Introduction
Mass consumption is on the rise and the fashion industry is no exception. Worldwide 80 billion pieces of clothing are consumed every year, a 400% increase from only twenty years ago. However, approximately 85% of these textiles end up in a landfill every year. This is an indicator of the mass demand from consumers and rapid turnover in trends that is occuring. In 2014 the average person bought 60% more clothing than in the year 2000, however, they kept each item of clothing only half as long. This can largely be attributed to the rise of fast fashion, micro-trends, and the cheap and exploitative labor that makes it possible.
The Rise of Fast Fashion
“Fast fashion” refers to the rapid production of clothing, generally in a way that sacrifices quality for quantity. Prior to the mid 1900’s there were generally 4 seasons of fashion, one for every season of the year. Now fast fashion companies such as H&M create 52 “micro-seasons” a year, one for every week. This new pattern created a massive demand for apparel and the creation of approximately 53 million tons of clothing annually. In order to sustain this level of production at a cost that allows the consumer to purchase clothing in large quantities, many fast fashion companies sought a way to cut costs in the supply chain. In order to achieve this, companies began taking their production to developing countries to take advantage of cheaper labor costs and less regulations. The rapid trend cycle, known as micro-trending, encourages the majority of fast fashion companies to engage in unethical labor practices in order to create a high volume of clothing at a low cost.
Labor Practices in Fast Fashion
What We Don’t Know Can’t Hurt Us?
One of the main reasons fashion companies are so eager to take their subsidiaries to countries such as Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh is the lack of oversight that occurs during the actual textile production. Many brands choose to have minimal control over each step of the supply chain in order to avoid opening themselves up to enormous legal liability. Brands allow their subsidiaries to remain largely unregulated because it absolves them of responsibility for the unethical practices being used to produce their clothing at such low costs. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for brands to turn a blind eye to the exploitation of their labor forces as it is being brought more and more into the public purview, as exemplified in 2019 when thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh went on strike over their low wages garnering international attention.
What We Do Know
The fast fashion industry employs approximately 75 million factory workers worldwide. Of those workers it is estimated that less than 2% of them make a living wage. This leads to workers living below the poverty line and the European Parliament has even described the conditions of factory workers in Asia as “slave labor”. Many garment workers are working up to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. The textile industry also uses child labor particularly because it is often low skilled, so children can be exploited at a younger age.
Additionally, the health of laborers is adversely affected by working conditions. The production of fast fashion clothing employs the use of 8,000 synthetic chemicals. Some of these chemicals have been shown to cause cancer and factory workers are regularly exposed to and breathing in these chemicals.
There are also structural dangers that come with avoiding codes. This was demonstrated by the deadliest garment industry accident in modern history in Bangladesh when the Rana Plaza Factory collapsed in 2013 and 1,100 people were killed and 2,500 more were injured. Safeguards on the building had expired and engineers had even recommended the building should be condemned. However, workers were ordered to come in anyway, and they came for fear of not being paid. After this incident, building inspections were done on 1,106 factories used by fast fashion companies and 80,000 safety related issues were found.
Looking Forward
The idea that all companies take responsibility for their supply chains and ensure factory workers have a living wage and conditions are safe is a bit of a pipe dream considering the very exploitation of that labor is what allows those companies to increase their profit margins. Therefore, rather than ask for individual accountability, it is clear a more structural change is necessary. The most successful regulation in this sector is the Bangladesh Fire & Safety Accord, which came after the Rana Plaza factory collapse. The Accord is the first legally-binding agreement in the modern era between workers, factory managers, and apparel companies and affects the safety of over one million workers in Bangladesh factories. This model should be emulated in other countries that rely on fast fashion manufacturing and a similar model could be used to ensure fair wages.
In addition, countries that headquarter the fast fashion companies can implement regulations that de-incentivize outsourcing offshore, or require that if a company is going to outsource offshore they be in greater control of their supply chain. This would force greater regulation of wages and hopefully prevent companies from abusing foreign labor because it is less expensive.
Conclusion
The fashion industry is growing rapidly, with an estimated 20% growth between 2020 and 2021, and it isn’t slowing down. Consumer demand for a larger quantity of clothing at a cheaper price point has pushed development of the fast fashion industry. This has led to the dangerous exploitation of the labor force who makes the fashion industry possible. In order to prevent further damage to garment workers it is necessary that legislation emulating the Bangladesh Fire & Safety Accord be put into place in every country. There need to be larger pushes for legislation around fair wages and corporate responsibility for supply chain management. It is imperative to address and resolve the human rights violations occurring as a result of fast fashion.
Author Bio: Emma Ross is a second year law student at The George Washington University Law School. She graduated in 2020 from Binghamton University with Bachelor’s in Political Science and Psychology. She is currently a member of the George Washington Journal of Energy and Environmental Law. She also serves as a legal consultant to the Coalition for Integrity.
FAQs
Unsafe Labor Conditions
In order to mass produce so many inexpensive garments so quickly, items often aren't ethically made. Factories are often sweatshops where laborers work in unsafe conditions for low wages and long hours. In many cases, children are employed and basic human rights are violated, reports EcoWatch.
What unethical practices are the fashion industry responsible for? ›
Health And Safety Risks. As workers are exposed constantly to toxic pesticides, poisonous dyes, and chemicals, it is evident that their health is at considerable risk. They typically have health issues such as headaches, vomiting consistently, memory problems, breathing diseases, seizures, and even death.
How does fast fashion affect labor workers? ›
Their water supplies are tainted with clothing dye, factories don't follow safety protocols, and the workers are underpaid for their labor. On a global scale, organizations have already started to take the initiative to bring awareness and try to make changes to the system.
Why is fast fashion a problem for the workers? ›
Why is it bad for workers? In order to offer clothes at ultra low prices, fast fashion brands need their costs to be low. One of the main ways of doing this is to drive down the wages of garment workers in the supply chain.
What are the ethical practices in fashion industry? ›
The general definition of ethical fashion is “fashion that aims to reduce the negative impact on people, animals, and the planet.” Producing an item of ethical clothing involves design, labour, and materials, and ethical fashion is kind to the planet and people every step of the way, from seed to garment.
What are 3 negative consequences of fast fashion? ›
Plastic fibres are polluting the oceans, the wastewater, toxic dyes, and the exploitation of underpaid workers. Fast fashion is big business, and while the environmental costs are rising, experts say there is another way: a circular economy for textiles.
What are three unethical practices? ›
For example, theft, violence, lying, and cheating are understood to be unethical in just about every ethical framework.
Why is fashion an ethical issue? ›
Human rights activists have also pointedout the various ethical issues behind the preparation of a fashion product. Extremely low wages and long hours, unhealthy and unsafe working conditions, exhaustion,sexual harassment and mental stress are some of these issues.
How does fast fashion violate human rights? ›
Like the term suggests, fast fashion is designed to be quickly manufactured and sold, simultaneously the rights of the workers are stripped just as fast. They're forced to work in unsafe environments with wages barely enough to cover the cost of a single meal.
What are the biggest problems with the fast fashion industry? ›
While not illegal, the fast fashion business model is unethical for several reasons; child labour, modern slavery, toxic dyes, mass manufacturing, unsustainable materials, in the process generating a significant amount of waste and pollution.
The production of fast fashion clothing employs the use of 8,000 synthetic chemicals. Some of these chemicals have been shown to cause cancer and factory workers are regularly exposed to and breathing in these chemicals. There are also structural dangers that come with avoiding codes.
What are the harms of the fast fashion industry? ›
Waste occurs at every stage of the garment manufacturing process, harming wildlife, degrading land, and polluting soil and water. The fast fashion industry is a significant contributor to the climate crisis, responsible for as much as 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Are fast fashion workers forced to work? ›
They work on farms and garments factories, being exploited and forced to work for less than they'd need to live. The fast fashion industry exploits local and underserved communities in sweatshops to produce cheap garments.
What are the arguments against fast fashion? ›
The pressure to reduce costs and speed up production time means environmental corners are more likely to be cut. Fast fashion's negative impact includes its use of cheap, toxic textile dyes—making the fashion industry the one of the largest polluters of clean water globally, right up there with agriculture.
Can fast fashion be sustainable? ›
Critics assert that fast fashion apparel cannot be sustainable by its very nature. The poor quality of the material makes it hard to recycle, even if the brands commit to recycling a certain percentage of used or unsold products.
Can fashion be ethical and sustainable? ›
Ethicaland sustainable fashion is an approach towards sourcing, manufacturing anddesigning clothes which maximizes the benefits to the industry and society atlarge, at the same time minimizes the impacts on the environment. Ethical meanssomething that is morally right and acceptable.
What are the problems in fashion industry? ›
Challenges In Fashion Industry
- Increasing International Competition.
- Exploitation of laour.
- Competition.
- Sustainability.
- Production difficulties.
- Increasing pollution.
- Technological difficulties.
- Consumption issues.
For one, fast fashion is a major contributor to environmental damage, from the pollution created by textile production to the waste created by discarded clothing. Ethical fashion, on the other hand, prioritizes sustainability and eco-friendly practices, reducing the negative impact on the environment.
How fast fashion affect people? ›
Chemical Pollution
Why fast fashion is bad for the environment? The fast fashion industry relies heavily on chemicals, from the pesticides used to grow crops to the dyes and finishes applied to garments. These chemicals can pollute our air and water, and they can also have harmful effects on human health.
What is the solution to fast fashion? ›
Shop for second-hand clothes at thrift stores or charity shops to give clothing new life. If you can't get to the physical stores, many will post their stock for purchase on their website for easy online shopping. Sites like Poshmark and thredUP are also fantastic resources for buying and selling used clothes.
In conclusion, fast fashion has both advantages and disadvantages. While it offers affordability, convenience, and variety, it also has a significant environmental impact, contributes to labor issues and unethical practices, and encourages a culture of excessive consumption.
What are the 5 unethical behaviors in the workplace? ›
The ERC reported that employees most often observe the following five unethical behaviors in the workplace: 1) employees misusing company time, 2) supervisors abusing subordinates, 3) employees stealing from their employers, 4) employees lying to their employers, and 5) employees violating company internet policies.
What are 2 examples of unethical business practices? ›
Examples of Unethical Behavior
- Exploiting workers.
- Over-billing customers.
- Exploiting tax loopholes.
- Dumping toxins into the air or water.
- Prescribing unnecessary medical procedures.
- Covering up car defects.
- Designing phones so that users accidentally accept data charges.
- Creating fake identities.
Here's the complete list:
- Taking shortcuts / shoddy work: 72%
- Lying to hide mistakes: 72%
- Badmouthing colleagues: 68%
- Passing the buck (when you don't get your work done): 67%
- Slacking off when no one is watching: 64%
- Lying to hide your colleagues' mistakes: 63%
- Taking credit for other colleagues' work: 57%
Ethical fashion is more or less a combination of both Fair Trade and sustainable fashion. It focuses on both the social and environmental impact of fashion, seeking to improve the working conditions of laborers, along with the environmental impact of the clothing production process.
What is the most common ethical issue? ›
What are the most common ethical issues? The most commonly experienced ethical issues include discrimination, harassment, unethical accounting, technological abuse, data privacy, health and safety, and favoritism and nepotism. Most of these concerns are experienced in workplaces.
What are two negative consequences of fast fashion? ›
The disadvantages of fast fashion include –
not paying fair living wages to workers, poor working conditions, child labor, environmental destruction from hazardous chemicals, plastic-derived materials, and increasing amounts of water pollution and textile waste.
Why is fast fashion bad for society? ›
Fast fashion promotes the throwaway culture, excessive consumerism, and makes clothes disposable commodities. Many consumers make purchasing decisions based on their emotions. Retailers use that behavior and tap into the subconscious of consumers.
Who is responsible for fast fashion? ›
Major players in the fast-fashion market include Zara, H&M Group, UNIQLO, GAP, Forever 21, Topshop, Esprit, Primark, Fashion Nova, and New Look. Many companies are both retailers and manufacturers, though they often outsource the actual production of clothing.
What is the conclusion of the fast fashion essay? ›
Conclusion. The impact that fast fashion has on our planet is vast. From extreme climate changes to socially unacceptable work environments, fast fashion is destroying the Earth. It is important to do our individual part to decrease the environmental and social impacts that fast fashion presents.
Negative impacts include worker harassment, diseases due to toxic chemical use, poverty, wage theft, increased green house gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and resource and soil depletion. As you can see, fast fashion companies work under a system that has dire social and environmental impacts.
What are the biggest issues with fast fashion? ›
The Dark Side of Fast Fashion
It dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year. Even washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.
How unethical is Shein? ›
Despite gargantuan profits, SHEIN HAS been accused of stealing designs from small independent labels, selling offensive items including Islamic prayer rugs as decorative mats and swastika necklaces, selling items containing unsafe amounts of lead, and forcing garment workers to work in extremely unethical conditions.
What is fast fashion and why is it so harmful? ›
Fast fashion has an enormous environmental footprint for both its production and disposal. Clothing production requires a considerable amount of energy and resources, while it depends on toxic fabric dyes and other chemicals that contaminate fresh water. Fashion produces a tenth of the world's carbon emissions.
What is the cause of fast fashion? ›
Fast fashion became common because of cheaper, speedier manufacturing and shipping methods, an increase in consumers' appetite for up-to-the-minute styles, and the increase in consumer purchasing power—especially among young people—to indulge these instant-gratification desires.
Are we responsible for fast fashion? ›
The issue of fast fashion can be traced back to the unethical business practices of corporations and companies. The preceding reason as to why companies are primarily responsible for fast fashion is because not every consumer can avoid it. Many consumers cannot afford to buy ethically produced fashion.
Why is fast fashion unfair? ›
Consumers buy inexpensive, fashionable clothing for a small fraction of the cost of high-end goods. Clothes manufacturers have been able to build this business model by relying on cheap labour in developing nations, where workers are exploited and underpaid and often work in inhumane conditions.
What would happen if fast fashion stopped? ›
Doubling the use of our clothes would, for example, cut the garment trade's climate pollution by nearly half. Shutting down worldwide clothing production for a year would be equal to grounding all international flights and stopping all maritime shipping for the same time period.
Does Shein use child workers? ›
In addition to the company claiming it "never engages in child or forced labor," its website states: "We regularly evaluate and address human trafficking and slavery risks in product supply chains through in-house inspectors who are tasked with investigating internal or third-party reports of this nature."
What is Shein being sued for? ›
Fast-fashion brand Shein, owned by the China-based company Zoetop Business Co., agreed to settle a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by an artist who claimed the company sold wall paintings containing her art without permission.
Shein launched an investigation after U.K. Channel Four documentary Untold: Inside The Shein Machine alleged that workers were subject to 16-hour-long days, got one day off a month, and earned wages of around 4,000 yuan ($572) per month to produce hundreds of garments for the online retailer each day.
