A Call for Sustainable and Conscious Consumerism in Fashion

By Katie Brenneman

Fashion is many things to many people. Fashion is a tool for establishing community, showing which people culturally align with one another. Fashion is a means of personal expression, a way to tell everyone exactly who a person is, what they like and believe. Fashion is art, a medium for exploring colour, texture, beauty, and meaning. And, increasingly, fashion is a method of mindless consumption, so people can mechanically spend their money chasing hollow trends in pursuit of some fleeting sense of self-importance or worth, and in doing so, it devastates the natural ecosystem and puts countless communities at serious risk.

Much ink has been spilled upon the effects of the fashion industry on people’s minds and bodies, how unreasonable standards for body size and shape or facial structure have compelled people around the world to take unhealthy and even fatal measures in pursuit of the ever-shifting ideals of beauty. However, it is becoming abundantly apparent that individual distress isn’t the only threat the fashion industry poses to the health and well-being of the world.

Fashion is one of the dirtiest industries, with some of the least sustainable practices — and many fashion-forward shoppers are unconsciously supporting some of the worst offenders. The solution is to engage with fashion more thoughtfully, and the first step to doing so is to learn about all the continuing harm perpetuated by the fashion industry.

What Is the Fashion Industry Doing Wrong?

The fashion industry as a whole is responsible for roughly 10% of global carbon emissions — which is equivalent to the emissions of the entire European Union. To some extent, all businesses related to fashion are to blame for the wanton wastefulness of their industry, but in truth, the worst practices occur within fast fashion, a corner of the industry obsessed with producing and selling garments as quickly as possible to leverage fast-moving trends. Often, fast fashion companies generate vast amounts of products and can offer exceedingly low prices, which keeps consumers engaged.

Of course, this business model presents more than a handful of serious dangers, such as:

Water

As the second largest industry consumer of water, fashion is particularly egregious with its consumption of freshwater. Even for slow fashion companies, garments are particularly thirsty; it can take over 2,7000 liters of water to produce a cotton shirt or over 11,000 liters to make a pair of jeans. In total, the annual water use of the fashion industry is about 93 billion cubic meters per year, which is about enough to meet the water needs of more than 5 million people.

What’s more, fashion companies are notoriously bad about water pollution. The process of dyeing garments can be dangerous; leftover water from dye baths is dumped onto the ground or, worse, into streams or rivers, contaminating water used for drinking and washing. Because much of fashion production occurs in areas that lack consistent and effective water treatment, this kind of water pollution can impact the health of entire communities for generations.

Microplastics

Microplastics are teeny-tiny, sometimes microscopic, shards of non-biodegradable plastic, and they have lately become a serious source of environmental concern. Scientists are finding microplastics absolutely everywhere, from every corner of the human body to inside organisms recovered from the deep sea. Though it isn’t obvious what the long-term effects of microplastic proliferation will be, we are already seeing widespread disease and death, which are likely tied to unhealthy levels of microplastic consumption.

Though many industries use plastic and are thus responsible for microplastics, the fashion industry is an outsized contributor to the problem. An estimated 36% of all microplastics in the ocean can be traced to synthetic textiles or fabrics made from plastic-based fibers like polyester, nylon, and acrylic. Clothing made from these textiles continuously sheds microplastics, beginning with production, through wearing and washing, and certainly after the clothes are tossed in the trash; the entire lifecycle of synthetic fabrics is dangerous to the environment.

Energy

Creating clothing is energy-intensive, no matter how you look at it. The transfiguration of petroleum into plastic fibers into textiles requires huge amounts of energy, but converting natural fibers, like cotton, flax, or hemp, is just as demanding. Though human labour is involved in the creation of clothing (more on that in a second), a significant amount of the energy utilised by the fashion industry comes from unsustainable sources, like petroleum and coal power plants.

As a result, fashion is responsible for the emission of more than 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, which amounts to about 10% of global emissions. Unfortunately, this figure is projected to increase by up to 60% before 2030 — assuming changes to consumer practices do not occur.

Labour

Unfortunately, the bad behaviour of the fashion industry is not restricted to its environmental impacts. The industry is immensely reliant on human labour, primarily in developing economies where companies can pay exploitatively low wages — even as low as $26 per month. Most of the labourers in garment factories are women and children, some of whom are forced into work in what most consider to be modern-day slavery. Factory conditions are far from safe; workers are rarely protected against devastating accidents or the spread of disease.

None of this information is new. The fashion industry has been exploiting the cheap labour, tax breaks, and convenient lack of laws and regulations in developing nations for decades. Despite awareness of the issue and its ethical implications, companies do not seem inclined to care unless and until consumers do.

What Can We Do to Stop It?

Because there are plenty of problems with how the fashion industry operates, there are plenty of actions companies within the fashion industry can take to reduce their negative impacts. Some of the solutions seem simple:

Paying garment workers living wages, regardless of their geographic location or economic situation. Everyone deserves the opportunity to earn enough to cover at least their basic needs: housing, food, utilities, and healthcare. Ideally, fashion companies would entirely avoid the exploitation of developing economies and relocate their operations closer to home, where their factories could positively impact economies locally to their target consumer audience.

Investing in sustainable energy sources, like solar panels and wind turbines. Companies might build sustainable energy sources for their own use or invest in energy solutions in the areas where they locate their factories. Brands might take steps to eliminate their carbon footprint in other ways, such as supporting reforestation. Note that some companies buy “carbon offsets” to “even out” their emissions, but not all of those offsets are legitimate. Always do your research.

Utilising natural and biodegradable fibers and textiles. Admittedly, there are hazards associated with natural materials, as well — land use, pesticide application, chemical tanning, etc. — but at least biodegradable cloth won’t cause unforeseeable harm hundreds of years into the future.

Reducing production to eliminate excess inventory and responsibly disposing of excess inventory when necessary. The environmental impact of excess inventory is substantial. It might be time for fashion companies to quit chasing fleeting trends and focus on designs that will remain appealing to consumers for longer periods. Additionally, companies should invest more in accurate demand predictions to prevent creating a wasteful oversupply.

Unfortunately, fashion companies are not apt to make any of these changes out of the goodness of their hearts. Thus, consumers need to make the conscious choice to refuse support for harmful fashion practices. As much as possible, consumers should strive to take advantage of second-hand clothing markets, like thrift stores or online reselling platforms. Learning to sew can also help consumers breathe new life into old, outdated clothing styles, allowing them to continue pursuing the latest trends.

At the very least, consumers should actively research clothing brands and purchase only from those committed to safe, healthy, and ethical garment production. Unfortunately, buying only from so-called slow fashion companies can get expensive, as clothing made sustainably and ethically tends to come from smaller, more local brands that can ill-afford to slash prices. To keep clothing costs low, consumers might invest in pieces that will last, both by remaining in style and surviving regular wear and tear.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Like almost everyone else, I want to look good. I spend my hard-earned money on clothes that suit my tastes and highlight my attributes; I change out my wardrobe every so often to avoid appearing comically out of trend, and in the past, I opted to shop at inexpensive retailers, where I could walk out with bags of new tops, bottoms, shoes, and accessories without breaking my budget.

However, cheap, fast fashion does not align with my values. I strive to live sustainably, minimise my negative impact and promote well-being, not just of the natural environment but of my fellow human beings. Thus, I have decided that I will no longer participate in unsustainable, unconscious consumption of fashion — and I hope you will join me after you have learned of the fashion industry’s short- and long-term effects on the world around us.

About the Author

Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in lifestyle, mental health, education, and fitness-related content. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Katie, you can follow her on Twitter.