Why Fast Fashion is Hurting the Planet
- Sanjana Boddupalli
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Whenever you walk into a mall, or scroll on shopping sites you’ll see crop tops for $5, jeans for $10 and so on, with brand new styles and trends every week. At first glance, you’d think it's a dream come true, affordable, trendy, and it's everywhere. But what people don’t see is that by not costing us our money, it's costing us our planet. The term “Fast Fashion” refers to clothing that is made quickly, cheaply and in large quantities to keep up with the latest trends. Brands that release new collections every week, such as Shein, H&M, and Zara, do this because they want you to buy more, and wear it just once or twice and throw it away only to buy different clothes.
There is a reason that shirt only costs $7. It is because someone else, somewhere on the planet is paying the real price, and risking our planet as well. Every year, around 92 million tons of textile waste ends up in landfills, which is equivalent to a garbage truck full of clothes being dumped EVERY single second. Most fashion items are made from cheap materials like polyester that can take hundreds of years to break down. This means that shirt you bought on sale could outlive you and possibly even your grandchildren.
To make these clothes fast and cheap, factories use dyes and chemicals that are often dumped into rivers and oceans, especially in countries that lack strict environmental laws. These dyes are toxic and kill fish, poison the drinking water, and can affect entire ecosystems.
The fashion industry produces 10% of all global carbon emissions, which is more than international flights and shipping combined. The energy that is used to grow cotton, power factories, and ship clothing around the world is enormous.
But the thing about fast fashion is that it doesn’t just harm the environment, it harms people in the process as well. To keep the prices low, many brands exploit workers in countries like Bangladesh, India, and Vietnam. These workers are often paid less than a living wage and forced to work in unsafe conditions, with little to no rights. Think about it. No one should have to suffer just so we can get a cute outfit in two days with free shipping. So what can we do about this issue?
First of all, instead of buying 5-6 cheap tops, buy 1-2 high quality pieces instead that will last you longer. Choose fabrics like organic cotton, linen, or recycled materials. Thrift stores, vintage shops, and clothing swaps are the best way to buy unique and affordable pieces. Next, start taking care of what you own. Fix small rips and avoid throwing out clothing that isn’t in style. After all, fashion is a cycle. What is old now, may be back again next year. Lastly, speaking up about this matter can inform others who don’t know about this situation.
The fashion industry won’t change overnight, but we can. Fast fashion thrives on our silence , our clicks, and our impulse buys. But the moment we start making intentional choices, we begin to shift power away from the industry– and toward our planet.
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to start.
Sanjana Boddupalli, Bentonville, AR, 9th Grade, Instagram - @sanjubodd
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