“Seventy-five percent of fashion supply chain material ends up in landfills. This amounts to ‘the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles per second.”
— Pulse of the Fashion Industry 2018 Report
Fast fashion is a term that has gained increased notoriety and acknowledgment in recent years. The practice of fashion brands churning out massive amounts of clothing on a regular basis that is cheap, low quality, environmentally harmful, and ethically inhumane sums up what fast fashion encapsulates. Additionally, it’s credited with adding large and unnecessary amounts of waste to landfills.
“Much of today’s production is designed neither for longevity nor recycling, but rather for short life cycles to encourage consumers to buy anew.”
The Pulse of the Fashion Industry’s 2018 report
You can make a difference.
Slow fashion, also known as sustainability fashion, is what experts have coined as a way to counteract the fast fashion industry and its harmful effects.
By being more conscious and mindful of how we choose to purchase clothing, we can all help by playing a part in combating the effects of harmful spending. Instead of throwing out old clothing, sending it to recycling centers is always the best option to use. However, until it becomes more commonplace, textile recycling is still widely inaccessible to most people.
In the meantime, impulse buying of cheap clothing by consumers is how many fast fashion companies continue to thrive. Instead, opt for clothing that is made of better quality and of a style that will continue to serve you as functional over long periods of time.
01/15/2021 by Brittany M.
Sources:
- www.bbc.com/future/article/20200310-sustainable-fashion-how-to-buy-clothes-good-for-the-climate
- www.researchgate.net/publication/340273377_Fast_Fashion_vs_Slow_Fashion
- www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-slow-fashion