Parnian Esmaeilishayeh (12) | STAFF REPORTER
Due to fast fashion, H&M, Zara, Forever 21, Shein, Urban Outfitters, and many more have become multi-million brands. The fashion industry has expanded tremendously over the years. Although many of these developments were positive, there has also been an expansion in fast fashion, which is appalling. Fast fashion is the leading cause of climate change, water pollution, and harm to aquatic life.
Fast fashion is a business model that aims to mass-produce trendy clothing at a cheap price. The issue is that trends, being short-lived, cause these cheap clothes to be constantly bought and discarded. Additionally, due to their low retail price, they are produced poorly, giving them a short lifespan.
The term “fast fashion” originated in the early 1990s by The New York Times to describe Zara (Nizzoli). Zara was one of the early brands to adopt this model. Since then, there have been many voices trying to fight this framework. However, fast fashion remains popular because of its cheap pricing, marketing, accessibility, and consumer appeal.
Even with every year getting warmer due to carbon emissions, the fashion industry continues to contribute to climate change by forming 10% of the total global carbon emissions (Guide). Within that 10%, the fast fashion industry makes up 88% of the clothing industry in the U.S. (McInnis). With continual growth in fast fashion, climate change will continue to exacerbate.
Climate change is not where it ends: fast fashion is also a major contributor to water pollution. With the need to make clothing at affordable prices, many affordable chemicals are used in fast fashion products. The dyes and polyesters used in these items are toxic and pollute waterways, leading to 20% of the world’s water waste. Water being a vital and precious resource, with only 3% of Earth’s water being fresh water, wasting it for clothing is unreasonable (Water Facts – Worldwide Water Supply).
Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that can come from synthetic fabrics, which are essential components of fast fashion merchandise. These clothing items produce microplastics when worn, washed, and disposed of. Microplastics serve as a threat to the environment, especially aquatic life. Upon entering aquatic environments, microplastics are ingested by marine life, leading to health complications and the transfer of pollutants. Additionally, microplastics lead to a change in soil structure, creating a disturbance for marine plants. Microplastics are not only harmful to aquatic life but are also very life-threatening for humans, causing health issues as extreme as heart disease and cancer. With microplastics being able to pass filtration systems, they are challenging to avoid. Overall, microplastic pollution caused by fast fashion is deadly to all humans and animals.
Some actions to demote fast fashion would be purchasing second-hand clothing, only buying clothes you need, not participating in every micro-trends, and choosing sustainable materials that will not harm the environment. Although these actions may seem small, with every small step, there can be an advancement in reducing pollution and the fast fashion industry’s activity.
Although fast fashion is an appealing response to increased prices and allows people, especially youth, to access their favourite pieces, the cons greatly outweigh the benefits. Some argue that using these items contrary to their common use, by using them long-term, can decrease production and reduce waste. However, this does nothing to diminish the constant output of microplastics that occur either way when these low-quality clothes are worn. As long as fast fashion is endorsed, climate change will worsen, water resources will become scarce, and microplastics will threaten human and marine life. With small yet impactful steps, these misfortunes can be stopped.
Works Cited
Dutchen, Stephanie. “Microplastics Everywhere | Harvard Medicine Magazine.” Harvard Medicine Magazine, https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/microplastics-everywhere. Accessed 11 March 2025.
“Fast Fashion Series Part 3: What are the sources of water pollution from fast fashion?” Seaside Sustainability, https://www.seasidesustainability.org/post/fast-fashion-series-part-3-what-are-the-sources-of-water-pollution-from-fast-fashion. Accessed 11 March 2025.
Guide, Step. “Fast Fashion Statistics 2025.” UniformMarket, 3 February 2025, https://www.uniformmarket.com/statistics/fast-fashion-statistics. Accessed 11 March 2025.
Maiti, Rashmila, and Chin Leong. “Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact in 2025.” Earth.Org, 20 January 2025, https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/. Accessed 11 March 2025.
McInnis, Kaitlyn. “What Is Fast Fashion and How Can It Go Green.” Vegetarian Times, 13 May 2022, https://www.vegetariantimes.com/life-garden/sustainability/what-is-fast-fashion/. Accessed 11 March 2025.
Nizzoli, Giada. “Brief History of Fast Fashion (& Changing Its Future Course) | Sustainable Fashion Blog.” Project Cece, 10 April 2024, https://www.projectcece.com/blog/637/brief-history-of-fast-fashion/. Accessed 11 March 2025.
“Understanding plastic pollution and its impact on lives.” the United Nations, https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/may-2023/understanding-plastic-pollution-and-its-impact-lives. Accessed 11 March 2025.
“Water Facts – Worldwide Water Supply | ARWEC| CCAO | Area Offices | California-Great Basin.” Bureau of Reclamation, 4 November 2020, https://www.usbr.gov/mp/arwec/water-facts-ww-water-sup.html. Accessed 11 March 2025.
Weis, Judith. “Laundry is a top source of microplastic pollution. Here’s how to clean your clothes more sustainably.” PBS, 13 January 2024, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/laundry-is-a-top-source-of-microplastic-pollution-heres-how-to-clean-your-clothes-more-sustainably. Accessed 11 March 2025.
