Facing the environmental and ethical issues that are a product of the fashion industry – more so fast fashion – may be surprising and probably something not much people give any thought to. I myself, am worried about the future of our planet and am particularly interested in researching what measures we need to take to ensure a healthy planet and healthy habits when it comes to the dispensability of clothing and the attitudes that most people currently hold towards their clothing and their wardrobes. Below are some harrowing facts about the environmental impact which occurs as a direct result of the fast fashion industry.
It takes 2,700 L of water to produce a single T-shirt
3 out of 4 garments will end up in landfill or will be incinerated
Synthetic fabrics such as Polyester, Spandex, Nylon and Rayon can take anywhere from 20 – 200 years to break down
20% of industrial water pollution comes from treating and dying textiles
Apart from environmental issues, something that particularly concerns me, is the use of animals and animal by-products within the fashion industry. For me, the use of products such as leather, fur and other animal skins as a form of “luxury”, is something I hope to see dying out from the fashion world in the future. This will only be made possible by educating people on where their clothing items come from, and bringing accessible alternative lifestyle choices to the forefront.
To steer the future of fashion towards a greener future, society will start to concentrate and emphasise concepts such as up cycling/thrifting and a larger volume of second hand buying, increase in interest of ethical brands, sourcing and purchasing as well as suitable innovative substitutes for leathers and other animal by-products.
The Future of Fashion 