What are the negative impacts of the fashion industry on society? | 5 Answers from Research papers (2024)

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What are the negative impacts of the fashion industry on society? | 5 Answers from Research papers? ›

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The pollution introduced by the fast fashion industry results in devastating impacts to both terrestrial and aquatic environments, with harmful effects linked to habitat degradation, proliferation of chemicals and microplastics in waterways, and the increasing impact of climate change from anthropogenic greenhouse gas ...

The social impact of fast fashion

Workers in these countries are often paid extremely low wages and forced to work in unsafe and unhealthy conditions. Fast fashion brands have been associated with various cases of labour abuse, ranging from child labour and forced labour to human trafficking.

Fashion's intricate supply chain is suffering from unprecedented disruption, from material scarcities to staffing shortages, logistical delays, and the energy crisis. Combined, these issues push up the cost of manufacturing and distribution, impacting the profitability of many apparel brands.

The Importance of Fashion to Human Civilization

In conclusion, fashion, while sometimes seen as superficial, has a profound impact on society. It influences how we communicate, express our identities, navigate social class, and develop our self-image and sexuality.

The negative impacts of the fashion industry include environmental damage, exploitation of workers, and cultural hom*ogenization. The fashion industry contributes to carbon dioxide emissions, petroleum consumption, and textile waste, which have negative impacts on society.

The list of issues surrounding our environment go on, but there are three major ones that affect the majority of them overall: global warming and climate change; water pollution and ocean acidification; and loss of biodiversity.

According to an analysis by Business Insider, fashion production comprises 10% of total global carbon emissions, as much as the European Union. It dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year.

Unfortunately, the demand for cheap and fast fashion leads to an array of environmental problems. From high energy consumption, excessive water use, toxic chemical discharge, to waste generation, fast fashion's environmental and carbon footprint is significant.

Studies show that fast fashion triggers mental health conditions such as: psychological stress related to impulse buying and panic buying, feelings of insecurity, inadequacy, shame, guilt and anxiety in consumers, eating disorders, impulse disorders, shopping addiction, antisocial tendencies like theft and extreme debt ...

What are the disadvantages of fashion? ›

The production of clothing creates a lot of waste and pollution. Think of the chemicals used to dye fabrics. In addition, many fast fashion garments are made of synthetic materials, which are not biodegradable and release microplastics into the water.

Age, gender, marital status, educational qualification, occupation and financial status are the main factors affecting fashion. Psychological, social psychological, economical, political, legal, technological and seasonal factors affect the consumer buying behaviour.

The positive side of fashion is it enhances your life. It not only allows you to dress fashionably but also allows being independent in thinking and maintaining self-esteem. At the same time, fashion is negatively impacting the youth.

The bad impact of fast fashion doesn't leave behind the social impact issues. To ensure the small prices of the clothes, the employees in this industry work in conditions similar to slavery. They receive ridiculous wages and, also, put their lives and the lives of their families at risk.

Clothing accounts for a fifth of the world's 300 million tons of plastic pollution every year. Producing polyester, now the world's most widely used clothing fiber, and other synthetics requires 1.3 billion barrels of oil annually.

Luxury fashion has a problem. According to McKinsey, the industry is responsible for over $2 billion in greenhouse gas emissions every year. That's roughly 4% of the world's total output. For added context, luxury fashion puts out the same amount of greenhouse gasses as France, Germany, and the UK.

Textile Waste and Landfills

The synthetic materials commonly used in fast fashion items, such as polyester and nylon, can take hundreds of years to decompose, releasing harmful pollutants in the process. This not only contributes to environmental degradation but also exacerbates the global waste crisis.