What is Fast Fashion?
This is defined as the quick turnover of fashion trends. This has resulted in the production of cheap, mass-produced clothing.
Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion
The Fashion industry will always be significant in its contribution towards culture and it s a very valuable economic asset as fast fashion employs around 75 million factory workers worldwide, with approximately 430 million people working in the fashion industry.
However, the current rate of turnover of clothing is far from sustainable, causing a variety of environmental impacts.
Global Emissions
The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global emissions. These statistics alone highlight the large impact fashion has on the planet. The production of these emissions has grave consequences on our planet and our health.
Global emissions have a significant impact on the acceleration of climate change, as it contributes towards the greenhouse effect. (global warming)
This has numerous consequences such as the:
- Increasing the severity of Tropical Storms
- Increasing drought
- Increasing flooding
- Increasing the occurrence of diseases, as they thrive in warmer environments
These in turn make us more vulnerable to the impacts of natural disasters, lower food supply, increase our susceptibility to infectious diseases and much more!
If you are interested in finding out more about the impact climate change has on your health, click here for my other blog post!
Microplastics
Microplastics are defined as tiny plastic shards or pieces that result from commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) constitutes microplastics as any fragment of plastic less than 5mm in length.
Microplastics can have a significant impact on the environment as around 60% of the material used in clothing is a plastic material. Below are some examples of synthetic fabrics that are in your day-to-day clothes.
Examples of Synthetic Fabrics
- Polyester
- Spandex
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Polypropylene
- Nylon
- Microfiber
- Acrylic
Microplastics can impact our environment and health in more ways than you’d ever imagine for example:
- Leack Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in our food system
- Reduce soil fertility
- Contribute to ocean dead zones
- Cause an imbalance in marine ecosystems
- Damage coral reefs
If you want to find out how they can do this in much more detail click here!
How these microfibers are released into the environment
- Landfills – Natural fibres in clothing take around 6-12 months to break down. This results in the release of leftover microplastics in the environment. These microplastics can find their way into our water system, soil and our oceans!
- Laundry – Laundry alone causes around half a million tonnes of plastic microfibres to be released into the ocean every year.
How Can I Reduce My Contribution To The Fast Fashion Industry?
Thrifting
Buying second-hand clothes is a great way to repurpose clothes others do not want. These are typically cheaper than buying brand new too, always a bonus. Buying second hand, reduces demand for the products, reducing the number of clothes produced each year. You can thrift clothes at online retailers, such as Thriftify and Depop. Visiting local charity shops are also a great way to reduce your contribution!
Shop Purposefully
Only buy new clothes from companies that use sustainable materials in their clothing. Some examples of sustainable materials you should look out for are:
- Organic Cotton
- Recycled Cotton
- Bamboo
- Hemp
- Linen
- Cork
- Recycled Polyester
Here are some fashion retailers that offer sustainable clothing options:
Here are five to start from, however, there are plenty more online retailers to choose from!
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