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Ashtyn Riegert

ENG 1201

Professor Waggoner

31 July 2021

The Hidden Problem with the Fast Fashion Industry

Often times when shopping for clothing, people will enter stores looking for the pieces

that are trendy and fashionable. These trends are usually brought to social media which adds

popularity through support and promotion. People tend to want to shop the latest trends. These

trends are created by pulling prior trends from the past that are resurfacing or looking at new

high fashion designs that are released during fashion week in New York City. When looking for

trends created by the latter, people usually find themselves looking at pieces that are created by

fast fashion, not by the actual fashion designers. Fast fashion can be described as an industry that

takes inspiration from high fashion designs and remakes them into cheaper, easily attainable

pieces for people to purchase in stores such as Zara, H&M, and Forever 21. This industry

follows the everchanging fashion trends with a close eye so that pieces are available to purchase

as soon as a trend is popular. The problem with this industry is that it creates an abundance of

toxic waste that is harmful to the environment, it involves the use of child labor, and it involves

immorally taking liberties with fashion designer's creative work. Though some issues are more

impactful than others, it is clear to see the problems with such an industry that has been on the

rise, growing larger through the years, and continuing to do so.

The idea of fast fashion first originated during the nineteenth century after the invention

of the sewing machine. When people discovered that they could make their own clothing to look
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like the most coveted fashion and sell it for a profit, there was no stopping the masses. In the

1960’s, Mary Quant advocated this method to be used to reflect popular children’s clothing

designs. The term was not created until 1989, though, in a New York Times article introducing

the new store, Zara, to New York City (“Fast Fashion”). Zara has taken rising trends and been

able to create pieces and have them in stores within 2 weeks – every 2 weeks, actually (Stanton).

With the help of technology, fast fashion has continued to grow into one of the most money-

consuming fashion industries, and the earth has no doubt been suffering from it.

Let’s talk about the material that clothing is made of. High fashion designers are known

to create items of good quality using raw, sustainable materials that will last a lifetime – hence

how expensive these pieces can be. The fast fashion industry, however, uses synthetic materials

consisting of plastic microfibers that are difficult to degrade. These materials are known as

petrochemical textiles (Phadtare). Though they are inexpensive to produce, they do more damage

to the environment than good. To begin, petrochemical textiles consist of many chemicals, hence

the name. These chemicals are harmful to both humans and animals. Wearing these textiles

causes harm to humans when worn by entering the skin through the pores. Petrochemical textiles

cause harm to animals when they are discarded and end up in the oceans. When these materials

end up in the ocean, sea creatures are exposed to harmful substances that are usually consumed.

This causes even more issues concerning the safety of animals that is questioned by such

excessive amounts of toxic waste.

Ngan Lee’s article, “The Impact of Fast Fashion on the Environment,” talks about the

impact that discarded garments have on the earth. When understanding the amount of water and

toxic dyes that are used to create clothing, it is easy to see how bad for the earth discarded

apparel is. “It takes 10,000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of cotton or approximately
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3,000 liters of water for one cotton shirt. Furthermore, textile dyeing requires toxic chemicals

that subsequently end up in our oceans. Approximately 20% of the wastewater worldwide is

attributed to this process, which accumulates over time.” So, think about how many items of

clothing have been discarded or thrown away. Because fashion trends come and go ever so

quickly, fast fashion companies create an overproduction of clothing every year. This fact takes
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an incredibly toxic toll on the environment.

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Fig. 1. This image outlines the overproduction of the fast fashion industry and the “Ultra-Fast”

Fashion industry compared to the regulated schedule of the slow fashion industry (Fisher).

“As of 2019, the current report shows that 62 million metric tons of apparel were

consumed globally” (Lee). Because a great amount of this apparel is considered fast fashion, it is

easy to assume that the majority of items are discarded after a mere season. In fact, more than

half of the amount of clothing that is discarded ends up in landfills, which are eventually burned,

causing toxic gases to fill the environment. It is inevitable that greenhouse gasses are going to be

emitted into the air, but that does not mean that we can disregard the causation of this. The
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United Nations Climate Change News stated in January of 2018, “Currently, total greenhouse

gas emissions from textiles production, at 1.2 billion tons annually, are more than those of all

international flights and maritime shipping combined. By some estimates, sector emissions are

expected to rise by more than 60 percent by 2030.” With this expected expansion of emissions

added to the air that is already being over polluted, the future of our earth is surely in danger.

There must be a change in action if we want to save our planet from this toxicity.

Though recycling seems like the easy resolution to the environmental waste problem, the

technology needed to recycle clothing has not yet been perfected. H&M has been contributing to

the research to help this problem. In order to redirect the idea of discarding unwanted clothing

towards a better-found solution, H&M and Zara have started encouraging people to bring their

unwanted garments back to the stores to discard into boxes. These items are later used to make

new fashion pieces. H&M then donates a portion for each kilogram of clothing that is returned to

help fund the research needed to perfect the recycling of clothing (Liu). This sets a example as to

what a business can be doing to help put a stop to a portion of the waste that is being created

with their own merchandise. This method not only saves the environment for toxic waste, but it

allows for a community to educate others on the importance of recycling. If other clothing

companies could follow this example and start doing the same thing, it would save the earth from

a bit of waste. Though there has been a start to waste control, we still have a long way to go.

The environment is not the only thing negatively impacted by fast fashion. Borgen

Magazine provides insight regarding the issue of child labor that is present within the fast

fashion industry. Because this industry is so large and the demand for fast fashion is so high,

children are often times employed to work towards the creation of these clothing items. Child

labor can be described as the employment of children from the age of 5 to 17. A child begins
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working for one of these large factories when they are put in the position that forces them to

provide for their families. Because of the high demand for this category of apparel, the fast

fashion industry has found it necessary to employ children to work in undesirable conditions.

These children are over-worked and underpaid while being given unrealistic deadlines for

clothing to be made because of quick-moving trends.

Since these children are forced to work to keep their households afloat, it is difficult for

children to leave the factories they are working for. They are unable to quit working in such

conditions without permission from their employers. This keeps them from growing their

education and building their lives beyond the work they are currently pursuing (Lloyd). It is

heartbreaking to hear that little children are being forced into labor, slaving over to make

clothing that is not much linger thrown away into landfills. It is unnecessary, unethical, and it has

to be put to an end. The cycle of child labor is an issue in itself that only heightens the toxicity of

the fast fashion industry.

Though some companies working in fast fashion might not employ children, many

businesses allow their employee’s working conditions to suffer. In Istanbul in 2016, customers

shopping at Zara found something unusual attached to their clothing items (Girit). Along with

normal clothing tags, additional tags that held hidden messages were attached by textile workers

for their supply company, Bravo. Due to lack of promised pay, these workers discretely attached

a cry for help within clothing items. These tags caught the attention of customers, who were then

educated on the working conditions of the textile workers that Zara had been employing. In July

of 2016, Zara went bankrupt due to these circumstances. It is known that Zara releases new items

every 2 weeks. Imagine how hard these employees had to work every day to stick to their
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deadlines. This instance gives credibility to the fact that fast fashion companies do not take care

of their textile workers.

Along with these unforgivable issues concerning the health and safety of the earth and the

people in it, fast fashion exemplifies moral issues, as well. This industry is known to take the

designs of high fashion brands and recreate them in a cheaply made, more affordable way.

Designing fashion is not an easy task. High fashion designers have earned their success by using

their creativity in an amazing way that impacts many people around the world. Small business

designers must work day and night to perfect a piece of art. When a design becomes a popular,

the amount of satisfaction each individual designer must feel is unimaginable. So, they also must

feel a great deal of disappointment when the fast fashion industry copies a design, mass produces

it in a cheaper way, and sells it in a large corporation. These large companies do not allow

designers to receive the credit they deserve. What the fast fashion industry takes from creative

designers in unfair and immoral.

It is true that there is a lack in quality of the materials that are used to create fast fashion,

so it is inevitable that the clothing that is mass produced by fast fashion corporations is extremely

cheaply made. In the article, “What is Fast Fashion Anyways?” Audrey Stanton talks about the

low prices brought about by fast fashion along with the low quality that comes with it. “Clothing

is made in a rushed manner, and brands are selling severely low-quality merchandise. There isn’t

enough time for quality control or to make sure a shirt has the right amount of buttons—not

when there is extreme urgency to get clothing to the masses” (Stanton). This low quality is a

consequence of the high – and fast – demand that this type of fashion is facing. So why is fast

fashion in such high demand when the clothing is not even high quality? The low pricing of fast

fashion has to be the answer to this question. Since fast fashion is exactly that – fast moving –
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quality is not always the top priority when it comes to shopping for the trends. Because fast

fashion is thrown in the public’s face, it is easy to disregard the immorality of it and give in to

purchasing trendy items. Though quality is definitely reflected by the low prices of these items,

some people do not consider quality to be an important aspect of making a purchase decision.

When an item is only being bought to wear to a certain event or when the style is what is desired

the most, quality is usually compromised to allow a desired style to be worn. Because of the low

cost, it is easy to obtain the newest trends without breaking the bank. In these cases, it is difficult

to convince people that fast fashion should not be supported. It is hopeful that people will

understand the many unethical qualities of the fast fashion industry so that they might begin to

search for an alternative way to buy trendy pieces of clothing.

In the article, “Fashion and Environment,” Mathilde Charpail talks about the many

alternatives there are to purchasing fast fashion. The first and most impactful answer to avoiding

this is to stop buying an excessive amount of apparel. It has become normal for people to

purchase new items for every occasion. Going to a wedding soon? Time to buy a new dress. It’s

the start of a new school year? Time to shop for a whole new wardrobe! Summer is just around

the corner, guess what that means? New swimsuits! These answers are the beginning of the

problem that has already been discussed. Rather than buying new clothing for every upcoming

event, it needs to become normalized that people make use of what their closets already possess.

New clothing is also not always fulfilling. People find it thrilling to go on shopping sprees and

receive packages every day, but this habit only leads to clutter and a smaller bank account. A

second fix to avoid buying fast fashion is to shop sustainably. There are many small businesses

out there creating long-lasting pieces that follow the trends. Though they might be more

expensive, sustainable items are made to do just that – sustain. These items can be worn time
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after time, which cuts back on the overconsuming and overspending. Finally, rather than going to

the mall to find a new dress to that wedding, try searching through the thrift store or borrowing

one from a friend. Thrift stores often times hold items that are one of a kind and sometimes new

with tags. Because people are always discarding unwanted clothing, there is an endless supply to

rummage around. This also makes for a fun activity. These alternatives are easy ways to be good

to the environment while boycotting an industry that has the worst intentions.

While shopping smarter will assist the state of the environment and avoid supporting fast

fashion, there is a disconnect when choosing how to discard unwanted clothing. As Ngan Lee

wrote about in the article, “The Impact of Fast Fashion on the Environment,” when clothes aren’t

given to charities, wasted clothing usually ends up in landfills that expose the air to toxicity. To

help this problem, there are multiple things that can be done rather than throwing unwanted

clothing away. Ebba Raij’s article, “Fast Fashion and How to Avoid Clothing Waste,” lists ways

that people can help the earth by being smart when getting rid of clothes. The first tip to allow

clothing to last longer is to wash them using a colder temperature. Washing clothing in colder

water preserves the coloring, while hotter temperatures cause color to fade faster due to the

expansion of molecules that occurs. Preserved coloring allows a newer, cleaner look that is

desires in clothing, which makes a person decide not to get rid of it. The second and most

obvious tip is to donate clothing to charities and thrift stores. As the saying goes, one man’s trash

is another man’s treasure. Finally, there are resources that allow clothing to be sent to be

recycled into making furniture and other items using clothing materials. These are called “textile

banks” (Raij). Using this method of recycling is a unique way of helping to turn something old

into something new.

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There are many counterarguments that could be brought to light when arguing the

immorality of fast fashion. Some might think that the inexpensive prices are too good to pass up.

Others might say that fast fashion is too convenient to boycott. Though these statements might

seem likely, the many unfortunate aspects of the fast fashion industry counteract the

inexpensiveness of the clothing. It is easy to spend the money on this type of clothing without

understanding the moral compass of the industry that has created it. It is also difficult to deny

fast fashion when it is being supported across the media. It is no lie that social media is one of

the most influential sources of information and entertainment. The large majority of the

population is exposed to social media and interacts with it as well. Many platforms such as

TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter are used by businesses to push ads and promotions to

prospectors. These ads are geared to influence people to purchase products and engage with their

company. Many businesses use social media, including companies that create fast fashion. Many

times, fast fashion companies will sponsor creators to post about their clothing products

encourage their followers to purchase from their companies. Even people that are not being paid

to post about the business will share the items they have purchased from fast fashion brands.

These influences sources only heighten the amount of fast fashion that is in demand. It is

portrayed as trendy and desirable so that many will give in and purchase. When being shown all

of the ways that the fast fashion industry denies an ethical lifestyle, it is hopeful that people will

understand the reason that this industry is hurting the earth. The earth is our home. It is beautiful

and it was created to take care of us. Why would we not want to do our part in taking care of it,

as well?

Fast fashion is a booming industry. It is growing larger and larger each day. Though from

a distance, this industry makes fashion look desirable and clean. The media has created an image
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for it that promotes small prices and great products. When looking into the details of the

industry, though, it is easy to see that it lacks these qualities and possesses many that should not

be supported. Companies that sell fast fashion are not promoting a healthy future for the earth or

the people in it. They are inviting toxicity into the environment when producing such large

amounts of clothing. This toxicity then makes its way into our oceans and our homes. They are

continuing to put their workers in undesirable working environments, sometimes involving child

labor. This fact in itself is heartbreaking and disturbing to grasp. They are also stealing designs

that they did not get permission to use. Making a profit off of stolen art should be illegal. It is not

fair to anyone involved in the fashion designing community. It is important that people are

educated on the inner working of this industry, ways to avoid buying from such companies, and

courses of action to take when discarding clothing. If these steps continue to be taken, it is

hopeful that the future of the earth will be a happier, healthier place to be.

Works Cited

Fisher, Alison. “Fighting Fast Fashion Fads.” The Rider News, 4 Mar. 2020,

www.theridernews.com/fighting-fast-fashion-fads/. Accessed 22 July 2021.

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Charpail, Mathilde. “Fashion & Environment.” SustainYourStyle, 2017,

www.sustainyourstyle.org/en/whats-wrong-with-the-fashion-industry?

gclid=Cj0KCQjwxJqHBhC4ARIsAChq4asPjdYdea9I2O5sAG-

5aNMDo4ICw2FrN0GOlcIO_DQH7_EFMhg4dx4aAqhqEALw_wcB. Accessed 2 July

2021.

“Fashion Industry, UN Pursue Climate Action for Sustainable Development.” Unfccc.int, Jan.

2018, https://unfccc.int/news/fashion-industry-un-pursue-climate-action-for-sustainable-

development. Accessed 22 July 2021.

"Fast Fashion." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context:

Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EBHFOF191829387/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=e09673b1. Accessed 2 July 2021.

Girit, Selin. “Turkey: Zara Shoppers Find Labour Complaints inside Clothes.” BBC News, BBC,

15 Nov. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41981509. Accessed 9 July 2021.

Lee, Ngan. “The Impact of Fast Fashion on the Environment - PSCI.” Princeton University, The

Trustees of Princeton University, July 2020, psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/7/20/the-impact-

of-fast-fashion-on-the-environment. Accessed 9 July 2021.

Liu, Mark. "Time to make fast fashion a problem for its makers, not charities." Gale Opposing

Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing

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u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=70bcdfb8. Accessed 7 July 2021. Originally

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published as "Time to make fast fashion a problem for its makers, not charities," The

Conversation, 1 Sept. 2019.

Lloyd, Allison Elizabeth. “Child Labor Amid the Rise of Fast Fashion.” BORGEN, 10 Oct. 2020,

www.borgenmagazine.com/fast-fashion/. Accessed 7 July 2021.

Phadtare, Anuprita. “Fast Fashion, Loose Ethics: The Human and Environmental Cost of Cheap

Clothing and What We Can Do about It.” The Lovepost, 8 Oct. 2020,

www.thelovepost.global/protection/articles/fast-fashion-loose-ethics-human-and-

environmental-cost-cheap-clothing-and-what. Accessed 22 July 2021.

Raij, Ebba. “Fast Fashion and How to Reduce Clothing Waste.” CHEC International, 25 May

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2021.

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