Listen up fast fashion fiends
- Concentrated Sunshine
- Jul 10, 2021
- 6 min read
I'm in no doubt that you will have heard buzzwords like 'Fast fashion' or 'Shop Sustainably' thrown around but what do they actually mean, why is sustainable shopping so important and how can we implement this into our lives? When I started researching fast fashion for an English presentation at school I was absolutely shocked by the awful statistics I discovered that were more focused on employees than the environment! It feels so unbelievably horrible that our shopping habits are putting people's lives at risk and I immediately wanted to make a change to the way I shop and encourage others to do the same.
But what is fast fashion?
These words have been thrown around a lot lately with most people not really knowing what they mean so to start with fast fashion is clothing production that aims to produce lots of trendy clothing quickly and cheaply- whilst it's still popular. The companies benefit from using low-quality materials and cheap labour to make these clothes available to the public. This allows people to buy clothes more recreationally but the environment, animals and employees pay the price.
"Nothing is cheap, someone always needs to pay for it. And who is it? It is the workers."
How does fast fashion affect the environment?
As fast fashion is produced so cheaply at break-neck speed it has an absolutely devastating environmental impact. Inexpensive and toxic chemical dyes are used that leak into lakes and rivers- harming the animals that live there. Fast fashion is the second largest polluter of water on the planet, if we could all shop more sustainably we could totally eliminate this huge issue. The environmental impacts don't stop there though, as fast fashion also leads to an increase in climate change. Polyester one of the most popular materials is derived from fossil fuels, which contribute to global warming, and also sheds microfibres when washed and whilst it rots- increasing the plastic in the ocean. Clothing is also thrown away unnecessarily, which again rot to release greenhouse gases and microfibres. In the UK alone 200,000 tonnes of clothing reach landfill every year and globally the number increases to 2 million. It is impossible to imagine this number of clothes somewhere on our planet- next time you go to throw something away ask yourself if you are part if the problem.
What effect does fast fashion have on employees?
In my opinion the effect that fast fashion has on it's employees is even more drastic than the environmental impacts. Most workers are paid too little to survive on and have to work in conditions that put there health at risk. The UN has recognised being paid A Living Wage as a basic human right, for obvious reasons employees should receive no less than this, but sadly that isn't the case. Around 60-80 million garment workers live in poverty and a 2019 study by Labour Behind The Label found that in Sri Lanka garment workers were paid a mere 13% of the living wage.
"Fast fashion companies are so proud to publish their end of year multibillion pound profit results. Meanwhile, the people who produce the clothes, us, go to bed hungry at night. They are producing disposable clothes with our blood. And they know. They know everything.
By buying these clothes we are part of the problem, we are sending people to bed hungry and we are putting their lives at risk. This needs to change. I was also really shocked to discover that around 80% of these workers were women, which got me questioning whether this was an issue regarding gender. Millennial women in developed countries spend 226% more money on clothes per year than men, are women forcing other women to suffer in conditions that we are lucky enough to have escaped just for some cheap clothes? Is that really fair? I would call myself a feminist but I have bought clothes from shops who definitely don't pay their employees in foreign countries the minimum wage, let alone the living wage! Am I letting other women suffer when I should really be supporting them through this challenge. When I hear about the gender pay gap in Britain I'm absolutely outraged but I'm allowing it to happen overseas when I really could make a difference. That is why from now on I will only be shopping from ethical companies and I really hope that you make that decision too, as it isn't fair to let these people suffer.
Remembering Rana Plaza
There was one place that just kept coming up time and time again whilst I was researching fast fashion and that was Rana Plaza. Rana Plaza was a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh and in 2013 there was a horrific collapse, which killed 1134 people. Cracks were discovered in the building on 23rd April 2013 and the shops and banks on the bottom floor were closed but, despite warnings to stop working, clothing companies ignored the cracks and ordered employees to come into work. On the 24th the building collapsed, killing 1134 people and injuring many more. It is chilling to think about the fact that people died whilst making clothes for us, making the clothes we choose to buy. It is upsetting to think that the deaths could have been prevented 1134 people that died could be alive today if companies (such as Mango, Primark and Matalan) had stepped up and taken responsibility for their workers lives, In the aftermath of Rana Plaza, many people signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, however due to lack of enforcement and consequences nothing has changed. Since the collapse, there have been 35 more accidents in textile factories, with 491 people injured and 27 dying. Governments, companies and customers need to make a change to save people's lives.
So what can I do to help?
I really hope that you want to make a change to your shopping habits and understand why it is so important to do so! If you don't know where to start here are a few top tips.
Ask who made my clothes? This is not only a popular hashtag on social media but a really important question. Research the companies making your clothes before buying them by finding out the environment that your clothes were made in, whether everyone was paid a living wage and what the impact was on the planet. This means you will only be buying from ethical brands, which is super important.
Buy less. It sounds really obvious but an easy and affordable way to combat fast fashion is to buy less clothes. So instead of buying three tops for £15 each buy one more ethical top for £45, the quality will be so much better and the environment and employees will thank you for it.
Take the 30 wear pledge. This pledge has been taken by celebrities such as Emma Watson and Livia Firth, it means promising to wear a piece of clothing at least 30 times before throw it away. This will significantly reduce the amount of clothing ending up in landfill and you are more likely to buy less too!
4. Do your research. Here are a few great places to go for all the information you need:
5. Ethical Clothing Brands. Here is a few really lovely list of ethical clothing brands, which are great to buy from. I also love Stay Wild Swim and Lucy and Yak
In my opinion, the really empowering thing is that we can make a change. We don't have to wait around for companies and government by buying less and buying better we are making a difference! So make a change and make it now.
Let me know what you thought and if you make a change
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