The real cost of fast fashion

2 mins. reading time

Fast fashion is a growing industry. From the high street, online, to its seemingly endless streams of advertising, consumers are encouraged to keep up with seasonal trends.

Although the monetary cost of fast fashion is low, the environmental cost is high. Water usage is a large issue in this industry – it takes 2700 litres to create just one t-shirt, and 7000 litres for a pair of jeans. When consumers are encouraged to constantly buy and replace their wardrobes in a cyclical habit, it is evident that this industry and our shopping habits are damaging the planet and using up more resources than is really necessary. Although I am sure that most people are ‘guilty’ of buying fast fashion, this proves that actions that we may deem as insignificant do accumulate to have a paramount impact.

Additionally, fast fashion is impacting our oceans. Due to the release of microfibers when we wash our clothes, scientists have proved that small aquatic organisms are eating these microfibers from our synthetic clothes. Therefore, not only is fast fashion using up a vast amount of water, but it is also slowly damaging the oceans.

The rise in the use of Depop, eBay and charity shops appears to be a way to relieve the nature of this harmful cycle. Although there is a long way to go before the fast fashion industry is able to be environmentally sustainable, the rise in the purchase of second hand goods suggests that maybe there is a greater awareness of the impact, or whether individuals are just keen to find a more financially viable way to update their wardrobes.

Despite how convenient and inexpensive fast fashion is, a change in how we purchase and discard our clothes will lead to a wealth of environmental benefits.