[INFORMATIVE] Environmental Costs Of Trends

Environmental Costs Of Trends

By: Aashi

Living in today's modern world and time, we find ourselves at a period when the fashion industry has grown massively, developing into an estimated worth of about $94 billion. This is not just the growth of any passing phase; It comes with the prediction of a rise to about $170 billion by the end of 2030. This means we have unlimited avenues to express ourselves and our identities through our attires. Our clothes are a canvas speaking volumes of our mood - be it sad or joyful - and the freedom to follow any cultural themes we may feel connected to, whether cottagecore, Y2K, or haute couture. Indeed, the scale of development and evolution the fashion industry is undergoing was hardly imaginable just a couple of years ago. But have you ever stopped and thought about how your need to be in the most recent fashion, and the habit of buying new clothes every couple of weeks, affects the environment?

Different areas within the fashion industries are responsible for over 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. To visualize that figure, it equates to the combined emissions from international flights plus maritime shipping - both of which are also considered highly significant in the overall environmental impact.

Similarly, our water bodies, which are so important for both ecosystems and human life, are highly affected by fast fashion practices. The use of various chemicals, dyes, and treatments from the industry pollutes our valuable water resources, destroying aquatic life, which is very dangerous to human health. Fast fashion contributes to approximately 20% of global water waste, emphasizing an urgent need for change. If left untreated or without proper mitigation strategies, this could be disastrous for human health, potentially sparking disease outbreaks in different communities worldwide.

Besides the fact that water pollution is a big concern with fast fashion, this industry also manufactures goods in a way that can only be described as "take, make, and dispose". The way production is approached and consumed by this specific method contributes to astonishing amounts of waste; an average contribution of each American citizen adding approximately 82 pounds per year. After all, these goods are created in extremely large quantities and have no sustainable value, ultimately ending up as waste. This goes down to landfills, further causing environmental degradation, or is incinerated, thus releasing its pollutants into the atmosphere. Moreover, the processing of new raw materials, transportation, and storage of different products are adding greatly to the overall carbon emission. Especially because most garments are being transported by air over long distances, further adding to their carbon footprint.

The fast-fashion industry encompasses a whole lot of implications in itself, besides depending totally on truckloads of unrecyclable resources mainly produced by petroleum. While this dependency guarantees environmental hazards, it also manages to waste unimaginable amounts of water. In addition, the production of synthetic fabrics tends to require petroleum as its ingredient, thereby further depleting our Earth of its natural resources.

Other issues apart from microplastic pollution come from fast fashion. Most synthetic fabrics discharge microplastics during their washing process, which are harmful to aquatic life and contaminate the food chain. A lot of the stuff that comes out of fast fashion is made out of non-biodegradable and non-recyclable materials, which require millions of years to decompose.

Having learned about a variety of environmental impacts related to the fast fashion industry, let's now turn our attention to the various actionable steps we can take in order for us to reduce our carbon footprint:

Use second-hand clothes or support sustainable brands: Go for eco-friendly brands, reduce consumption, and waste.

Encourage Recycling and Upcycling: Promote the recycling and upcycling practices of textiles and fabric materials.

Support policy changes: Evidence active support of necessary and effective policy changes in place, as well as industry regulations, that would better control and reduce the carbon emissions produced by the fashion industry.

Addressing the environmental damage caused by fast fashion requires collective action from both individuals and industries. At the time of purchasing clothes, be conscious and try to imbibe various ways of sustainable practice in order to reduce environmental impact and work toward a sustainable future. The change must begin from within.

CITATIONS
Anguelov, N. (2021). The dirty side of the garment industry: fast fashion and its negative impact on environment and society. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/dirty-side-garment-industry-nikolay-anguelov/10.1201/b18902

Kalaja, I. (2023). Catwalk or tightrope? Balancing the sustainability imperative in the communications efforts of fashion brands. https://doi.org/10.5204/thesis.eprints.240792

Ray, S., & Nayak, L. (2023). Marketing Sustainable Fashion: Trends and Future Directions. Sustainability, 15(7), 6202. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076202