Introduction
You've probably heard the saying "Fast Fashion" at least 100 times right? But how are we sure what that really means? It's becoming a lot more well known and there are a great deal of people questioning what that really means. Throughout this blog we're going to explore why fast fashion is harmful and how it impact us.
The Environment
In the fashion industry, emissions of carbon are more than international flights and shipping combined. Although those are obvious contributors for emissions, the impacts from the fashion industry aren't as obvious. A lot of waste from fast fashion chains often end up polluting our air and water. Washing mass-produced clothes can send thousands of plastic bits into the sea.
A lot of large fast fashion companies have double the amount of production since 2000. Fashion designers have even added several new clothing lines because it's easier and cheaper to produce clothing. In total, up to 85% of textiles go into landfills each year. A 2017 report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimated that 35% of all microplastics — very small pieces of plastic that never biodegrade — in the ocean came from the laundering of synthetic textiles like polyester.
Poorly made clothing from mass-producing fast fashion chains, can actually be extremely harmful to your own body. Things like toxic dyes, microfibers, and materials are found in most clothing produced by large companies and are most likely in your closet. Other things like tight and restrictive clothing and heavy shoulder bags can also be extremely damaging to the consumer. It's important to understand the effects that fast fashion not only has on the environment and others but on yourself and your own body. Making conscious decisions like disassociating from those harmful companies can not only benefit you in the longer run, but can help fight against fast fashion and its unethical practices.
Exploitation and Factory Conditions
Several fast fashion companies use unethical practices within their factories. Many of which aren't very transparent with their labor practices and regulations. Things like work hours, pay, conditions, and lack of Covid-19 restrictions have been seen as unethical. In addition to this, many companies have been utilizing child labor in dangerous environments and exploiting them to their advantage. Sweatshops are also very common in fast fashion chains, and shouldn't be used as an advantage. By disengaging and discouraging companies from using practices such as these, we can hopefully be able to reduce the amount of unethical behavior that becomes prominent within fast fashion companies.
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