There are many reasons, recently highlighted in the news, why fast fashion is damaging not only to the environment but to the economy and people’s livelihood. Students have the chance to make a real impact in reducing this mass production of fashion. They can help limit the material waste the fashion industry produces through charity shopping. The issues of fast fashion can be debated for hours. However, this article highlights how students can help this growing issue…and why they should.
Air Pollution
Due to fashion companies producing their goods from outside the United Kingdom, the air miles and carbon emissions to get these clothes to where they are sold from where they were produced are causing significant harm to the environment.
This contributes to global warming and the climate crisis that we find ourselves in. Active changes can and should be made by students to help fight this. Local shopping, recycling clothes, visiting charity shops as well as using apps such as Depop, can all contribute to the decline of waste and pollution from fast fashion.
Young people’s culture has developed into wearing articles of clothing once and then purchasing another item. This is done instead of reusing and re-styling what that they already have. This causes detrimental harm to the environment, as the air miles and pollution caused to sustain this ever growing and flippant one time use of clothing, has caused a huge effect on climate change. Young people must start to recycle and reuse clothing to help their environment, and thus their future.
The Violation of Human Rights
The companies that make these clothes at such low prices are using sweatshops in other counties to achieve their low spending goal. These have extremely bad working conditions. This leads to an unsafe environment for employees, low pay, low quality of living, and people working in potentially dangerous factories.
There have been reports of factory collapses where no company has owned up to own the establishment due to the fcat they would receive an unprecedented amount of negativity through the media. Exposing unsafe conditions of their workers would highlight how their company violates human rights and the safety of their workers.
This incident occurred in 2013 when Rana Plaza’s collapsed. When this building structure collapsed 1132 people were killed in Bangladesh, these were workers of companies such as Primark and Walmart. Yet no real responsibility or accountability was taken. It took days to retrieve bodies from the wreckage. This tragedy goes on to show how people must be educated about how the fast fashion industry comes at human cost. To produce the high quantity of cheap clothes, unnecessarily, they are risking human life. Not buying into these industries and companies can contribute massively to decreasing the wasted materials and unsafe conditions that people have work in.
Overall in university life and community, students should look into local shops and support local businesses. Additionally, go to charity shops and use recycled close apps. Instead of going to big corporations where pollution from Air miles is causing mass destruction and harm, as well as violating human rights, pop into your local charity shop. Look into your universities clothes swap sites to ensure you are doing your best to fight against this fast fashion madness, and keep the fashion industry as sustainable as possible.