Fast fashion is the mass production of trendy clothing at high speeds and low costs to maximize profits — and it’s destroying our planet. Retailers focus on quantity rather than quality, leading to the use of low-quality materials, which dramatically increases the amount of waste that is produced annually. The popularity of fast fashion has risen in recent years, and with it came a societal increase in consumption, more CO2 in the atmosphere, water pollution, and many other negative consequences. But there are steps that consumers can take in their daily lives to address this climate crisis before it’s too late.
It has become commonplace for clothing retailers to produce new clothing “lines,” or “micro-seasons,” with some having up to 52 lines per year — essentially releasing one new collection per week. The rise of micro-seasons can be directly attributed to the increase of micro-trends (clothing trends that rise to popularity quickly and leave the trend cycle just as fast). Social media platforms, like Instagram and TikTok, have created a platform for micro-trends and fast fashion to flourish like never before. Influencers are able to reach millions and promote specific products and styles.
In response, fashion brands mass-produce these articles of clothing and feed into the fast fashion cycle. The result is that many clothing items have a shelf life of less than a month. Micro-trends lead consumers to believe that they are behind on the latest styles, adding pressure to increase the size of their wardrobes and making it easy to buy more than they need because the clothing is (relatively) cheap.
When consumers — particularly the estimated 61.3% of Gen Zers who use TikTok at least once a month — are looking to purchase a new item of clothing they saw online, they should do so with the right intentions. One step we can all take to prevent fast fashion from destroying the planet we call home is purchasing items with the intention of wearing them for a long time. This creates less waste and also less demand for the items that will be out of style as quickly as they came in.
People often forget about the societal and environmental impacts of fast fashion because they are distracted by the low prices. This is evidenced by the countless “clothing hauls” seen online among my generation’s influencers; many people have attracted huge audiences by purchasing mountains of cheap clothes to show and talk about in these popular videos. Much of the clothing is rushed to market and of low quality, leading consumers to throw out these garments after only a few wears. Consumers must learn how to properly wash, maintain, and repair their clothes to ensure a long life span.
The fashion industry creates 40 million tons of textile waste each year (with the U.S. responsible for over 10 million tons), polluting the air and water in surrounding areas. Sadly, clothing is difficult to recycle because of the fibers (threads of material) and fabrics (fibers knit or woven together) used. Many of the fibers used are synthetic (because it is cheaper for manufacturing) and are thinner than natural fibers; these fibers cannot be rewoven into new fabrics. Clothing has far lower recycling rates than other materials (aluminum, glass, paper, or even plastic).
Beyond textile waste, fast fashion brands use toxic chemicals and dyes that inadvertently go into water supplies. Synthetic fibers (derived from fossil fuels) contain trace amounts of lead, pesticides, petrochemicals, and other dangerous substances. Garments made from these fibers typically remain in landfills (and do not decay) and release toxins into the air.
The fashion industry has the most significant carbon footprint of any enterprise — contributing nearly 10% of overall emissions. They are produced when making garments, during transportation from factories to physical stores, when consumers purchase clothing (online or in person), and when the consumer throws it out. Another step that all consumers should make a regular practice is donating the clothes that we no longer need, rather than discarding them in a place where they end up in a landfill or, worse, in our oceans.
Garment workers are severely impacted by their poor working conditions: long hours, harsh toxins, lack of clean air, low wages, etc. The cheap chemicals and dyes used in fast fashion production are linked to several types of cancer and respiratory illnesses. It is important to be as informed about what you’re buying — and where it’s coming from. We can find ethical and sustainable alternatives to the name brands we’re familiar with but might not realize are contributing to the demise of our planet.
Fashion is very important to our society because people will always desire to express themselves through their clothing and accessories. Although fast fashion has allowed some to follow trends because of its low cost, it clearly causes more harm than good. Fast fashion may be an easy and cheap way to keep up with the latest trends, but it is something that we should all work toward avoiding.
We are facing a moment when caring for our environment is more important than ever before. Shifting consumer attitudes, those of Gen Zers in particular, away from the ease of fast fashion would push the fashion industry to reevaluate its environmental impact. Fast fashion may be cheap now, but we will pay for its aftermath for decades to come.
Mahati Shastry ’24 is a student at Barnard College.