FAST FASHION

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Fashion is one of the leading sectors that is contributing to our climate crisis. (1) The industry is responsible for the making of 10% of the greenhouse emissions that are rapidly destroying our ozone layer and causing devastating, irreversible consequences that will change our world forever, and not for the good.

“(2)The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights

and maritime shipping combined.”

“(3) The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity's carbon emissions, is

the second-largest consumer of the world's water supply, and pollutes the

oceans with microplastics.”

"(4) The dyeing process uses enough water to fill 2 million Olympic-sized

swimming pools each year."

"(5) It takes about 700 gallons of water to produce one cotton shirt. That’s

enough water for one person to drink at least eight cups per day for three-

and-a-half years.."

Fast fashion is the main factor that is causing the terrifying facts and figures regarding the industry. Fast fashion is the process of the mainstream clothing brands (Primark, Zara etc.) copying the luxury fashion houses' designs or styles and manufactoring them on a mass scale and in far less quality or care resulting in lower cost and being able to supplt to the masses but the negative externalities of detramental damage to the environment caused by the production processes involving water, dye, materials and air pollution.

(6) Around 80 billion pieces of clothing are produced a year and sold to the public. Constant demand for the next best thing is resulting in huge increases in our average buying of pieces of clothing per year. For example, Americans are consuming three times as much as their ancestors did fifty years ago. This can be blamed on the idea that everyone needs everything, buying habits have changed to a point where if we see someone we are influenced by, like a celebrity, wearing a new top or jeans then it is very likely that we will go and find something similar. Studies suggest we are getting richer, great, but we are wasting so much more and utilising what we have so inefficiently.

With GDP and clothing sales almost in parallel growth while clothing utilisation down, we are and have headed into huge problems with waste. (7) Three out of four garments will end up in landfills or be incinerated. Only a quarter will be recycled. The problem isn't even with just the production and uncontrollable purchasing of the pieces but it is now how we are getting rid of it when we have finished with it. The vast amount of clothes going to landfill is filling up the land fills and well, no one wants a land fill next to their home so the waste gets burned or dumped into any place possible.

Many things are to blame for this catastrophic issue that has somehow gone unquestioned, poor quality control, excesses wants and desires, social media, celebrities, but the thing that is so prominent in every shocking fact, is cotton and the government that decided to criminalise hemp and push inefficient mass cotton production.

image reference

https://www.codogirl.com/blogs/news/the-impact-of-fast-fashion

https://motif.org/news/circular-fashion-economy/

fact references

1.Business Insider. 2020. The Fashion Industry Emits More Carbon Than International Flights And Maritime Shipping Combined. Here Are The Biggest Ways It Impacts The Planet.. [online] Available at: <https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10> [Accessed 3 April 2020].

2.Business Insider. 2020. The Fashion Industry Emits More Carbon Than International Flights And Maritime Shipping Combined. Here Are The Biggest Ways It Impacts The Planet.. [online] Available at: <https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10> [Accessed 3 April 2020].

3.Business Insider. 2020. The Fashion Industry Emits More Carbon Than International Flights And Maritime Shipping Combined. Here Are The Biggest Ways It Impacts The Planet.. [online] Available at: <https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10?r=US&IR=T> [Accessed 3 April 2020].

4. [online] Available at: <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/fashion-industry-carbon-unsustainable-environment-pollution/> [Accessed 3 April 2020].

5. <a target='_blank' href='https://www.businessinsider.com/author/morgan-mcfall-johnsen/?IR=T'>Morgan McFall-Johnsen</a>, <., 2020. The Fashion Industry Emits More Carbon Than International Flights And Maritime Shipping Combined. Here Are The Biggest Ways It Impacts The Planet.. [online] Business Insider Malaysia. Available at: <https://www.businessinsider.my/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10> [Accessed 3 April 2020].

6. The True Cost. 2020. Environmental Impact. [online] Available at: <https://truecostmovie.com/learn-more/environmental-impact/> [Accessed 3 April 2020].

World Economic Forum. 2020. These Facts Show How Unsustainable The Fashion Industry Is.

7.. Chung, S., 2020. Fast Fashion Is “Drowning” The World. We Need A Fashion Revolution! - Greenpeace International. [online] Greenpeace International. Available at: <https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/7539/fast-fashion-is-drowning-the-world-we-need-a-fashion-revolution/> [Accessed 3 April 2020].