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

Answer 7

I believe that it is true that fast fashion is harmful to the environment because to produce fast fashion it requires low-cost materials, quick production, and short product lifespans. Fast fashion contributes to excessive resource use and waste and that makes it detrimental to the environment. Clothing production uses a lot of energy and water, and the process of coloring fabrics frequently releases toxic chemicals into waterways. Fast fashion items are frequently thrown away rapidly, adding to the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and is burned. This industry contributes significantly to environmental harm since it is reliant on international supply chains that produce high levels of carbon emissions.

Answer 8

For sure, this is legit—fast fashion is definitely notorious for wrecking the environment with all that waste. Since the source is a major journal like Nature, you can bet the pollution stats are solid.

Sources:

• The environmental price of fast fashion (Nature Reviews Earth & Environment)

Answer 9

This claim is true.

- The fast fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions.

- It second biggest consumer of water, requiring 700 gallons to produce one cotton shirt and 2,000 to produce a pair of jeans.

- 85% of textiles end up in dumps each year and 500,000 tons of of microfibers are released into the ocean each year.

- 35% of microplastics in the ocean in 2017 came from laundering of synthetic textiles.

- There is overwhelming evidence on the negative affect of the fast fashion industry on the environment

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

Answer 10

After checking this claim, it is accurate to say that fast fashion is bad for the environment. Research shows that the fast-fashion industry contributes significantly to pollution, water waste, and carbon emissions due to its rapid production cycles, synthetic fabrics, and high levels of textile waste. Clothing production uses large amounts of water and energy, and many items are thrown away after only a few wears. This claim is well supported by environmental research and reporting and should be considered true.

Sources: United Nations Environment Programme: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/sustainability-and-circularity-textiles

Earth.org – Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion: https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/