Are you about to click on your new fashion outfit? Think twice before you buy.
Why do we say that? We say it, especially if the online store you are buying from is a sustainable alternative or just another fast fashion brand.
But where does the term fast fashion come from?
The term translates as fast fashion, which refers to clothing manufactured and sold at low prices, so people buy new clothes frequently.
The concept of this type of fashion arises to reach more people with clothes that are in trend and that are presented in the fashion week. This might seem a good idea, however, all that is involved in this type of fashion is causing serious problems for the environment.
What is the impact of fast fashion?
The impact of the textile industry is already one of the largest in the world, being the second-largest polluter, according to a report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
Within this type of modalities in the industry, people who work to manufacture these clothes do so in deplorable situations, poor wages, unhygienic situations, work shifts that are inhuman, do not have labor contracts, among other issues.
The result of this type of fashion hurts the environment, but at this time, we will talk specifically about what happens to water.
Impact on water and pollution
The impact of this industry is present in all stages of the process, from the procurement of raw materials, production, transportation, storage, and use of the clothing, until they are discarded.
The water waste we are talking about refers to virtual water, which is the amount of water directly or indirectly is involved in the manufacture of a garment.
Some examples are jeans, which involve approximately 7500 liters, tennis shoes, 4400 liters, a wool suit 4000–5500 liters of water, among others.
The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global water waste and responsible for 8% of greenhouse gases.
This manufacturing also has other consequences in the water, such as the chemicals and dyes with which they are made and which end up in the oceans when the garments are discarded, polluting the water and the land.
In addition, according to studies by the University of California, every time you wash your clothes, 1.7 grams of textile microfibers, better known as microplastics, end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans.
What is the solution?
Yes, you guessed it, the first thing would be not to click the buy button at the fast fashion choice, but also to learn new consumption habits that are more eco-friendly and that will last for a long time.
Choosing this type of model reduces the environmental impact because it proposes a circular economy model that seeks to use non-polluting fabrics, promotes recycling, and raises awareness of caring for the planet and its inhabitants.
Although it may seem a distant task, it is in each of us as consumers to have the power to choose different, so we can take care of our home, planet Earth.
