{"id":3277,"date":"2019-07-08T15:17:49","date_gmt":"2019-07-08T11:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sustainablesquare.com\/?p=3277"},"modified":"2022-08-18T06:31:36","modified_gmt":"2022-08-18T06:31:36","slug":"impact-of-fast-fashion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablesquare.com\/wp.old\/impact-of-fast-fashion\/","title":{"rendered":"Overdressed & Overstressed: The Impact of Fast Fashion on Global Sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"
Surveys have illustrated that consumers tend to lean towards spendthrift behaviours in the summer months. After all, with rampant sales and impending back-to-school buys, masses are encouraged to spend. However, studies have also prompted major concern about customer attitudes towards frivolous purchasing, highlighting the dangers associated with fast fashion. Here\u2019s what you need to know in a nutshell.<\/p>\n
What is fast fashion?<\/strong><\/p>\n The concept of fast fashion draws from demand. Low-cost retailers who supply clothing and textiles through mass production methods amplify their operations in response to quickly evolving trends, as well as a need for varied options. The reality of this cycle allows for buyers to get their hands on the latest looks throughout the year, as opposed to relying on the conventional fashion seasons \u2013 think pre-fall as opposed to fall\/winter collections.<\/p>\n The worldwide industry has grown by 21%<\/a> <\/span>since 2016 and is slated to expand further through the popularity of online presence over a physical one. Retailers such as the UK\u2019s Boohoo and China\u2019s Shein, known in part for their sustainable fashion faux pas, feature business models that operate via web platforms and act as either wholesalers or manufacturing outsourcers.<\/p>\n Social factors have been blamed for the immense growth that fast fashion has seen over the recent years. Luxury and high-end names have been called out for their catering to a minority population. The initial intrigue for fast fashion was that it was far more democratic and approachable in its position, even taking the extra step towards size-inclusivity.<\/p>\n The need for retailers to regularly aggregate performance is a driving force for turnover and is, subsequently, fueling the fast fashion movement.<\/p>\n Why does this provoke concern?<\/strong><\/p>\n The clothing and textile industry, in its magnitude and scale of operations, has been cited as causing up to 10% of the world\u2019s total greenhouse gas emissions<\/a><\/span> per annum, as well as generating 20% of total waste<\/a><\/span> annually. The confusing supply chains and resource-intensive activity involved in the sector are often held accountable for this.<\/p>\n Fast fashion augments the negative components of retail provision and have been stated to have a detrimental ecological impact on resource exploitation along with engaging in poor labour facilities to keep costs inexpensive – cotton farms have seen elevated instances of cancers amongst labourers whilst the global garment manufacturing industry has been called out by the International Labour Organization for employing 152 million child labourers<\/a> <\/span>and 24.9 million victims of forced labour<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Overproduction permits overconsumption. Oversaturation of the retail segment domestically and internationally further increases the presence of cheap textiles that can be easily and economically disposed of and end up in our presently overpopulated landfills. The unsold and the disposed conflict with global trends of sustainability \u2013 burning fabrics that are chemically treated or synthetic releases several toxins into the atmosphere and poisons into drinking water sources.<\/p>\n Apparel production has immense economic, social, and environmental ramifications. Garment dumping in developing countries decimates domestic industry through aggressive pricing, while globally the cost of clothing disposal is over $400 billion<\/a><\/span>. Fast fashion has grown synonymous with forced and child labour in nations where regulations are lax, while worker wages remain unfeasible to the extent that profits are prioritized over welfare. The ecology of fast fashion is at risk at several stages of the supply chain. From textile farming that endangers with the use of pesticides and immense utilization of water, to microfibers entering our oceans through the washing of synthetic materials, the allure of linear fast fashion is gradually being eclipsed by its gloom.<\/p>\n The cross-disciplinary nature of the fast fashion supply chain renders broader effects, as it conceptually conflicts with the UN Sustainable Development Goals \u2013 like decent work and economic growth \u2013 as well as fashion ethics and principles. As a vital industry that is one of the largest employers in the world, fast fashion is being met with debate on the urgency of sustainability incorporation into its supply chain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n