Fast Fashion is NOT cute
Globally, we consume approximately 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year, which is 400% more than we were consuming twenty years ago. In Australia, we send a staggering 85% of the garments we buy to landfill every year and we are now the second-largest consumer of new textiles after the USA. Of all the clothing donated in Australia to charities, approximately only about 15% are resold within Australia.
The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters in the world. Fast fashion refers to cheaply made and priced clothing garments that imitate the latest celebrity styles that are then quickly produced to be put in stores. Current trends are rapidly changing, meaning that stores need to be keeping up to date with the trends by consistently having new products in their store. This also means that when these ‘trends’ don’t sell, excess garments go straight to landfill! Companies are now entirely built on the “fast fashion” model - providing cheap and quickly produced garments to consumers.
These garments often do not last long in our wardrobes as their cheap price reflects the cheap materials used. We run into a cyclic problem when consumers can justify discarding garments at a quicker rate due to the low price they paid for them.
The United Nations states that when “taking cotton production, manufacture, transport, and washing into account— it takes 3,781 litres of water to make one pair of jeans. The process equates to around 33.4 kilograms of carbon equivalent emitted, like driving 111 kilometres or watching 246 hours of TV on a big screen.”
It is important that we realise the environmental impact of fast fashion. The garment manufacturing industry is consuming non-renewable resources, emitting large quantities of greenhouse gases as well as greatly contributing to landfill. Majority of textiles are made from synthetic fibres such as polyester, nylon and acrylic which can take up to 200 years to breakdown.
By reducing the number of fast fashion items we buy we can help mitigate the negative environmental impact of the fast fashion industry. Purchasing clothes that will last in your wardrobe and you will wear for years to come is so important!
Ps. Remember there’s nothing to be ashamed of when outfit repeating
Check out the app “Good on you” for thousands of brand ratings, articles and expertise on ethical and sustainable fashion.
Here are some links to some Australian ethical and sustainable fashion companies. https://www.instylemag.com.au/ethical-fashion-brands
https://www.brittslist.com.au/article/sustainable-fashion-online-stores-australia/