Fast fashion is bad for the environment

Question

The fast fashion chain is directly linked to environmental pollution due to the use of material and immediate disposal. The extensive resource extraction is also a definitive issue. A huge issue with fast fashion is the massive use of water and the waste water that particularly is used with the making of textiles. The industry produces 92 million tonnes of waste a year. And beyond just waste water, the industry also has a huge impact on CO2 emissions. 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-020-0039-9

Answer 1

The claim that fast fashion is bad for the environment is true. The article the claim uses is known to be run by a multitude of researchers and professors, who specialize in social sciences, sustain ability, and fashion. As claimed in the original response the fast fashion industries have an immense overconsumption of water and output of pollutants. In the run off of water coming from these companies is tons of microplastics, creating unsafe waters. Not only is the water pollution of high concern, but the amount of CO2 being emitted as well. A bias towards fast fashion can be made from those who consume and those who don't. It is important to keep this in mind when discussing fast fashion and its effect with others, as some people who can only afford .It is important to keep in mind when discussing this topic, the humanity of it. Fast fashion is highly affordable for those with lower incomes.

https://sustain.ucla.edu/2024/02/16/the-fast-fashion-epidemic/ 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-020-0039-9 

https://www.fairplanet.org/story/how-the-fashion-industry-pollutes-our-water/ 

Answer 2

Think of this as your investigation log. Answer each question to explain what you discovered and how you got there.

1. Write a brief overall summary of your findings.
2. What primary sources did you find (e.g., transcripts, videos of politician speeches, tweets from public figures, scientific studies)? For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.
3. What secondary sources did you find (e.g., newspapers, magazines)? Only use secondary sources if sufficient primary sources are not available. For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.
4. What potential biases or interests might each of your sources have?
5. What evidence supports the claim you are fact-checking?
6. What evidence undermines the claim you are fact-checking?
7. What happened when you tried contacting the person or group who made the original claim? (Always try to contact them—it’s okay if you don’t get a reply. For example, if the claim is that the president said something, try reaching out to the administration. If it was a Bluesky user, message that user on Bluesky.)

Answer 3

The claim that "fast fashion is bad for the environment" is true for the reasons you stated above. It is a massive water waste and clothing waste due to how many trends change. Since trends change so quickly, it is one of the leading causes of waste in the world, and it hurts Co2 emissions. The article by Wildlife and Welfare also brings up the harm that these fast fashion brands have on the workers and the terrible conditions they have to endure to produce so much cheap clothing. Then the article from Earth discusses how much energy this industry takes up, unnecessarily when we can invest in less pieces that are better quality and turn to secondhand clothing.

Sources:

https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/

https://www.wildlifeandwelfare.org/news-blog/fast-fashion?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22913788547&gbraid=0AAAAAo4wE3Ww8sZ8coiqjdCox3xZLRChE&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnJHMBhDAARIsABr7b86uszmV0uHXtQogn50gYksf0MEjF1PLF8HpcimfsfMLcCWi000m8gYaAlRKEALw_wcB

Answer 4

One of the most popular ways to shop is through fast fashion, especially in todays youth. Unfortunately, it appears this comes with serious environmental consequences. According to Rashmila Maiti, "Fast fashion is the second-biggest consumer of water and responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions." The cheap clothing and mass production are two of the reasons that it has such a massive impact on our environment.

https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/

Answer 5

The claim that fast fashion is bad for the environment has large amounts of evidence that support it, though the scale of harm can be very different. Fast fashion emphasizes fast production at a low cost, which are associated with increased resource use, pollution, and waste. While some fast fashion brands have introduced efforts to be more environmentally conscious, these efforts do not fully offset the industry's overall impact on the environment.

https://globalfashionagenda.org/resource/pulse-of-the-fashion-industry-2017/ This report found that addressing environmental and social problems created by the fashion industry would provide a $192 billion overall benefit to the global economy by 2030. The annual value of clothing thrown out early is more than $400 billion.

https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/ This source(2026) documents the impacts found by others that fast fashion has on the environment. The most shocking fact I found here was that fast fashion is the second-biggest consumer of water and responsible for roughly 10% of global carbon emissions.

Both sources have a tone of disapproval in their writing, so it's possible these sources put much more value on environmental cost than economic cost, and they are using facts that fit their agenda.  

As previously stated, the industry is a major consumer of water and energy, but it also encourages overconsumption which leads to frequent and unnecessary disposal of clothing.

There is evidence that shows variation of harm within the industry, as some brands have invested in recycling programs. Also, some research suggests that the environmental impact depends not only on how clothing is produced but also how long consumers use it, which alleviates some of the responsibility from the brand itself.

Answer 6

This claim is very true since the fast fashion industry has a devastating environmental footprint on the world. These impacts are contributing significantly to global carbon emissions and water pollution. The rapid production cycle relies on synthetic fibers that shed microplastics and results in millions of tons of textile waste ending up in landfills. The BBC also puts 10% of the gas emissions from fast fashion, which could be even more in the past five years since they published.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200310-sustainable-fashion-how-to-buy-clothes-good-for-the-climate