Fast Fashion & Its Connection to Textile Waste
By Kaylee Chou
We all know how it feels to get caught up in the latest trends of the fashion world– and, I mean, can we really blame ourselves? Think baggy jeans, mini dresses and ever-so-tight corsets! Fashion is evolving constantly, and with the use of social media and online shopping, every trend is just laying at the tips of our fingers. Within days, we can become influences, harnessing the power of fashion, and turning it into a form of business, art and self expression. As great as this is, we have to recognize that a large reason why this is possible is due to fast fashion.
Fast fashion is basically what it sounds like. It’s fashion that is made, produced, marketed, and sold extremely quickly. Often, fast fashion is mass produced, with quantity being a much more important factor than quality.
Cheap materials are used, meaning clothing usually won’t last and will head straight for the landfill. Along with that, because fast fashion is based on current trends, pieces have a tendency to get “worn out” once the next fashion trend sweeps over. This not only creates a problem with overconsumption, but adds to the many environmental issues we face– one of them being textile waste.
Textile waste is waste created due to thrown out garments and fabrics. And when you factor in fast fashion, textile waste has become an increasing threat to our planet.
For one, in the United States alone, 34 billion pounds of textiles are discarded every year. And according to the BU School of Public Health, 66% of that ends up in landfills, while 15% of it will be “recycled” and up to half will be sent to other countries. In Canada, it’s no better: 500 million kilograms of textiles are thrown out annually, with much of it following a similar path as in America. Some of it will be “recycled,” some will be sent to other countries, and the majority of it will wind up in a landfill.
The issues with this are that because fast fashion is moving so quickly and consumers are buying, wearing and then tossing out clothing at such an unparalleled speed, textile waste is constantly growing. While some of it can be recycled, there are a plethora of issues that have to be dealt with. For one, the garments have to be sorted out by hand, which comes with the difficulty of separating garments made of different materials. And even then, some garments’ labels have already washed out, making it impossible to sort. In the end, this process- though not impossible- is time consuming, labor intensive and extremely costly.
Seemingly, another “solution” to this issue has been sending clothing to other countries, which of course, does not actually fix anything, but rather hands the problem over.
Oftentimes, these countries are third world and do not have the resources to deal with the extra waste. Along with this, the garments shipped there are poor in quality and cannot be reused. This ultimately means that they will go straight to the landfills, creating more waste and environmental harm to a country that had nothing to do with it. In an article done by Green America, it was reported that approximately 700,000 tonnes of clothing gets shipped abroad to other countries. While one can argue that this helps these countries’ economies, there has been speculation as to whether it’s doing more harm than good. Because these countries are receiving so much fabric, it affects their local industries’ ability to compete. Though this may seem like an easy, quick fix to getting rid of one country’s textile waste, it certainly does not eliminate the issue at hand.
The place that textile waste will most likely end up are landfills, creating an unfortunate circumstance for the environment.
For one, in the process of making a cotton shirt, 2700 liters of water are used. This is the equivalent of how much water a person drinks in 2.5 years. With that, this waste with nowhere left to go, leaks toxic chemicals and dyes into the soil and water. This hinders the soil’s fertility and ability to grow plants, and affects the water’s cleanliness and the living organisms that live in it and that rely on it. Due to these effects, the entire food chain takes a hit. As for what’s happening to our air, during the incineration process of this waste, harsh chemicals are released, contributing to our greenhouse gas emissions. It’s clear that no matter how or where this waste goes, the environment is what’s reaping its consequences. Our soil, water, livestock, aquatic life, and eventually us humans, have all been largely impacted by this issue… so, what can we do about it?
As consumers, we hold an incredible amount of power, and can be a strong force for change. This starts with our habits and mindsets.
Before buying something ask yourself, Do I really need it?Will I wear it more than once? Taking some time to stop and think before participating in the next trend will allow you to not only make a smart financial decision, but prevent another piece of waste from entering our landfills. However, if you do choose to make that purchase, instead of throwing it away when it’s no longer being worn, donate it, or host a clothing swap with friends! This way, you get cute new pieces and give your old ones a fresh start. Make sure you select items that are good quality and can be paired with other clothes easily. It’s always great to have a few statement pieces but never underestimate the value of a good basic tee or a nice pair of jeans. Even though they may simply be staples in our wardrobe, they represent a willingness to change- a willingness to start taking care of our planet, and to put an end to hurting it.
SOURCES:
https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-fast-fashion/
https://www.treehugger.com/fast-fashion-environmental-ethical-issues
https://globalnews.ca/news/9430446/textile-waste-fast-fashion-ontario-research-recylcle/
https://www.thesustainablefashionforum.com/pages/quick-question-why-cant-clothes-just-be-recycled
https://www.greenamerica.org/unraveling-fashion-industry/what-really-happens-unwanted-clothes
https://globalnews.ca/news/4774400/fast-fashion-environmental-impacts-tips-consumers/