The Fashion Industry is Destroying Our World | Estee Groschel Cohen

From toxic dyes to water contamination, the fashion industry has contributed to a major global environmental crisis for hundreds of years. As fast fashion dominates the market, clothing companies are fueling a cycle of pollution and waste, greatly threatening the future of our planet. But to what extent will these companies go? How much longer can we ignore the real cost clothes have on our world?

With the rise of social media, numerous clothing companies have utilized these platforms to market their products and reach a large target audience. According to a 2020 press release, Shein (the world’s largest fashion retailer) sells more than 36 million pounds of goods annually. Due to extremely low prices, Shein has piqued the curiosity of many and has gained immense popularity, primarily targeted at Generation Z shoppers. Shein claims to be committed to utilizing only sustainable fabrics and being an ethical fashion brand, however, recent research has proven otherwise. Shein is not certified by labor standards, and there is no evidence that it uses eco-friendly materials or has any policies that minimize the impacts of microplastics.

Similar to Shein, other fashion companies such as H&M, Zara, and Forever 21 manufacture more than 450 million clothing items every day. The US Labor Department discovered that Forever 21 pays its factory workers as little as $4 an hour, which is greatly below the state’s minimum wage requirement. Clothing brands like such claim to be using 100% recycled plastic and packaging, but have made no plan to address their textile pollution problem or their extensive impact they have on the environment. With the rise of clothing consumption, the fashion industry continues to pollute rivers and release dangerous chemical gas emissions, dumping approximately 8,000 chemicals in streams and water sources. In fact, textile production is responsible for about 30% of global water contamination, which ends up in our landfills and other natural landscapes.

With trending fashion companies rising in popularity, the constant need for new apparel is rapidly increasing and has resulted in major consequences. With this, the fast fashion industry has proven to be a prime example of the dangers of the micro-trend cycle and how its production is responsible for environmental pollution. Its cheap labor and extreme environmental costs may seem invisible to consumers, but as we start to notice mountains of discarded textiles and chemical-infused streams, our perspective is bound to shift. Without significant improvement, the industry’s influence will continue to harm and threaten the future of our planet, emphasizing the urgency to find sustainable and ethical solutions before it is too late.