Fast fashion: the worrying development in the fashion world
Fast fashion is a term that has been used more and more in recent years and denotes a development in the fashion world that is questionable in many ways.
Big players such as the Swedish giant H&M, the Spanish fashion chain Zara or Primark from Ireland bring new collections to the stores almost every two to three weeks and regularly provide consumers with new trends. Produced in large quantities, these brands can sell at an attractive bargain price, further boosting the already fast-moving clothing business. The whole thing is called Fast Fashion. I would like to tell you what specific problems this development entails and how you can make your consumption habits more conscious, sustainable and simply more appropriate.
Trendsetting and price dumping: The problems of the fast fashion industry
The tight delivery times, the low sales prices and the quality demands of the consumers have an extremely negative effect, especially on the seamstresses. In the factories there is high time and performance pressure on the women workers, labour law is consistently violated, and despite numerous overtime hours, wages are often not enough for a decent life.
Buying and throwing away - a fatal cycle for people and the environment
The fast-fashion model also has major negative effects in the ecological area. Since a large part of the discarded clothing consists of cheap, non-recyclable synthetic fibres, the fabrics are not suitable for the production of new items. When washing, small parts of the fibres also get into the oceans via the wastewater. This is an extremely big ecological problem since the material is hardly biodegradable and thus further pollution of the oceans.
The water balance of cotton garments is also a serious environmental problem. Around 15,000 litres of water are required to produce a simple T-shirt, plus a considerable amount of environmentally harmful chemicals. Last but not least, the production itself emits a large amount of CO2, which drives climate change and damages the environment.
Fast fashion
Conscious consumption is the solution
On the next shopping tour, ask yourself whether you really need the items of clothing you have found and how often you are likely to use them. Such considerations raise awareness and often lead to the conclusion that a further purchase is not as necessary as previously thought. Rather, it is worthwhile to wear the existing wardrobe over a longer period of time and also across seasons and thus live more sustainably. Instead of paying a high price for a large amount of cheap clothing from the fast-fashion giant, fewer, but high-quality items are the much better option. And a look at a second-hand shop is also worthwhile! Here you can also hand in the clothes that you no longer wear.
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