What is fast fashion
- Written by Tina Franklin
Fast fashion is a term that describes a business model in the clothing industry where new trends are rapidly moved from the catwalk to stores to meet consumer demand. It's characterized by quick production times, frequent new collections, and low prices, making trendy clothing accessible to a wide audience.
The environmental and social impact of fast fashion is significant. It is considered the second-largest contributor to CO2 emissions, after the oil industry. A truckload of abandoned textiles is dumped in landfill or incinerated every second. Australia, for example, is the second-highest consumer of textiles globally, with the average Australian consuming 27 kilograms of new clothing and disposing of 23 kilograms to landfill each year. This amounts to 93% of the textile waste generated.
The drive for cheap clothing comes at a significant human cost. Garment workers in developing countries are often paid extremely low wages, sometimes as little as $3 a day, which is not enough to feed their children. This can lead to children being sold into slavery or being vulnerable in orphanages, where they are exposed to abuse and abandonment. The Baptist World Aid's 2024 Ethical Fashion Report found that 89% of brands failed to pay garment workers a living wage at any part of their supply chain.
Despite the known issues, the consumption of fast fashion continues to rise, partly due to economic pressures causing consumers to justify cheaper purchases. The terms "ethical" and "sustainable" have lost their impact, and consumers are not always educated on why these issues matter.
