By Lucia Gagliano
I tell people that I am interested in sustainable fashion, and it is why I became a fashion merchandising major, but I rarely go further into detail about this topic. Maybe it is because I am still trying to find a way to tell others how important it is to me, which is what I am hoping to achieve in this series. I should start off by saying the term “sustainable fashion” is too broad and can mean something different to each person. If I really want to get my ideas across, I would say I am working towards becoming a sustainable fashion consumer by buying from second-hand or ethically sourced stores. I have been practicing this way of shopping for three years now, and have found new stores and styles as a result. But I am still working on being completely sustainable, and want to be as transparent as possible with my shopping decisions over the last few years. I will share a realistic idea of what it means to shop ethically and sustainably. I hope to share my story and provide insight into fashion sustainability to make others reconsider their own buying habits.
My favorite stores as a junior in high school were American Eagle, Hollister, and Urban Outfitters. I would go to the mall every so often to restock the clothes I grew out of. I was aware that fast fashion was bad for the environment, and production was mainly outsourced overseas where factory conditions were unethical but never stopped to consider the full impact of this.
It was thanks to a school project that I was able to take the time to research the fast fashion industry’s environmental and ethical effects. Once I had the facts put in front of me, I saw how my individual actions contributed to a global issue. I decided to stop buying directly from fast fashion companies in order to support this industry as little as possible. Before I
continue my story, I want to share a brief overview of this information that convinced me to become a sustainable consumer.
As throwaway culture has become normalized, there are more raw materials being used up and thrown away in a shorter amount of time. Clothing production has moved overseas to accommodate increased demand, which has created environmental drawbacks due to the lack of these countries’ environmental regulations. Clothing disposal begins as the garment is being made, as a report by the Global Fashion Agenda and Boston Consulting Group in 2017 finds that 35% of raw materials are thrown away. Currently, only 20% of used clothing worldwide becomes recycled or reused (Blaisdell, Betsy et. al, “Pulse of the Fashion Industry”). A briefing from the European Parliamentary Research Service adds that the fashion industry is responsible for 92 million tons of textile waste, and 79 billion cubic meters of water usage (Šajn, Nikolina, “Environmental Impact of The Textile and Clothing Industry”). Industry-related CO2 emissions will increase 60% by 2030 to amount to 2.8 billion tons yearly. Local waterways are affected, as chemicals from factories are incorrectly disposed of into ecosystems causing environmental damage (Blaisdell, Betsy et. al, “Pulse of the Fashion Industry”). What’s scary is the lack of information made available by companies on the safety of chemicals, but a study from the Swedish Chemicals Agency found that 10% were at high risk for humans when in contact, especially those making the garments (“Chemicals in Textiles - Risks to Human Health and the Environment”).
Outsourcing production to these countries additionally supports unsafe working conditions and unlivable wages. The Global Fashion Agenda & Boston Consulting Group reports there are 1.4 million fashion industry work-related injuries per year, which is projected to increase to 1.6 million by 2030. Additionally, 87% of employers in this industry do not follow
minimum wage standards, which is half of what it should be to be considered a livable amount (Blaisdell, Betsy et. al, “Pulse of the Fashion Industry”). There are arguments that ceasing ties with these countries will put many out of work, which should be put into account, so it is essential to establish laws here that guarantee safe working conditions and fair wages. New clothing companies should focus on manufacturing their products in facilities that use ethical practices, work with reused materials, and under environmentally safe regulations.
There is much more in-depth on the full impact done by this industry, which I encourage you to look through these studies. Responsibility should be put on these companies for their disregard for workers’ safety and care of the environment. This starts with creating laws limiting companies’ ability to take advantage of these countries, and working with these governments to create a safe work environment.
Learning this drove me to reconsider my then support of fast fashion companies by buying directly from them. So I began to make immediate changes, which will be discussed in the next section.
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