Feeling low? How about some retail therapy at one of the high street fast fashion brands? It’s an inexpensive way to feel better about ourselves isn’t it? Well, maybe we’re waking up to the hidden costs of fast fashion after a raft of documentaries and publications illustrating its climate, environmental and human impacts. Here are some sobering facts:
- Fashion makes up 8-10% of total GHG emissions, that’s more than aviation and shipping combined – and is projected to increase to 25% by 2050. Source – https://unece.org/forestry/press/un-alliance-aims-put-fashion-path-sustainability.
- Global clothing production has roughly doubled in the last 15 years but 60% of all clothing is disposed of within a year of production. Source – https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-017-0058-9.
- Workers in fast fashion are often badly paid, work in unsafe conditions in countries particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Source – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-0zHqYGnlo.
Maybe if we could see those costs on the price tag we might think twice before we buy.
We don’t think much about clothing having a carbon footprint. But it’s got a pretty hefty one. When we calculate the carbon footprint of a garment, we need to take into account emissions from the whole life cycle. That’s raw material cultivation, extraction and processing, material production and garment manufacturing, consumer care (washing, drying etc) AND end of life (landfill usually).
Amazingly, 53% of emissions are concentrated in material production, and 23% in raw material extraction, (source – Apparel Impact Institute). There is much that can be done by producers to understand the environmental impact of a garment’s impacts both upstream and downstream of it’s lifecycle. These producers can then work to reduce emissions through careful choices and support for sustainable operations. As consumers, we can also make more careful choices, seeking out labels which demonstrate credentials with a low environmental and social impact.
More and more clothing is being produced to feed our ever expanding desire for fashion items. Since 2000, European fashion brands went from releasing just two new collections per year to up to 24. Major fast-fashion brands nowadays put out new collections at speed – H&M puts out from 12 to 16 and Zara puts out up to 24 new collections per year. Does supply feed demand or demand feed supply? Whichever way, it has led to an increasing amount of cheap clothing flooding the market. The vast majority of which are discarded after a handful of uses. In fact, in 2019, the Guardian reported that a third of young women think that a garment is old after it’s been worn twice.
Part of the answer to this might be a change from the current linear “Take Make Waste” model of clothing production, to a circular model which designs in sustainable production methods and the re-use of resources. More and more fashion designers are using this model as they appreciate the devastating impact fashion production has on the planet’s ecosystems, with damaging microplastics putting vital food chains at risk in our oceans, chemical dyes polluting our waterways and insecticides and fertilisers putting soil health at risk.
Fast fashion production often takes place in developing countries where workers not only face the challenges of extreme weather but also poor working conditions and minimal pay. In fact, workers in the fast fashion industry receive less than half of the money they need to reach a decent standard of living. https://wageindicator.org/salary/living-wage. Ensuring a living wage is provided to workers in developing nations is part of the just transition which is key to a low emissions, low carbon economy.
What can we do to change this huge industry which is seemingly in freefall? Firstly, we can learn more about climate change, how it relates to our lifestyles and why we need to cut emissions fast. We can then look around us and decide what we as individuals are able to change – whether it’s at home, in our community or at work. Fortunately, our shopping habits are an area where we have complete control, and more and more of us are reconsidering our purchasing decisions in the light of the climate crisis. We’re buying less, and when we do, vintage or used clothing is considered cool. For new purchases there are many independent more circular, sustainable labels to choose from. These produce ranges which have a low carbon, minimum impact on our environment, as well as paying fair wages and providing safe, healthy work conditions for garment workers. We’re having clothes swap parties with our friends. We’re renting, instead of buying, for those special occasions. We’re realising the benefits of organic materials to our skin and the planet as opposed to those made of oil based, synthetic fabrics. We’re taking care of our clothes, minimising washing synthetic fabrics to reduce microplastics in our waterways. We are choosing quality over quantity.
Our current means of producing clothing comes at a huge social and environmental cost. How can we reduce that cost? Rethinking retail therapy could be a good start.