The Problem – Fast Fashion is Destroying our Planet
Since the early 2000s, fast fashion has allowed for an endless stream of cheap and disposable clothes keeping consumers up to date on the latest trends. We now buy 60% more clothes each year but keep the items half as long (Reichart & Drew, 2019). This explosion in production has caused overwhelming environmental and social problems. The fashion industry is now the second largest polluter in the world creating 53 million tons of clothing annually (Stanton, 2021). The fashion industry accounts for nearly 10% of global GHG emissions and 20% of the world’s industrial water pollution (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). To meet rapid deadlines, garment workers are subjected to low pay, harsh working conditions and long hours. Despite all of this destruction, the clothing is not built to last. The equivalent of one garbage truck of fast fashion is burned or sent to a landfill every second! (Reichart & Drew, 2019)
What Can Be Done?
There is a global push for retailers to make the supply chain more sustainable by using natural or recycled materials, paying fair wages to garment workers and developing recycling infrastructure. The true power, however, lies with you, the consumer. Changing your spending habits sends a strong message in demanding a better future for our planet. Your voice matters!
Here are five steps you can take to fight fast fashion:
- Shop second-hand
- Get up to 90% off from the world’s largest brands at https://www.thredup.com/ You can buy and sell clothing through the site and get 50% of your first order when you sign up.
- For the luxury consignment market visit https://www.therealreal.com/ for up to 90% off the world’s most exclusive brands or sell your own high value items.
- Support sustainable or local brands
- Download the app Good on You (from the Apple App Store and Google Play) to discover ethical brands and see how your favourite brands measure up. More information can be found at https://goodonyou.eco/
- Check out the amazing work done by https://www.patagonia.com/activism/ and https://www.tentree.ca/pages/about
- Rent your next formal dress
- Buy a membership for $69/month for access to the largest selection of rental designer goods at https://www.renttherunway.com/
- For free shipping across Canada visit https://beyondtherunway.ca/ where for a monthly subscription you can rent dresses and handbags from the world’s most exclusive designers.
- Learn to repair clothing, upcycle your clothes
- There is wealth of online resources that teach simple clothing repairs. https://www.loveyourclothes.org.uk/care-repair has a bunch of blogs and videos on care and repair for clothing. https://sewguide.com/repair-clothes/ has instructions on 40 common clothing repairs.
- For inspiration into your own upcycling journey, consider following these ethical fashion influencers on Instagram: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/ethical-fashion-instagram-influencers
- Educate yourself on the impacts, spread the word!
- Understand your own impact through the fashion footprint tool found at https://www.thredup.com/fashionfootprint
- Sign petitions and encourage your friends and family to learn more and do the same. Great options can be found here and here!
My Commitment
My fashion footprint impact is low (76% lower than the average consumer) but the calculator still provides great suggestions for continued improvement that align with the five steps highlighted above. I know that the biggest voice I have with the fast fashion industry is through my dollar. I commit to no longer purchasing clothes from retailers categorized as fast fashion including H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, Top Shop, Joe Fresh, Fashion Nova, Missguided and Shein. Instead, I will buy primarily from the second-hand market moving forward and limit new purchases to local businesses and companies like Patagonia and Ten Tree.
My Challenge to You!
Let me know what action you will take to combat fast fashion in the comments. Your commitment doesn’t have to be as ambitious as mine, any small change in behaviour can have a big impact.
For an in-depth look at fast fashion check out The True Cost Documentary here: https://truecostmovie.com/
References
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2017). A new textiles economy – full report. Retrieved January 27, 2021, from https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/A-New-Textiles-Economy_Full-Report_Updated_1-12-17.pdf
Lyngaas, K. (2014). The big poll, say yes or no to fast fashion. Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://buddhajeans.com/2014/05/big-poll-say-yes-or-no-to-fast-fashion/
Our Good Brands. (2021). The real impact of the fast fashion industry in the world. Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://ourgoodbrands.com/real-impact-fast-fashion-industry-world/
Reichart, E. & Drew, D. (2019). By the numbers: The economic, social and environmental impacts of “fast fashion”. Retrieved February 2, 2021, from https://www.wri.org/blog/2019/01/numbers-economic-social-and-environmental-impacts-fast-fashion
Stanton, A. (2021). What is fast fashion anyways? Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-fast-fashion
Sustainable Business Management Students taking Sustainable Action for a Better World 
my foot print is 93% lower than the average consumer. while i am not sure about renting cloths, I commit to educating my circle and beyond the impact their incessant shopping has on the environment and also share the useful links. I am also committing to shopping from local brands.
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Thanks for doing the quiz! That is awesome that you are already doing such a great job in reducing emissions with your clothing choices. Spreading the word, sharing your best practices and shopping local is going to make a big difference.
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