Piles of trashed clothing stretch across the landfill, the vibrant colors of once-trendy garments fading under the sun. As the faint stench rises from decomposing textiles, polyester fibers loosen in the breeze, drifting in the open air and settling into nearby waters polluting the environment with microplastics.
From here, it’s easy to see how fast fashion has left its mark: The fragments of last season’s impulse buys may be out of sight for consumers, but here in the landfill, they’re an environmental catastrophe that’s only beginning.
The consequences of fast fashion can be easily overlooked, but the statistics are undeniable. For example, according to Rashmila Maiti, in an article for Earth.org, it takes 700 gallons of water to produce just one cotton shirt and 2,000 gallons to produce a pair of jeans. A typical American creates 82 pounds of textile waste annually. As Maiti outlines, this process consumes a significant amount of energy, requires vast land resources, relies heavily on petroleum and releases inhalable particles and acids such as hydrogen chloride.
In an article for University of North Carolina’s Ethics and Policy blog, Hannah Berhane recognizes the pleasure of receiving packages with new clothes and illustrates how social media can influence buying practices and fashion trends. Berhane also acknowledges that individual actions will not fix the systems that uphold the clothing industry, but she finds that understanding modern consumption and production models is an important step forward.
“By cultivating this understanding, we are able to more consciously spend our money and debate the ethics of these industries,” wrote Berhane.
Many college students have taken up the practice of thrifting for secondhand clothing for various reasons, though their understanding of fast fashion’s impact varies. Tierna Mahoney, a customer at a pop-up thrift shop run by Broad Bin Vintage, shared her view that when thrifting in curated vintage pop-ups it can be a privilege to consider environmental and social factors.
“A lot of environmentally friendly stuff tends to be more expensive. Unfortunately, not every person can afford those items … they’re just trying to get clothes to wear on their back,” said Mahoney.
Some small business owners who believe in the benefits of buying used clothing may not always consider accessibility, as earning a profit often becomes a source of their personal income. Those who do, however, may provide bins with lower priced items; not only get rid of hard-to-sell items but also to provide more affordable clothing.
Still, the role college students hold in the fast fashion industry is more powerful than one thinks and with considerable buying power, it is still possible for students to make a change.
A lot of environmentally friendly stuff tends to be more expensive. Unfortunately, not every person can afford those items … they’re just trying to get clothes to wear on their back.
Tierna Mahoney, Broad Bin Vintage Customer
Fast fashion is widely discussed in the context of waste and environmental awareness. It describes cheaply, quickly produced clothing that mimics the latest trends and rapidly appears in stores.
“‘Fast fashion’ was coined by the New York Times to describe Zara’s mission to take only 15 days for a garment to go from the design stage to being sold in stores,” describes Maiti.
For students at the University of Connecticut, there are ways to fight against fast fashion and its negative environmental impact. Seventh-semester Dylan Steer is president of EcoHusky, a student organization focused on encouraging environmental awareness at UConn. For Steer and EcoHusky, engaging fellow students in these topics is vital. As the most established environmental club at UConn, EcoHusky strives to be an open place for discussions on various topics concerning the environment and our involvement with it.
Steer believes in the power of environmental activism and suggests that sustainable living for college students is not only important, but attainable. Steer emphasized that students should consider how they interact with the systems they exist in and how society is not structured to promote sustainable ideals.
Students who purchase reused clothes like Mahoney and her friend fifth-semester student Annie Gong, encourage people to not be swayed by every new trend. They advise mindful shopping and making do with what they find.
“And that’s what makes you unique, so what if you don’t fit in?” says Gong.