How to Reduce Negative Impacts of Fast Fashion Essay Example

Fast fashion is everywhere; most of the websites people buy clothes from are part of the fast-fashion chain. Multiple factors contribute to creating the clothes and the sustainability of them. Fast fashion has its problems, and some issues should change, such as the effects on the environment and the labor that goes into it. There are multiple different steps to take action towards the negative impacts of fast fashion, such as reducing waste and treating sweatshop workers humanly. 
When people are shopping for clothes, they do not take in the environmental damage. According to the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, "fashion is responsible for 92 million tons of solid waste dumped in landfills each year." Meaning that it contributes to the global pollution problem; clothing contains dye and chemicals released into the air when they are decomposing. Clothes are made up of two types of fibers, natural and synthetic. The natural fibers are composed of cotton, and polyester is synthetic fibers. Since polyester is a synthetic textile, it developed from oils and whatnot, while cotton needs water and pesticides. Most of the issues derive from textile dyeing, which results in additional hazards as untreated wastewater from dyes is often discharged into local water systems, releasing heavy metals and other toxicants. Around 100,000 marine animals are killed each year by plastic waste, including microfibers(Bick, Rachel, Halsey, Erika, Ekenga, Christine C). Plus, the amount of debris from the shipping progress is enormous. Although we can recycle cardboard, the plastic bags clothes are initially in can not. There are some companies such as PVH, Amazon, and ASOS that have adopted eco-friendly packaging. Using cotton and polyester is unavoidable; it is everyone's first choice for fabric, but there are other choices. According to Rachel Bick and Erika Halsey, " Fabrics such as Lyocell, made from the cellulose of bamboo, are made in a closed-loop production cycle in which 99% of the chemicals used to develop fabric fibers are recycled." So there are more options for fibers that are more eco-friendly and human-friendly. 
A great solution to this issue is to recycle the clothes that we already have, creating a no-waste society just like the food industry.  Upcycling clothes, thrifting, and or returning clothes to the company could eliminate some of the waste produced. Upcycling is probably the most efficient for some people, it is a sewing process, and it is cheaper to make new clothes. You can also create new garments out of deadstock, secondhand or vintage materials - it has become a fundamental way brands have figured out how to help people, the planet, and their profits (Greenblatt 4). The thrifting community has grown because of Gen Z and their high demand for vintage clothing, and their views on fast fashion. After discussing the controversy with local thrifers in the area,  only a few of them did not realize they were helping the economy, but most did. One of the girls had an intriguing viewpoint; she stated that " not only can thrifting can cut down the waste from the environment, but it can also help low-income families buy pricier clothes for cheap." Families with a low-income aid the environment subconsciously; they have hand-me-downs, and they thrift, creating a no-waste space. Depending on the store, fast fashion already sets a more accessible price than designer clothes; that is why everyone already shops fast fashion. 
Although fast fashion is cheap and obtainable, it is not all glitters and gold. The labor that goes into the product can become questioned as being inhumane. In 2013, the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh collapsed, taking 1134 lives and snapping the world to attend. Under the pressure of a global supply chain demanding high production quotas for poverty wages, workers had been daily entering an eight-story building on the brink of structural collapse( Harrison 1). Factories are supposed to be well-constructed, so incidents such as that refrain from happening, but would not the high demand for clothes bring in more money for the company?  According to the article called Sweatshop Labor, "The industry employs more than 3 million workers in Bangladesh and pays a minimum wage of about $38 a month." Which is 3,223 BDT and the lowest average monthly salary is 6,580 BDT, meaning these people are barely making enough to stay afloat. Most sweatshops are scared to ask for better working conditions from the U.S and Europeans because they can not afford to lose big businesses.  They believe the unfair wages, sexual harassment, and poor conditions are worth the pay from westernized countries, so they avoid asking for better conditions. Although polls show that Americans would be willing to pay more money for clothing manufactured under humane conditions, goods often labeled fair trade ( S.S Labor 8). it might seem like a good plan until the research goes too far, what most companies do is sign a contract overseas, and they have the people they signed it to make subcontracts so it can never become pinpointed where clothes come from or what labor goes into it. Prime Minister. Sheikh Hasina Wazed promoted several measures intended to improve working conditions by proposing that they allow apparel factory workers to form trade unions more efficiently, increase severance pay, and create a welfare fund for workers ( S.S Labor 33). His requests are reasonable; each person that works under him deserves a chance to work without fear or feel like they are working for pennies. Restrictions should automatically become one with the company right when Americans and Europeans sign the contracts. Inhumane conditions are eventually going to start affecting how the clothing will look and how durable it will be and not in a good way. They should not have to abide by the rules damaging their people and environment.
The issues with fast fashion are not fast fashion itself; it is the damage it causes in the environment and the labor that comes with it. The solutions can hopefully develop over time and become appropriately used. The more people buy clothes fast-fashion will live on, the only thing people can do is lighten the load.