Can fast fashion be sustainable?

The fashion you wear is not just fashion; Clothes and accessories show your attitude towards the environment. But most people don’t know about the devastating effect of clothing on the climate.

The industry is responsible for 4.0% to 8.6% of the global greenhouse gas footprint – more than the footprints of France, Germany and the United Kingdom combined – according to consultancy McKinsey. Fashion also accounts for up to 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions, more than international flights and shipping, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.

And “fast fashion” is a major contributor to this environmental disaster.

Fast fashion emerged in the 1990s when companies started producing cheap clothes. These mainly disposable garments contribute to short fashion cycles, resulting in high production, consumption and waste. Devotees of fast fashion—mostly teenagers to early 40s—may wear an item a few times before discarding it.

The characteristics of fast fashion are as follows

• Produced by cheap labor in developing countries,
• A large, rapidly changing variety of styles;
• low prices,
• Low-quality materials, including polyester, are primarily made from petroleum.

The top fast fashion brands, in order of sales, are Zara (Spain), H&M (Sweden), Uniqlo (Japan) and SHIN (China). They are also less likely or sustainable.

The problem

While many fast fashion manufacturers say they’ve switched to environmentally friendly production, nonprofits that monitor the industry say the companies are greenwashing — ensuring sustainability without implementing sustainable practices.

These manufacturers’ claims are often promoted by paid social media influencers seeking consumer advice.

Criticism focuses on harsh labor practices, non-recyclable materials and disposal of unsold clothing in landfills. 87 percent of the fiber used for clothing is ultimately incinerated or sent to landfill.

Used clothes are dumped in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Source: Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images.

Landfills emit a dangerous greenhouse gas called methane. Polyester has overtaken cotton as the primary material for apparel products. Clothing made from polyester and other synthetic fibers are major sources of microplastic pollution, which is particularly harmful to marine life. Man-made particles smaller than 5mm or 0.2 inches are considered microplastics – more than 578,000 tonnes are reported to be in the ocean. Marine organisms ingest these particles and often die.

The workers who produce the clothes are often underpaid, work in dangerous conditions and are exposed to toxic textile dyes. Fashion brands say they have little control because the workers are employees of third-party manufacturers.

Critics say that fast fashion clothes are inherently unsustainable. Although brands decide to recycle a certain percentage of used or unsold products, the poor quality of the material makes recycling difficult.

Last year, a New York consumer who bought an item from H&M’s Conscious Choice clothing line filed a class action lawsuit against the company for greenwashing. According to the lawsuit, most of the items in the collection are 100% polyester (which is non-biodegradable) and very few H&M products are recycled, despite the company’s claims.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a non-profit environmental group, industry-oriented, only 1% of all materials are recycled.

Who buys sustainable clothing?

According to a study from McKinsey, buyers of sustainable clothing are mainly high-income consumers who are less likely to buy fast fashion. Many young buyers promote the circular economy, but in any case they buy clothes that are not sustainable, they often buy clothes that they do not wear, according to Mintel, a research company.

So fast fashion brands and retailers have limited financial incentives to change their ways.