as customers buy new wardrobes with the latest styles, their discards are piling mountains high in landfill sites around the world. 

well-known for its inexpensive trends and delivering quickly assembled apparel, the fast fashion industry is now in an ongoing environmental crisis that has been in the making for years, according to sustainability experts. this crisis is reflected in significant energy consumption, growing waste, chemical pollution, and rising emissions throughout the fashion’s life cycle. 

fast fashion is defined by merriam-webster as “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers.” it allows large retail stores to rapidly change inventory and sell a variety of products for low prices. the most notable stores include shein, h&m, and zara. 

many consumers buy clothes made this way because they are low-cost and represent the season’s latest trends. they may not realize the full environmental harm that follows. according to a 2019 report by business insider, the industry contributes to 10% of all our carbon emissions, pollutes the oceans with microplastics, and uses massive water consumption. 

it takes over 700 gallons to produce one cotton t-shirt and about 2,000 gallons to make a pair of jeans, according to earth.org. 

the environmental cost of low prices

erin stolz, an environmental health and safety specialist for new york city consulting firm akrf said companies often avoid donating overproduced products because they worry it could reduce their brand quality or cause their items to end up in unintended places. 

as a result, companies are often left with two options: to incinerate the excess product or bring it to landfill wastes. stolz said either way pollutes the environment. burning the clothing causes a release of emissions and letting it sit in a waste site contaminates the soil, groundwater, and other natural resources through the release of chemicals like volatile organic compounds, formaldehydes, and perfluoroallyl polyfluoroalkyl substances (pfas). 

stolz urges consumers to think about what a low price really represents. she explains that really cheap clothing may be tied to unethical practices like supporting authoritarian regimes or child labor and slave wages. still, she stresses that individuals alone cannot fix this industry because the problem is so large. 

“i think when you’re paying, like $4 for a blouse, there’s a reason why it’s $4,” stolz said. 

a 2018 report from quantis international discovered that dyeing and finishing processes account for 36% of fast fashion’s global pollution, followed by yarn preparation at 28%, and fiber production at 15%, according to earth.org. the report noted that fresh water withdrawal is mainly caused by fiber production. 

“are you comfortable with the fact that you can have some assurance that on the production side, the manufacturing of this is very likely causing environmental harm for disadvantaged communities,” stolz said.

by 2030, it is estimated that textiles alone will increase emissions rate by 60%, according to united nations climate change. with a dramatic increase of emissions in the near future, the industry is being forced to rethink its long-term sustainability strategies and financial priorities. 

ever-changing, cheaply produced fashion fuels the american economy and caters to shoppers’ psychological drive for novelty. 

investments in sustainability

professor stephen park teaches business law at the university of connecticut and specializes in corporate social responsibility and accountability, sustainability, and environmental, social, governance (esg). 

park said that the financial structure behind fast fashion plays a major role in shaping how companies address sustainability. investors who focus on esg issues will push brands to fix their environmental and social practices when they identify a long-term financial risk. he noted that they care about social responsibility and the impact of consumer advertising and supply chains, leading to improvements in the industry.

according to park, companies have struggled to meet environmental and social objectives. for example, it is hard to monitor how much water and energy production consumes since clothing is manufactured across different countries. because of this, there have been instances where companies face legal trouble for things like greenwashing and labor violations.

“in fast fashion, like any other industry in textiles, you have these global supply chains which go through several different companies,” park said. “this makes it difficult to know what is actually going on.”

investors also worry about fast fashion companies losing financial value if their unsustainable practices hurt the company’s long-term success, according to park. 

a generational shift

at the same time, a recent shift in consumer behavior is changing the way the fast fashion industry operates. younger generations like gen z and millennials have become more environmentally conscious compared to older ones, according to the pew research center. while sustainability has not been as prevalent in the past, people today are more aware of the cost of overlooking it.  

according to amy cabaniss, a professor in the department of natural resources & the environment, at the university of connecticut, consumers are holding companies much more accountable than in the past. 

she said there is a more knowledgeable and aware citizenry now than before which has to do with the efforts aimed at increasing an understanding of production on the environment. this includes pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and ethical sourcing. 

despite caring about sustainability, many consumers still buy fast fashion because other motivations get in the way. cabaniss said people often choose differently even when they know better, a disconnect known as the attitude behavior gap. some shoppers also feel guilty about the short life span of their clothing. to ease that discomfort, they may justify the purchase by telling themselves the item will be donated and reused in the “younger economy,” which is an example of cognitive dissonance at work. 

“we are a consumer society,” cabaniss said. “we are a throwaway society, and the linear approach is take, make, waste. so, take out those resources from the earth or wherever you get them, make that product, and then throw it away.”

the current rates at which the fast fashion industry is moving in production and consumption cannot continue without serious consequences to our environment, according to fair planet. they suggest consumers move towards products created from organic cotton, natural fiber, and certified by oeko-tex or gots. 

fashion affects everyone

while one person cannot bring an end to the fast fashion industry, the efforts and awareness of some clothing makers sheds light on the issue. 

in 2019, lamees alshawkani, an optometrist in new york city wanted to find non-toxic clothing during her shift to living a healthier lifestyle. she created sailaal, a small business focused on sustainable fashion.  

alshawkani said she only uses sustainable materials and all natural fibers to produce her products, even down to the buttons and care labels. she believes that using sustainable methods aims to protect the people involved in making them. she also said it is worth the extra mile to certify it is non-toxic.

“i care about how fashion is affecting us,” alshawkani said. she called fast fashion “a beast,” adding,  “people are in this overconsuming mindset. they say a person wears their garment like an average of seven-ish times before they discard it, which is not a lot.”

alshawkani said that she is in this business for the long run. she knows it is easy to cut corners over things that people honestly might never care about, but believes staying true to your values will attract the right customer base. 

“they say 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers,” alshawkani said. “i just want to find those 20% that will really understand the mission, really, like, feel alive in terms of taking care of their health, taking care of the environment, and seeing it as one thing. you cannot be healthy and live in a polluted environment and vice versa. they’re intertwined.”