Life of a Crocs Employee The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion

the environmental impact of

FastFASHION Story by E’udrice Gildon | Photos by Casey Rothgeb | Design by Itzel Montoya

Up to 85% of all textiles end up in landfills each year, according to Business Insider. Because of this, the same site also reports that the fashion industry is responsible for 20% of all industrial water pollution worldwide.

Water pollution is only one of the many results that are attached to fast fashion, which is why it can be important to understand what fast fashion is and it’s environmental impact.

What is Fast Fashion? Fast fashion has many different moving pieces that have a large impact on the fashion industry.

“Fast fashion is a method that accelerates the normal apparel manufacturing process in order to produce new collections that can be seen in stores such as Zara, Forever 21 or H&M as soon as within two weeks,” says Abbey Obernberger, senior Apparel, Textiles and Merchandising major.

One of the biggest appeals of this area of the fashion industry is the price point. “The big draw with fast fashion companies is the price point and how quickly they can produce more styles,” explains Allysa Swanson, customer service coordinator for Arvin Goods, an ethically-made apparel company based out of Seattle.

“This would definitely draw the people who strive to follow trends as they can always add to their wardrobe and be up-to-date with the latest fashions. The pricing also targets a large part of the population who can’t afford designer or name brand prices,” says Swanson. Behind-the-Scenes Although the prices may be enticing, it can be beneficial to understand the underlying impacts of fast fashion before purchasing your next crop top or fuzzy bucket hat. “[The manufacturing] process, however, is not very sustainable and with the large amount of materials and labor needed to sustain this process, it tends to take a toll on the environment as well as cause ethical issues when it comes to overseas factories and the treatment of their workers,” adds Obernberger.

According to Andrea Eklund, professor and program director of Apparel, Textiles and Merchandising, the concept of fast fashion originates from the very beginning of the production process. She also explains that these items are typically of cheaper quality than other brands due to this rushed timeline.

But what is considered to be cheap material? “Cheap would mean synthetic material, [or material] made from plastic. Easy to manufacture, so cheap to buy and cheap to make. Natural fibers are much better quality, but more expensive to manufacture,” explains Obernberger.

According to Earth Island Journal, a publication from Earth Island Institute, a nonprofit environmental organization, “Most clothes are made out of synthetic fibers, also known as, plastics like nylon or polyester … Once created, they won’t decompose for hundreds of years.”

This is an issue that deals with more than just the impact of using cheap materials, but also the environmental impact in certain countries where the clothes are produced.

“For a long time the fashion industry has ranked highly as a big polluter and the question of ethics has come into play time and time again in regards to workers overseas,” explains Swanson. “As we have seen over the last couple years, there’s been a push for sustainability and improved ethics in the fashion industry.”

As people have become more environmentally conscious, one of people’s main concerns has been considered to be water pollution; which also happens to be one of the fast fashion industry’s biggest offenses. The Hidden Cost “There are parts of the world where there are entire lakes gone or parts of the sea that are gone, or the wastewater treatment in a factory causes people to die because of the bad conditions they are in,” explains Eklund.

Eklund explains that some of the factories do not treat their water in a specific way that makes it easier for dark blue dye to come out of jeans. These factories — often fast fashion factories — that don’t treat the water have to rinse the jeans multiple times which pushes more and more of the dye into the ocean.

This is one of the major consequences associated with materials used by fast fashion companies. “Unfortunately, the water system is not treated well and because of that, that has a negative impact within the streams, rivers and lakes that these factories pollute,” adds Eklund.

Because of the lack of proper treatment to the fabric used in these fast fashion clothing items, Business Insider notes that fast fashion is responsible for being the second largest consumer of the world’s water supply.

While fast fashion has a sizable impact on the world, the Ellensburg community is just as affected by this part of the fashion industry.

Swanson says, “The impact of the fast fashion retailers can definitely be seen from the streets of Ellensburg. It’s partly a college town, so on the weekends or for school events when you need a great new bikini for the pond … your outfit options are probably provided by fast fashion retailers.”

Implementing positive change is a step in the right direction that store owners and consumers can take to limit the impact of fast fashion on the environment.

“Store owners need to look into brands whoare following ethical practices and brands who are trying to minimize their ecological footprint … so store owners need to stand up and play their part in putting these options in front of the customers,” says Swanson.

One way owners can start this process is by informing customers and introducing new, researched products to their shelves. Swanson explains, “The more ethical [or] sustainable items in a store, the more shoppers decisions start to make a difference. Not all customers want to or have the time to do the research needed to know everything about these topics.”

There are ways that this can occur even before the products arrive at the store. “It is very possible to provide consumers with sustainable and ethical options but that shouldn’t be left up to the consumer to tackle alone,” adds Swanson. “The ethical and sustainable practices need to be a part of the design process from the very beginning and trickle all the way down to the stores where the consumers purchase the goods.”

Some companies like H&M are taking it upon themselves to be accountable in dealing with fast fashion from the beginning of this process. According to Eklund, “[H&M is] a fast fashion company, but they have a conscious line, where they’re using organic cotton or recycled polyester, so they are doing it in a smarter way.”

When store owners enforce a policy, that effort translates into a collective effort from everyone. What Can You Do? “The customers need to start being educated and speaking up, but then, the retailers need to start seeing where they can make that impact and just being smarter in the way they are doing things for their company, for the environment, for their customers and being transparent about it,” says Eklund.

Fast fashion has become common practice in today’s world of always-changing trends. But this area of the industry can be harmful to the environment and to workers. Before you think about your next online H&M or Forever 21 spree, consider whether or not supporting fast fashion industries is something you want to do.