The Effects of Fast Fashion
Article By: Genevieve Leung / Art By: Jillian Hartshorne
Fast fashion is a common term used to describe the fashion industry, where inexpensive clothes are produced at a low cost. In the 90s, fast fashion skyrocketed with Zara finding loopholes to produce affordable, yet fashionable clothing with lower labor costs. The popularity grew when people realized these fast fashion companies were able to adapt and change with recent fashion trends. The industry exploded when the world was introduced to Shein and Temu. From the click of a button, you can buy clothes, makeup, school supplies, and, weirdly enough, furniture. Since 2017, 100 billion items of clothing a year have been produced, with a 50% rise in demand every year. As the rise of fast fashion grew, so did the term overconsumption. According to UniformMarket.com, people who buy from fast fashion companies spend over $700 per year on apparel, which is the equivalent of 100 plus items of clothing. With the growing popularity of shopping vlogs, people believed that a $500 haul from Shein was normal. In addition, people don’t even realize how a cute haul could harm the environment.
One polyester shirt takes around 5.5kg of carbon dioxide to make, compared to a cotton shirt, which is 2.1kg. These companies deliberately find the cheapest possible material to benefit themselves. The use of toxic chemicals, cheap fabrics, and microplastics being woven into new clothing daily is appalling. The rapid production of these clothing items continues to feed demand for inexpensive and convenient items. The three most popular materials are nylon, polyester, and acrylic, which take hundreds of years to biodegrade. The Shein website discloses the materials used in the clothing production. Unconvincingly, they try to persuade the consumer that their clothing is sustainable because they’ve transitioned from a fabric content of 75% polyester to 38%. However, Target’s apparel is generally 5-10% polyester. Within these manipulative persuasions, some hungry customers believe the changes they have made are actually helping the environment. When in reality, 57% of all clothing that hasn’t been sold ends up in landfills. As well as the compared percentages of the content of polyester, which makes us picture that it’s an eco-friendly transition, whereas it takes just as many years to biodegrade.
In reality, it doesn’t only affect one ecosystem but all ecosystems. A huge environmental concern is how many chemicals go into our aquatic ecosystems. On average per year, 15,000 tons of toxic chemicals from the fast fashion factories are dumped into our oceans. The most common toxic chemicals found to pollute aquatic ecosystems are reactive dyes and heavy metals. Not only are harmful chemicals polluting our oceans, but microplastics, including synthetic acrylic, are as well. These synthetic acrylics can deeply harm sea turtles, hermit crabs, and sea cucumbers. Even some larger marine life, including seabirds and whales, develop a bioaccumulation of microfibers in their digestive system.
In 2020, dozens of videos were circulating on the internet of people showing written messages from the Shein factory workers. The messages were usually printed onto the tag of the clothing they purchased; current phrases were used to send a “warning” or a help sign. Many tags had “Help please” or “Save us” printed onto the tags. There is no further evidence to prove these videos or the messages on the tag were true, but it does start a speculation of what really goes on behind those closed factory doors.
Millions of factory workers are trapped in a relentless cycle of harsh work conditions. They endure an unsafe work environment and terrible pay, all for the fast fashion industry, yet the manufacturers reap the rewards. These factories span hundreds of countries, including India, Bangladesh, and China. There are 75 million fast fashion workers across the world, yet their pay is less than 2% of the average living cost. The workers are put through hours of aching, painful, and cruel labor for a paycheck that can barely pay for their necessities. While company management is aware of these unsafe working conditions, the government is too. In 2023, the International Labor Standards instituted more factory inspections but also mandated that these companies adhere to and promote a safe workplace. Yet, no progress has been made due to a lack of care from the local governments. They prioritize sales over safety, but when will it be enough? Multiple protests broke out for fair pay in the same year as the new safety rules were put in place. Unfortunately, during one of the protests, four garment workers were killed and over 100 workers were severely injured. Even in light of multiple reports of verbal abuse, physical abuse, and sexual harassment, these industries do not value their employees. It is clear how cruel companies can be for money.
Unfortunately, in the world we live in, clothing prices have risen, and many people don’t have the luxury of affording quality items. Although fast fashion is a cheap and convenient way of building a wardrobe, always remember the impact it has. As consumers, we must realize that the more we demand, the more they supply. In the end, fast fashion industries cause ecosystems to crumble and factory workers to suffer, all for the benefit of cheap clothing.
Sources:
https://oceangeneration.org/the-history-of-fast-fashion/#fashion-planet-impact
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg67w73nxqxo
https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/
https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/7/20/the-impact-of-fast-fashion-on-the-environment
