Research Article

Environmental and Human Impacts of Fast Fashion

Boyi FangUniversity of Ottawa*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

The fashion industry undergoes constant evolution driven by changes in consumer preferences. Fast fashion is loved by many by selling large quantities of different styles of clothing cheaply and updating them very quickly. However, with the increasing popularity of fast fashion as consumption trends, environmental concerns and human rights are gaining more attention. Issues such as resource overexploitation and injustice for workers are becoming prominent topics of discussion among the public. In this context, this study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the ecological and human impact of minimalist clothing and fast fashion, with a focal point highlighting the significance of environmental issues in the fashion industry. The study will examine key aspects such as resource consumption, waste production, and labour rights to discuss the impact of these fashion choices on the environment and humanity. The study concludes that the negative impacts of fast fashion are not only environmental but also human rights. These findings emphasize the need for the fashion industry to shift towards sustainability. By highlighting the environmental impact of fast fashion, this study seeks to inspire positive changes in consumer behavior and contribute to protecting workers’ rights and ecosystems. Stakeholders such as consumers, brands and policymakers must unite to turn these insights into practical action to create a fairer, greener fashion industry.

Keywords: fast fashion; environmental concerns; ecosystem; human rights; minimalism
Published: November 20, 2023
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/15/20230660
Volume: CHR Vol.15
pp. 166-171
Download PDF

References

  1. Williams, E. (2022, July 6). Appalling or advantageous? exploring the impacts of fast fashion from environmental, social, and Economic Perspectives: Published in Journal for Global Business and Community. Journal for Global Business and Community. https://jgbc.scholasticahq.com/article/36873-appalling-or-advantageous-exploring-the-impacts-of-fast-fashion-from-environmental-social-and-economic-perspectives
  2. Wittig, S., & Wittig, S. (2020, January 25). The real cost of fast fashion: An essay exploring the fashion industry’s social and environmental issues. Eco Warrior Princess. https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2019/05/real-cost-fast-fashion-essay-fashion-industrys-social-environmental-issues/
  3. Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H. et al. Author Correction: The environmental price of fast fashion. Nat Rev Earth Environ 1, 278 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0054-x
  4. Navarro, A. M. (2021). An Analysis on the Environmental Impact of the Fashion Industry (Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
  5. Miller, Jordan, “The Textile Industry: A Deep Look into the Environmental Impacts of Fast Fashion” (2020). Honors Theses. 3353. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/3353
  6. Mukherjee, S. (2015). Environmental and Social Impact of Fashion: Towards an Eco-friendly. Ethical Fashion, 2, 14.
  7. Ruggiero, M. R., Schamber, A., & Schroeder, O. (2021, April). Cleansing the oceans of plastic pollution - clear blue sea. WHITE PAPER. https://www.clearbluesea.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Fast-Fashion-White-Paper-2021-09-15.pdf
  8. Bick, R., Halsey, E. & Ekenga, C.C. The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environ Health 17, 92 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7
  9. Bianchi, C., & Birtwistle, G. (2012). Consumer clothing disposal behaviour: A comparative study. International journal of consumer studies, 36(3), 335-341.
  10. Sharma, R., Sharma, M., Sharma, R., & Sharma, V. (2013). The impact of incinerators on human health and environment. Reviews on environmental health, 28(1), 67-72. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/reveh-2012-0035/html
  11. Adamcová, D., Vaverková, M. D., Bartoň, S., Havlíček, Z., & Břoušková, E. (2016). Soil contamination in landfills: a case study of a landfill in Czech Republic. Solid Earth, 7(1), 239-247.https://se.copernicus.org/articles/7/239/2016/
  12. Aishwariya, S., & Jaisri, M. J. (2020). Harmful effcts of textile wastes.
  13. Aishwariya, S. (2018). Waste management technologies in textile industry. Innov Ener Res, 7(211), 2576-1463.
  14. Papadopoulou, K. (2021, March). Ethics in labour: Hidden human rights in the fast fashion industry-uom.gr. https://dspace.lib.uom.gr/bitstream/2159/25703/5/PapadopoulouKonstantinaMsc2021.pdf
  15. Martin-Woodhead, A. (2017, July). Minimalism as sustainable fashion. In Conference paper:’Circular economy: transitioning to sustainability.
  16. Julia Adamkiewicz, Ewa Kochańska, Iwona Adamkiewicz, Rafał M. Łukasik, Greenwashing and sustainable fashion industry, Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, Volume 38, 2022, 100710, ISSN 2452-2236, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2022.100710.
  17. Jian Gao, Liyu Tang, Yang Lyu, Impact of minimalism on consumers’ low-carbon innovation behavior: Interactive role of quantitative behavior, Chinese Journal of Population, Resources and Environment, Volume 21, Issue 2, 2023, Pages 82-91, ISSN 2325-4262, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjpre.2023.06.005.
  18. Patwary, S. Consumer Clothing Behavior and Associated Environmental Impact. Preprints 2019, 2019090143. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201909.0143.v1
  19. Anne C. Woolridge, Garth D. Ward, Paul S. Phillips, Michael Collins, Simon Gandy, Life cycle assessment for reuse/recycling of donated waste textiles compared to use of virgin material: An UK energy saving perspective, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Volume 46, Issue 1, 2006, Pages 94-103, ISSN 0921-3449, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2005.06.006.
  20. Aydin, H. (2017). Used clothing disposal behavior within the scope of sustainable consumption. International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences, 6(3), 138-152.
  21. Mandarić, D., Hunjet, A., & Kozina, G. (2021). Perception of Consumers’ Awareness about Sustainability of Fashion Brands. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 14(12), 594. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14120594