fast fashion is unethical

by lashvini vg

Today’s fashion industry has skyrocketed beyond belief. The 211.90 billion-dollar industry thrives amongst retailers, but communities behind the mass production state differently. Individuals such as researchers and environmentalists publicize that fast fashion refers to the business of retail stores that quickly produce affordable clothing in response to the latest trends. However, fashion unknowingly leads to arrays of contrasting opinions concerning society itself. Although some might argue in its favor, it takes part in child labor, endangerment of natural resources, and violation of human rights. 

Although child labor is illegal, 170 million children are currently employed under life-threatening conditions, working daily in run-down factories. Many have emigrated from Bangladesh to fields of cotton, as employers require lower-skilled workers. As of 2022, 11% of children in the world are affected (Tariq Ghani). Moreover, employers bring forth false promises, targeting families with wages, healthy meals, high-paying job opportunities, and possible scholarships. In truth, child laborers are kept illiterate, possibly for a lifetime. Torn from their families with no hopes of a different fate, they remain captives of modern-day slavery, hidden from the joys the world has to offer (Moulds). 

To add, environmentalists despise fast fashion for the massive amount of waste accumulated. Statistics and data show that washing garments releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean each year, which is equal to 50 billion plastic bottles. A specific type of plastic called polyester contributes to this issue (McFall-Johnsen). Furthermore, polyester production emits two to three times the amount of carbon emissions compared to other materials. Polyester does not break down in the ocean. According to a 2017 research study published in Nature (IUCN), laundering synthetic textiles like polyester is responsible for 35 percent of all microplastics in the ocean. These microplastics never biodegrade. Concludingly, up to 31% of plastic pollution in the ocean is made up of microplastics. The numbers only rise as fast fashion continues to produce non-biodegradable articles. Each day of production brings more destruction to the way we live and exist, harming our planet in brutal ways that were never imagined before.

Society insists that employees should listen to their superiors and handle the tasks given accordingly, constantly ensuring there are little to no flaws. Many strongly believe that all workers are paid above the minimum wage rate and receive benefits. However, this perspective often comes from an outsider's viewpoint without much knowledge of what really happens in the industry. Those who work behind the illusional fast fashion industry have contrasting stories to tell. Rana Plaza, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, was one of the most popular garment production locations. 

In 2013, the infamous Plaza collapsed. Distressingly, managers were initially handed warnings about the building’s safety. Workers and managers noticed cracks in the building, but workers were told to return to their jobs. On the day of the collapse, 1,134 people lost their lives, and 2,500 others were left injured. The concealed truth lies in the fact that, despite understanding the building was unsafe, workers were forced back into it. This event, though infamous, is not the only incident marking history. Apart from workplace tragedies, the fast fashion industry strips basic human rights and threatens civil rights in the most inhumane manner.

Following the evaluation of the preceding evidence, it has been proven that fast fashion is not a morally acceptable industry. It becomes obvious to customers that they should not use their buying power to provoke unethical practices within the fast fashion enterprise. Consumers must continue to acknowledge that forced labor is a criminal abuse of human rights. In doing so, they contribute to the potential end of the suffering caused by fast fashion. Therefore, we should stop investing in fast fashion to make the industry ethical again.   

Works Cited 

Reid, Lindsey. “Fast-Fashion: Unethical and Unsustainable.” UAB Institute for Human Rights Blog. 26 Apr 2018, https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2018/04/26/fast-fashion-unethical-and-unsustainable/. 

Akbary, Samira. “The Negative Effects of Fast Fashion.” BORGEN. The BORGEN Project, 25 Nov 2020, https://www.borgenmagazine.com/the-negative-effects-of-fast-fashion/. 

“Child Labour in the Fashion Supply Chain.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, https://labs.theguardian.com/unicef-. 

McFall-Johnsen, Morgan. “How Fast Fashion Hurts the Planet Through Pollution and Waste.” Business Insider. 21 Oct 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-201 9-10. 

Stanton, Audrey. “What Does Fast Fashion Mean, Anyway?” The Good Trade. 28 Jan 2022, https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-fast-fashion/. 

Ghani, Mehreen Tariq. “Inside the Ugliness of the Fast Fashion Industry.” Medium, Maverick Youth, 15 July 2020, https://medium.com/maverickyouth/inside-the-ugliness-of-the-fast-fashion-industry-ac40f6a24e01#:~:text =According%20to%20a%20report%20by%20UNICEF%2C%20170%20million%20children%20are,of% 20children%20in%20the%20world