Fast fashion is not sustainable, not even durable. Than why people buy it?

Customers think that they save money by not spending a lot per each item. What’s missing? Items designed for fast obsolescence. So customers have to buy more regularly, spend more time for shopping, spend money again and again, damage the environment, have nothing to wear while wardrobe is full. Average person buy twice as many items of clothing than 20 years ago. Majority of clothes are made from cheap quality fabrics which get spoiled during one season.

According to Greenpeace around 20% of clothes won’t be worn even a single time.

Around 80 billion of clothing items are consumed worldwide every year. It’s a huge amount which could be reduced if secondhand items purchased more frequently. But there another side available. How garment workers will earn money if demand for clothing will reduce?

According to Forbes apparel market it’s a $3 trillion global industry and remains the second largest industrial polluter (10% of global carbon emissions). In order to manufacture annually polyester fabric , 70 million barrels of crude oil used.

Not all clothing is made from polyester. For natural fabrics trees needed (around 70 million per year), for cotton needed around 11% of all used pesticides & 24 % of all used insecticides. Also it’s the second biggest polluter of fresh water worldwide

Fast fashion workers paid less than should be paid because fast fashion have to be priced ridiculously low. In 2013 Rana Plaza (Bangladesh) collapsed and created wave of customers awareness.

As a customers we have choice what to buy, how often to buy, how many years to wear. We have influence on what companies manufacture. As long as demand for fast fashion will be there, that long this part of garment industry will exist.

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