Girl, we need to talk before we dive into this SERIOUS issue. Your closet that is overflowing but still doesn’t have “nothing to wear”  is wrecking our planet. Honestly, these impulse buys don’t survive more than 3 washes. Their color starts fading or they get shrunk. Thus, you’ve to discard those clothes and it causes more destruction to our Earth.

You won’t believe how your 5$ tee is polluting the oceans and filling the landfills. The situation is alarming! Behind every bargain, there’s an ugly truth. First, let’s know “What fast fashion is?” and then head towards that UGLY TRUTH.

What is Fast Fashion?

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Fast fashion is low-cost and trendy clothing that is made very fast and on a larger scale. The point here is, that this is a terrible thing for our planet. It’s wrecking our Earth in so many ways. 10% of global carbon emissions happen due to this alone. It has surpassed the combined carbon emissions from maritime shipping and international flights. 

It’s very easy to get influenced by the latest trends (who doesn’t want that?), but the thing is that these trends are disastrous not only to our planet but also to ourselves. Here are some cold and eye-opening impacts of fast fashion.

1- Fast Fashion and Water Suction:

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You might have a go-to denim jacket. It required 10,000 liters of water, which is more than enough to keep a person hydrated for 14 years! Believable??? 

It is one piece. This fashion industry is destroying the environment and sucking up the water. A trendy cotton tee requires 2,700 liters of water to produce. According to the World Resources Institute, this is equal to one person’s need to drink water for 2 years.

Moreover, textile dyeing is the 2nd largest contributor to polluting the water globally. Its toxic chemicals are released into our clean oceans and rivers.

The worst thing is, still that these best cheap clothing brands make the environment bad and impact the world. They discard their toxic, dyed wasted water into rivers that contaminate the drinking water and create forever damage for the communities.

2-  Your Closet Pollutes The Ocean:

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Each of us will hate the plastic in the ocean but surprisingly our closet is a part of it. Whenever you wash anything made of nylon, spandex, or polyester, it sheds many tiny plastic microfabrics and slips past the water filter, ending up in the ocean. 

The biggest problem is that these fast fashion brands have cheap clothing production using synthetic, as it’s low cost. This material never decomposes and increases major environmental challenges for our Earth.

3- Horrible Trends Overflowing the Landfills:

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Thanks to the culture of “wear once and replace”. Another environmental impact of fashion is generating textile waste of 92 million tons every year. This goes into the landfills and, as they’re biodegradable, release toxic chemicals into the rivers and oceans. They don’t dissolve and keep sitting there for centuries. (Fibershed, Illuminem)

Currently, the world is estimated to generate 194 million tons of textile waste yearly by 2030. New York City residents discard about 200,000 tons of textiles annually, which means the whole of New York could be buried multiple times in this global textile waste in 2030.

4- Dangerous Chemicals in Your Clothes:

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Ever thought of how these major clothing brands make such soft and bright clothes? Because, they use chemicals like formaldehyde, phthalates, and azo dyes that cause skin irritation, hormonal imbalance, and also cancer. (UNEP)

These brands douse their fabrics in such harmful chemicals without caring about the customers. To save yourself you can opt for fabric certified by OEKO-TEX or GOTS. These clothes won’t harm your skin over time.

5- Fashion that Heats the Planet:

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Do you know these major fast fashion clothing brands emit more carbon dioxide than the combined CO2 emission from maritime shipping and international flights? This has such great negative social and environmental impacts on our planet.

Currently, these bad fast fashion brands are accountable for emitting 10% of global carbon which can increase up to 25% by 2050.

Every process of the fast fashion brands fuels the earth’s pollution and causes bad environmental impacts like heat waves, wildfires, or extreme weather.

6- Fast Fashion is Killing Forests:

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Maybe any of your rayon dresses have come from a clear-cut rainforest? Yes, you heard it right!

According to Earth.Org, annually fast fashion brands cut over 1580 million trees to make fabrics like rayon, modal, and viscose. Not only this, it destroys our ecosystems, forcing people to leave their homes and killing wildlife. 

These fashion brands have gone to this extent to damage our earth. You can save yourself and the global environment by opting for clothes made of Tencel, sustainable wood pulp, or recycled fabrics that are non-contributing to deforestation.

7- Air Pollution from Fast Fashion Factories:

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One more factor of environmental degradation is that these clothing brands outsource production to weak countries with weak pollution laws. These countries dump toxins into the air without facing any consequences. 

These fast fashion brands are responsible for 35% of the global microplastic pollution and pump 1.2 billion tons of CO2 annually. 

8- Cheap Cotton Destructing Our Soil:

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Cotton may be natural, but standard farming of cotton is not at all eco-friendly.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the consumption of computer farming is 16% of the world’s pesticides. It has serious environmental causes. These chemicals degrade the health of the soil and make it less fertile and toxic, hampering future crop growth. 

Moreover, the use of pesticides and fertilizers during the fertilization of cotton makes the soil and water contaminated which is a threat to biodiversity and our health. (LISTVERSE)

To stop creating a bad environment, adopting environment-friendly practices like organic farming should be adopted. Synthetic pesticides are harmful to soil health.

9- The Real Cost of “Cheap” Clothes:

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Your “cheap and best” clothes are costing our earth too much. These fast fashion brands are making tons of money at the cost of their workers, the environment, and upcoming generations.

Many garment workers are paid peanuts and face child labor and brutal treatment and conditions. Specifically in Bangladesh, clothing productions are done at a larger scale but the workers are not paid what they deserve. (FINANCIAL TIMES)

The cheap clothes are also of cheap quality. They fall apart, shrink, and color fades very quickly. You spend double when you replace them. The better way is to invest one time in the best sustainable fashion brands, as they have good quality clothing that impacts the environment positively.

Ditch Fast Fashion Brands — Become Eco-Fab!

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To decrease sustainability problems, many best quality clothing brands are the solutions to fast fashion brands. We all should have environmental awareness, it’s our duty to shop ethically. This is how people impact the environment positively; by making the right choices.

Many top clothing brands in the world follow sustainable fashion trends. These companies are solid names in the global fashion industry. Their clothing production is ethical and doesn’t impact the environment negatively. Hence, they are considered the best sustainable clothing companies.

Let’s know about them:

Everlane: 

It’s known for its commitment and transparency. It’s one of the most sustainable clothing companies and uses As an example, their jeans are made in a LEED-certified factory that reuses its 98% water. (CNN)

REFORMATION:

Another big name in the sustainable global clothing industry. To reduce waste, it uses 22% Tencel and 20% organic cotton. This company is audited independently. It ensures ethical clothing production, saving the earth from further destruction.

Veja:

If you want to have shoes that save the Earth, then here’s the solution. Their sneakers are made from organic elements like Amazonian wild rubber, reused plastic, and organic cotton. They also have partnered with Brazilian co-ops, turning plastic waste into shoes! (TIME)

Patagonia:

Here’s another one! They use organic cotton, reused materials, and factories certified by Fair Trade to make their outdoor clothing. It encourages its customers to reuse and repair their clothes through its Worn Wear Program. This program promotes a circular economy. (RIBBON)

Eileen Fisher:

This is a renowned brand, known for producing timeless, eco-friendly clothing with organic and recycled materials. Their “Renew” Program is encouraging customers to return used clothes for recycling purposes, helping ethical and sustainable clothing. (REVOGUE)

Women, You Can Make the Change!

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Since women are more into fashion, you have the power and authority to demand better for yourself and your planet.

You can play your role in saving the poor earth from these fast fashion monsters! Learn about the brands and do proper research before choosing a brand. Know about them, their production practices, and how ethical they are. 

Opt for sustainable fashion brands that are open to recycling and thrifting. Join these programs from different brands to support the sustainable clothing industry. Every penny you spend on a fast fashion toxic brand hurts the earth.

I hope this article has given you enough reasoning, that will make you understand better why fast fashion brands are bad.

But but but…

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Replacing your clothes isn't the only harmful thing for your body and our planet Earth, it’s something else too.

That is your TOXIC makeup! It can cause multiple external and internal diseases like cancer, hormonal imbalance and more.

But you can save yourself from that by replacing your makeup products with organic makeup brands.

Read here: Breakup with your TOXIC makeup.

BONUS ARTICLE: 2025’S Best skincare products your skin will LOVE.