhere more apparent than in the fashion industry. Not that long ago, there were only 4 fashion seasons. Now fashion brands create 52 micro-seasons each year, producing a massive amount of consumption and waste (source: the good trade).
Some fast fashion facts:
A study by McKinsey estimated that in 2014 the number of garments produced annually exceeded 100 billion, but that number could be much higher now because manufacturers haven’t been transparent with their production numbers
Each American household spends about $1,700 per year on clothing
Each year, Americans throw out 34 billion pounds of textiles, more than 100 pounds of textile waste per person
Apparel and footwear industries account for 8-10% of global CO2 emissions, more emissions than aviation and shipping combined
Due to its cheap cost and durability, many garments are made from nylon and polyester, which are a huge source of microplastics
Workers in the factories making fast fashion clothing are subjected to poor working conditions, working long hours and being underpaid. These sweatshops aren’t just located outside of the U.S. There are thousands of workers in Los Angeles making less than the minimum wage due to a piece rate pay system.
So how can we do better to stop chasing fast fashion and instead embrace slow fashion and minimalism?
The next time you are considering buying a new piece of clothing, ask yourself how many times you plan to wear it. Unless it’s not more than 30 times, don’t buy it.
Much of our clothing gets thrown away when wear and tear start to become visible. If you don’t know how to mend, look for somebody locally who can, and support a small business in the process. It will be cheaper than buying something new!
Shop vintage, secondhand and thrift stores. In addition to brick and mortar locations, many people sell online and through their social media accounts, or attend popup events.
Need something for a special occasion? Ask a friend if they have something you can borrow.
While there are some types of clothing that likely should be washed after each wear, generally you can wear some things several times before washing. That saves resources, lessens wear over time, and reduces the microplastics that will be released while washing. Line drying your clothes will also reduce wear and save resources.
Join a Buy Nothing/Gifting group in your area.
By taking some of these steps to combat the propaganda of the fast fashion industry, you can save money, conserve resources, and together we can slow the impact of fast fashion.
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Sources:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/chile-fashion-pollution
https://www.businessdit.com/global-money-spent-on-clothing-statistics/
https://earth.org/fast-fashion-statistics/
https://globaledge.msu.edu/blog/post/56849/fast-fashion-changes-in-the-fashion-indu
https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-fast-fashion/
https://www.rd.com/article/fast-fashion/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/17/la-garment-workers-minimum-wage-factory