The influence of fast fashion on the environment
The influence of fast fashion on the environment
FASTHION is a phenomenon of the global fashion industry that has become increasingly aware of the public in recent years. Fast fashion is called fashion symptoms that adapt trends from the high-fashion world very quickly and at low prices for the mass market. Sounds plausible and strategic at first glance - but on closer inspection and from an ecological perspective there is a completely different picture.
The FASTHION industry stands for an enormous environmental impact that is due to various factors. In this article we want to examine the influence of fast fashion on the environment and examine topics such as production and consumption, water and energy consumption as well as waste production and management.
production and consumer mechanisms of the Fast Fashion
the production
We continue to live in a throw -away company, in which consumption and overproduction continue to increase. Almost fashion companies make a significant contribution by ensuring constant presence on the shelves and online shops through high production quantities of fashion items. More than 100 billion clothes are produced worldwide, many of which are never worn or end up in the trash after a short time.
The production of these huge amounts of clothing is emission -intensive. According to the oil industry, the fast-fashion industry is the world's second largest polluter. The production of jeans alone causes around 33.4 kilograms of CO2 equivalents, which corresponds approximately to the crowd that emits a car on a distance of 111 kilometers.
consumption
Through attractive prices and continuously changing collections, Fast Fashion promotes the impulsive purchase of clothing. As a study by the Federal Environment Agency showed, every German buys an average of 60 new items of clothing a year - that is more than one piece of clothing per week. The high fashion fluctuation means that clothing is only carried briefly and then often disposed of.
effects on water and energy
water consumption
The textile industry is one of the largest consumers of water. For example, around 7,600 liters of water are required to produce a single jeans. This roughly corresponds to the amount that a person needs to drink in seven years. In addition, in many cases the water is heavily dirty by chemicals used in the textile industry. This has partly dramatic effects on water quality in the production countries.
energy consumption
The production of fast fashion is energy -intensive. The cultivation of cotton, the coloring of textiles, the transport of the goods - all of these aspects require a high amount of energy. It is estimated that textile production consumes around 132 million tons of coal annually and between 6 and 9 trillion liters of water.
waste production and management
waste production
Fast fashion produces enormous amounts of textile waste. Every year in Germany alone, more than 1 million tons of textiles end up in the trash. Around 92 million tons of textiles are thrown away worldwide. This corresponds to a garbage truck full of clothing per second.
waste management
The disposal and recycling of textiles represent an enormous challenge. Only a small part of them are recycled or reused. Many clothes end up on landfills or are burned. The disposal of textiles can release considerable amounts of greenhouse gases.
summary and outlook
The fast-fashion industry has an enormous impact on our environment. From production to consumption to disposal - a considerable ecological stress arises on every step of the path. It is therefore essential that we change our purchase habits and choose more conscious, more sustainable fashion. For their part, companies have to pass to more responsible production methods that reduce environmental pollution.
It is obvious that the fast fashion industry is an environmental problem. But it is also a symptom for a larger crisis - that of over -consumption and disposable culture. It is time for us to fundamentally rethink our relationship with fashion and consumption and stand up for a more sustainable future.