The process in which the trendy and cheap clothes we see at Zara, H&M, and Forever 21 negatively impact the environment. Most clothes are made of synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers are plastics like nylon or polyester that are often created from oil or coal. These garments won't be able to decompose for hundreds of years, and when washed they release tiny pieces of plastic that go into our oceans harming our marine life.Textiles are also treated with harsh chemicals which often get into our rivers and streams.
The production cost of the fabrics emits a large amount of greenhouse gases. Machines and people work together to make the clothing, clothes are usually made in poor countries like China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India where working conditions are not well regulated. People are overworked and labor is cheap in these countries, few workers are paid a living wage. Who really have it worst, are the women in this industry. Many young women work in these tough working conditions, and deal with oppression from the men in charge. They also have to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace, women on short-term contracts or women under other casual forms of employment are especially vulnerable. The cheaply made clothes have a short life span meaning they last only for a few washes. They're quickly thrown out and end up as part of the growing piles in landfills.
Fast Fashion hurts the environment and people. Buying clothes from brands like H&M, Forever 21, Zara, etc, supports this harmful industry. Instead, shop from brands you know treat their workers fairly, shop sustainably, buy from brands that use eco-friendly materials. Thrift. Thrifting clothes creates less pollution, less resources are used, it keeps plastic from going into landfills and its affordable!
Here are a few sustainable stores to shop from.
