BREAKING THE CYCLE

It’s more beneficial to prioritize people over product

Abright phone screen illuminates the darkness of the room. After a busy day, notifications are scrolled through and an abundance of notifications come from the popular social media app, Instagram. When the app is opened and the feed of photos and videos load, it only takes a few minutes for the first advertisement to appear on the screen. Seeing fashionable clothes for a low price captures the attention of people aimlessly scrolling. However, what people fail to take into consideration is who or what proceeds to suffer in order for these clothes to be produced and sold to the world.

Eighty percent of the Triangle staff believes Americans over-consume clothes, and according to Statista, the U.S. generates the most revenue from apparel out of any country. However, overproduction and overconsumption in the garment industry is not only limited to the United States. Worldwide, the environmental impacts of excessive clothing production and consumption far outweigh the fleeting

“trendy” feel of fast fashion.

Companies minimize production costs to maximize profits, often choosing to use fossil-fuel based materials such as polyester or nylon. These cheaply manufactured textiles not only allocate significant quantities of nonrenewable resources to making clothing that will ultimately wear out faster, but also release massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during all stages of the process. In fact, a study by global management company McKinsey found the global fashion industry produced roughly 2.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2018 alone. The environment faces all these repercussions in exchange for garments that are sometimes worn only seven to 10 times before being discarded.

Along with the negative impacts on the natural world, the profit-over-people mindset of the fast fashion industry is detrimental to society at large. The culture of fast fashion encourages consumers to buy whatever the newest style is, regardless of if they actually need that extra hoodie or that new pair of shoes. This mindset perpetuates a cycle of higher demand without the new garments actually ever being worn.

Additionally, the companies producing such garments often employ unethical practices, whether that be in material sourcing or employee treatment. Such practices are motivated by the desire to increase production rates, even if it costs human lives. In 2013, the Rana Plaza factory disaster resulted in the death of 1,134 people. Despite knowledge of the building being unsafe, workers were still told to go and put under risk due to owners prioritizing production over lives.

Despite the overwhelming negative impacts fast fashion has on the world, there are actions society can take to limit the effects. Extending the life of existing clothing instead of continuing to buy an excess amount of new clothes is a necessary step toward a cleaner planet. It is also necessary to hold companies accountable so consumers can make informed choices about their purchases.