Written by: Jiya Mehta
To start off, what is fast fashion?
Fast fashion is often defined as “cheap, trendy clothing that samples ideas from the catwalk or celebrity culture and turns them into garments in high street stores at breakneck speed to meet consumer demand” (goodonyou.eco). In other words, companies replicate trendy attire quickly and cheaply so that consumers (that’s us!) will purchase them at the height of their appeal. Then, once the trend is over, consumers throw the clothing away waiting for the next trend to appear. This process is similar to a life cycle; 1) Someone buys popular clothing 2) The trend is over in a short amount of time. 3) the clothing will now most likely end up in the landfill.
As we all know, the fashion industry is very wasteful. During the lengthy process of growing cotton and other fibers, producing textiles, sewing garments, and transportation, the effect on the environment becomes detrimental.
The entire industry is very complex, however estimates show that it produces 4-5 billion tonnes of carbon emissions annually or 8-10% of the global total. Not only is the fashion industry a high producer of CO₂, but it is also a large consumer of water. In fact, it consumes up to 79 trillion litres per year!
So what can we do about it?
- The first thing we can do as consumers is to buy less stuff! Although it may seem obvious, the simplest way we can avoid textile waste is to only buy what you need. Consider buying higher quality items that you like and need, despite the current trends. Consider the difference between “wants” and “needs”.
- Revamp your old clothing!
- Buy second-hand!
- Buy ethically produced clothing or from small businesses!
- Make your own clothes! This can be as easy as learning to crochet, knit or sew. Not only would this be better for the environment, it’s super fun!
Here are some cool fashion recycling projects:
Make tote bags from recycled fabric. https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/biz-kids-teen-turns-clothes-headed-for-landfill-into-reusable-bags
Did you know you can make yarn from fabric?https://lookatwhatimade.net/crafts/yarn/crochet/crochet-tutorials/how-to-make-fabric-yarn/
Patch work jeans! https://youtu.be/XS4C3DjrmEE
Sources:
Cbc.ca:
https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/biz-kids-teen-turns-clothes-headed-for-landfill-into-reusable-bags
Pebblemag.com:
https://pebblemag.com/magazine/living/whats-wrong-with-fast-fashion
Researchgate.net:
Goodonyou.eco :
https://goodonyou.eco/what-is-fast-fashion/
Thewellesleynews.com (image):
https://thewellesleynews.com/2021/03/28/its-time-to-break-down-the-fast-fashion-industry/