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Pollution is one of the largest concerns in the world. Many people are concerned for the environment and the future of the planet. This has led to society as a whole becoming more green. People are trying to make a difference, but many will not change what is profitable and convenient.
The fast fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to pollution. According to the United Nations, this induistry is the second greatest contributor to pollution.
In terms of global pollution, the industry accounts for 8% of total carbon emissions and 20% of industrial wastewater pollution(Bailey, 2022).
You might wonder what fast fashion is and which companies are considered fast fashion. The Merriam-Webster defines fast fashion as “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers.” Essentially, it is a cheap, fast, and easy way for companies to produce clothes and for consumers to obtain them. Some of the most popular fast fashion brands are Forever 21, Zara, H&M, Mango, and Shein.
In just one year, Zara produces about 450 million products(Allon), H&M produces about 3000 million products(PIRG, 2024), and Mango produces about 160 million products(Mango Fashion Group, 2025).
One of the largest impacts is on water. The industry not only pollutes, but uses large amounts in production of clothes. Production of one T-shirt wastes enoigh to supply an individual with drinking water for about 900 days.
It takes an estimated 2700 liters to make one T-shirt, 8000 liters to make a pair of leather shoes, and 11,000 liters to make a single pair of jeans.
These problems directly impact people around the world and are often not visible to the average consumer.
Maximo Comelli is an advocate for shopping sustainably and owned a second hand shop for over two years. Comelli upholds a Bachelor of the Arts in Advertising and has his own insights on the fast fashion industry and the overall market for clothes.
“It is the responsibility of corporations to be responsible and ethical, but as consumers we also have to be more educated about what we are buying, where it comes from, and how it impacts other people. Everyone wants to fit in and not miss out. People are scared to repeat outfits, people are scared of owning outdated clothes. People are always consuming, consuming, consuming, and not investing in pieces that will last them a long time.”
The fast fashion industry has been able to be so successful due to the shopping habits of consumers and businesses learning how to target them. People are constantly trying to stay on top of trends and have what is popular at the time. This consumer behavior has large impacts as these companies are quickly and voluminously producing clothes to meet these needs.
Trends are changing so rapidly that consumers almost instantly move from one to another. Over the past 15 years, there has been a 36% decrease in the amount of times an article of clothing is worn. Today, clothing is often worn only bout ten times until it is discarded.
Comelli, as well as many others, see these shopping habits first hand.
“I spent a lot of time selling second hand clothes from outlets, flea markets, estate sales, garage sales, and just about anything that you can get your hands on second hand. A lot of it was from the Goodwill bins, which are clothes that are one step away from being taken to a landfill. Everyday you see the amount of clothes that are going to waste and a lot of it is not even in bad condition. It is just crazy to see first hand.”
The next time you shop, think about how the simple decision to purchase a product can have severe impacts.
