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A FEARFUL FUTURE CAUSED BY FAST FASHION

By Jamie-Paige Tucker


The environment and sustainability isn’t a new movement; however, it has definitely been highlighted in the media much more in recent years. In 2018 Greta Thunberg, a young activist, started campaigning for a better future for the planet. Since then the environmental movement has been accelerating and is supported by many families and celebrities all over the world. One element that gets ignored though, is fashion. In particular, fast fashion. Everyone cares about the environment until it’s about keeping up with the latest trends.


Fast fashion is the concept of retailers mass producing poor quality clothing quickly, in order to keep up with the latest runway looks and styles. This type of production is damaging to our environment. Globally the fashion industry is responsible for creating a large proportion of greenhouse gases whilst manufacturing and delivering these items.

It has been calculated that 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions are from the fashion industry, every year. This, plus the use of cheap synthetic materials being produced, emits gases like nitrous oxide, which is 300 times more toxic than carbon dioxide. When you factor in these dangerous gases, and the 1.5 trillion litres of water that goes into fashion production annually, it really is damaging the planet on a daily basis.

Toxic chemicals, textile waste and water pollution are just some of the key factors when looking at how fast fashion impacts our environment. These aren’t new factors, so why aren’t fashion brands doing more to reduce the environmental impact that their creations are having? Well one brand that is very conscious of how they are affecting the planet is ASOS.


ASOS is a British online fashion and cosmetics retailer. A brand that has been around since the early 2000’s and throughout the years has stocked multiple designer and high-street brands, as well as releasing its own branded clothing in 2004 with its debut women’s line. Ellen Freeth, Head of Corporate Media Relations, was able to shed some light on what the company has been doing to help save the planet:


Freeth said: “In 2010 we launched the Fashion with Integrity programme… This is a concept where we focus on our customers, our products, our business, and our communities’. So, we have a team that focuses just on corporate responsibility, ethical trade, and sustainable sourcing. Their job is to raise ethical and sustainability standards within our supply chain by working closely with the design and buying departments, as well as suppliers and expert organisations”


Not only is it as a company being responsible for their environmental impact, it is also encouraging other brands, as well as their customers to take responsibility too…

Freeth said: “In 2012 we joined the United nations Global Compact which is the world’s largest sustainability initiative. So, we would recommend that others become a signatory too” and Ellen continued: “On our website and mobile app, we launched a ‘responsible edit’ which allows customers to feel like they are shopping with style and sustainability in mind. In this edit there is only environmentally conscious clothing and accessories.”


So, if a huge corporation such as ASOS can try making fashion more sustainable in the industry, then why can’t other brands? Maybe they don’t know how to make fashion more sustainable? More sustainable fashion means the company’s main aim should be to minimize any environmental effect of the production. This means careful use of natural resources such as water and energy.


One way fashion retailers encourage fast fashion is by paying ‘Influencers’ to promote their latest styles. Influencers post about these looks on their social media, often with a discount code, and insist that their followers need these pieces of clothing. So, their huge following flocks to sites to buy cheap, but trendy styles that are only in fashion for a matter of weeks.


Not that this is the fault of the influencer, realistically they are just there for the pay check. But you could argue that they have a responsibility to help protect the planet too, considering they’re living on it. Many don’t even fully understand what they’re showing to their hundreds of fans, and some play ignorant. However, they aren’t all this way. Chloe Pavlou, known as @styledby.chloe online, is a 21 year old influencer who promotes sustainability and a real life image.


Chloe was very clear on her views of sustainability and what she’s doing to help promote a safer fashion future. She said: “I personally have a list of brands that I will not shop at because of their dismal efforts to promote sustainability during this fast-fashion crisis.” She continued: “I donate all my unused clothes to my friends, family and charities that need the items more than me. What lots of people don't know is that I have a Depop account for personal use and I will always search an item that I want from the high street on there before buying it in the high street.” Which is exactly what all the other influencers should be promoting too.


It was important to find out from an influencers perspective on how important it is to promote sustainability when you have a platform, rather than just accepting the PR payments, Chloe was able to answer this quite simply: “I really try to promote sustainability” she said: “But it is so difficult. Being a fashion student myself, I am more than aware of how fast fashion is killing the planet, and it makes me very self-aware of the decisions I make and what I share”.


Chloe then went on to explain the complications with this though. She said: “On the one hand, I would love to stop buying clothes altogether, but my followers want to purchase items that I wear then and there. This is also how I make money- through affiliate commission when someone buys something I share. This begs the question; can any influencer be fully sustainable? As much as everyone says that they want to be more sustainable, I'm sure if I shared an item that was really cheap from a fast fashion ecom site, they would prefer that than scouring the internet for a second-hand item for the same price.”


So unfortunately, even the fashion conscious influencers are in a predicament when it comes to choosing between the planet and the payments.


From the way it looks in 2021, fast fashion is going to continue to be an issue for a while. However, some brands and retailers are making an effort to improve the environmental impacts they are making. The more that brands get on board with sustainable alternatives, the longer our planet will survive. There is work to be done from all aspects of the fashion industry but there isn’t any reason why a more sustainable future isn’t possible. Lets just hope that everyone does their part in helping to protect our planet.

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