Things to Consider Before Shopping
By Andrea Sanchez Benitez
Sustainability Editor
Given the materialistic society in which we live, there is no doubt that fast fashion continues to grow. Many brands, including Uniqlo, Shein, and H&M, turn to fast fashion as an inexpensive means of rapidly producing clothing for mass-market retailers to follow the latest fashion trends. Indeed, fast fashion raises humanitarian and ethical concerns due to the horrible working conditions in these factories; however, this manufacturing method also poses environmental concerns. This way of production has a harmful impact when considering the amount of water it consumes, the greenhouse gases it emits, the microplastics it releases, and much more.
Say you are going to Fairview to buy a simple pair of jeans. You have a whole range of options and wonder where you should go. Do you look in H&M first, maybe GAP? What if I told you that regardless of which of those stores you entered, that single pair of jeans would require roughly over 7,500 litres of water, according to the UN? Would you still get that pair of jeans?
In fact, in addition to the massive amounts of water used for a single item of clothing, Earth.Org attests that textile dyeing is the world’s second-largest polluter of water, given that the leftover water from the dyeing process is dumped into ditches, streams, or rivers.
The UN reports that fast fashion accounts for around 8-10% of global emissions, which is significant considering the amount of carbon emissions this industry generates.
Regarding microplastics emitted, in 2017, the International Union for Conservation of Nature approximated that 35% of all microplastics in the ocean stem from laundering synthetic textiles.
All this is good to know, but you probably still need that pair of jeans. You may consider alternatives to these fast fashion brands. A wide range of thrift store locations, such as Renaissance, Village des Valeurs, and Salvation Army, can help you find that pair of jeans without those 7,500 litres of water on your conscience. There are also curated thrift stores such as EVA B, Marché Floh, Lazy, and many more.