Fast fashion: Its social and environmental implications

Fast fashion: Its social and environmental implications.

Fast fashion. Fast fashion is the mass production of clothes that represent the latest trends at high speeds and low costs to maximise profit..

A factory with smoke coming out of it Description automatically generated with medium confidence.

Statistics and facts. Diagram, timeline Description automatically generated.

Closer look at the Environmental implications. . Water pollution Soil pollution Air pollution.

First of all, in the early stage of clothing production, cotton and synthetic fibre are two common fabric choices. In the process of cotton planting, not only water consumption is huge, but also excessive chemical fertilizer will lead to soil degradation. Although synthetic fibre will not have the planting problem as cotton, it will produce nitric oxide in the manufacturing process, and the greenhouse effect of nitric oxide is 300 times more than that of carbon dioxide ..

–Pollution during clothes production In the actual production stage of clothing, they need a lot of chemicals to bleach and dye the cloth. These toxic chemicals are discharged along the river, which may pose a health threat to residents. When rivers with poisonous chemicals flow to the ocean, water pollution will eventually cost the world..

Pollution after clothes production. There are also great environmental hazards in the transportation of clothing. Most of the transportation in the fashion industry choose shipping. The sulfur content of shipping fuel is very high, which is more polluted than fuel vehicles use. After we buy the clothes, there is pollution in the everyday washing process. Synthetic fibers during washing will produce micro- fibres . It will be released in water and eaten by fish; thus, plastic things will come into the food chain..

A picture containing outdoor, ground, mountain, nature Description automatically generated.

SOCIAL IMPACTS. HEALTH HAZARDS Large amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers are used on both cotton and wool, which is harmful to life, both humans and animals, and contributes to pollution. ..

A group of people sitting on the ground Description automatically generated with low confidence.

A group of people in a factory Description automatically generated with medium confidence.

Since most of the factories where the production takes place are situated in and around third world countries like Bangladesh, India etc. A lot of workers working in these factories are also those who are victims of human trafficking.

The fact that fast fashion has made clothes more accessible and cheaper does not justify the costs both the environment and the people working in this industry have to bear. The assumption that this does not affect us directly is wrong because in some or the other way it is affecting us and we don’t realize i t.And its something which our children and our gra eventually, our children and grandchildren will continue to do if we do not act now and start thinking about it more seriously..

Calls of action. Text Description automatically generated.

Encouraging and creating awareness about the negative implications of fast fashion in peer groups. Adopting a more environment-friendly approach in production which doesn’t result in the accumulation of large factory waste..

Text, letter Description automatically generated.

Bain, M. (n.d.). H&M reportedly used garment factories that worked teens for 12-hour shifts . Quartz. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://qz.com/763384/hm-reportedly-used-garment-factories-that-worked-teens-for-12-hour-shifts/ Sbarra , I. (2021, September 18). 10 quotes on the importance of ethical fashion . B The Impact. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.btheimpact.net/post/10-quotes-on-the-importance-of-ethical-fashion We need to stop fast fashion: Ethical fashion quotes, sustainable fashion quotes, fashion quotes inspirational . Pinterest. (2020, January 26). Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/667306869773633704/ Fashion & environment . SustainYourStyle . (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/en/whats-wrong-with-the-fashion-industry#anchor-working-conditions.