Why Now Is the Time to Say Goodbye to Fast Fashion -

Why Now Is the Time to Say Goodbye to Fast Fashion

The Hidden Costs Associated with Fast Fashion

Textile Waste
Fast Fashion relies on people constantly purchasing clothing that is designed to be thrown away within the first few uses and the companies involved in fast fashion profit off this immense waste, With seemingly no care to what they are doing. To put into perspective, from the near 100 billion pieces of clothing produced every year, around 92 billion of them end up being discarded in landfills, showcasing the massive waste that fast fashion generates with little to no regard of its environmental impact (Bick et al., 2018)

Labour Exploitation/Human Rights Violations
Labour practices within the fast fashion industry are often highly exploitative, especially in countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam, where low wages, unsafe working conditions and long hours are common. Some workers, including women and even sometimes children, face minimal labour protections and a lack of union support. This can make it highly difficult to challenge these conditions. Tragic incidents, like the Rana Plaza Collapse, showcases the severe risks workers face to meet fast fashions demand for cheap and quick production

Why Supporting Ethical Brands is Crucial

However, more recently a lot of ethical brands are on the rise. These brands are using ethical production methods and materials to produce high quality clothing, that won’t be thrown out right away for consumers who are looking to support ethical fashion

Unlike the fast fashion industry, ethical brands employ fair labour practices and producing clothing with organic materials such as cotton or recycled fabrics. Furthermore these brands often use second hand clothing to ensure there’s less waste in the industry, all of this allows for fair wages and safe working conditions to occur while producing clothing that is far more sustainable for the planet.

By choosing to support ethical brands, consumers also contribute to long-term change in the fashion industry. As demand for sustainable, responsibly made clothing grows, more companies will be pressured to adopt ethical practices. This shift has the potential to create a new standard for how fashion is produced, with a focus on reducing harm to both people and the planet.

In a world that is highly dominated by fast fashion, finding genuine sustainable clothing brands can be difficult. As consumers are growing more conscious of their environmental impact, the demand for transparency, fair labour practices is on the rise.

To make informed choices, it’s important to understand the factors that make ethical fashion brands. Ethical brands usually focus on eco friendly materials, often using organic cotton, hemp, recycled polyester or other sustainable fabrics. Many brands also adopt a zero waste policy, promoting clothing repair and in turn contribute to the circular economy.

If you need help with trying to find more sustainable and ethical brands, check out Ethical or Not to find brands that align with your values and commitment to sustainability