Rewriting The Fashion Industry
“According to the United Nations, the fashion industry is the second largest polluting industry in the world, sitting right behind big oil” (Woolums, 2023). Every day, life in the United States invites us to consume. We overeat, use single-use packaging, and endlessly upgrade as if the Earth is not suffering from our greed. Among the many forms of overconsumption damaging our environment, fast fashion is a major contributor. Fast fashion is described as “inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends” (Oxford Languages). This culture of fast fashion has quietly become an environmental crisis. Brands such as Shein, Zara, and H&M thrive by releasing new styles weekly. This encourages constant buying and discarding to keep up with trends. The effects of the fast fashion industry are visible in climate change, pollution, resource consumption, waste, and poor working conditions, as well as the underlying problem of overconsumption. The cost of cheap clothes is ripping through ecosystems. This ranges from carbon-intensive production to the mountains of waste that follow. This paper argues that fast fashion represents a fundamental ethical failure, not just an ecological one. It reveals an imbalance between human values and planetary limits. Using the frameworks of environmental ethics and environmental racism, this paper will examine the sustainability initiatives of the Fashion Revolution Foundation and Patagonia. It will identify additional measures that can be taken and highlight the essential role of personal responsibility. This sets the stage for a closer look at the specific impacts of fast fashion.
The environmental consequences of fast fashion extend far beyond the closet. Building on the patterns described above, we see that each stage of a clothing life cycle—from raw material production to disposal—incurs significant ecological costs. To understand this more clearly, it is important to examine the specific areas in which fast fashion exerts environmental pressure.
One of the most severe impacts lies in water use and water pollution. Cotton, a staple clothing material, is extremely water-intensive. For example, according to the World Wildlife Fund, producing a single cotton t-shirt takes 2,700 liters of water. That is roughly the amount one person drinks in 2.5 years. Moreover, water use is unregulated in many areas around the world. This lack of oversight is especially concerning in regions with popular textile hubs, such as Dhaka, Bangladesh. There, groundwater levels are dropping as more water is used for clothing and fabric production. Beyond excessive water consumption, related processes like leather tanning, fabric dyeing, and processing also release chemicals into water supplies. Textile dyeing and finishing are responsible for roughly 20% of global industrial water pollution (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). Factories in Bangladesh, India, and China discharge untreated dyes and chemicals into nearby rivers, making the water undrinkable and toxic to aquatic life (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). However, even when the dyes fade and the fabrics leave the factory, the pollution continues.
Fast fashion is also a significant source of microplastic pollution. Each piece of synthetic clothing releases microplastics into waterways, adding a new layer of invisible waste to the planet’s water systems. According to the United Nations Environment Program, textile production accounts for 9% of the microplastics that enter our oceans. About 60% of all textiles are made from synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon. When these clothes are washed, they shed microplastic fibers that flow into wastewater and eventually reach the oceans, where they are ingested by marine organisms. Scientific studies have found microplastics in seafood, seaweed, sea salt, and even in human blood, illustrating how these fibers move through the food web. Additionally, microfibers and microplastics consumed by marine animals often carry toxic chemicals. “The effects of microplastic ingestion on Marine Life are catastrophic; they have caused starvation, endocrine disruption, stunted growth in some species, and broken-down digestive systems” (United Nations Environment Program, 2019). This evidence highlights how seemingly small choices—such as purchasing synthetic, inexpensive clothing—can have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and our health.
In addition to polluted water and ecosystems, the fast fashion industry generates carbon emissions. According to United Nations Environment Program data from 2023, the fashion industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions each year. This is more than the combined emissions from international flights and maritime shipping. These emissions come from every stage of production: energy-intensive textile hubs, global transport of raw materials and finished goods, and short product life cycles that encourage overproduction. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that landfills received 11.3 million tons of textiles in 2018. In countries such as Chile and Ghana, mountains of unwanted clothing from landfills leach toxic dyes into the soil.
Another devastating impact of fast fashion lies in the volume of clothing waste that ends up in landfills and dumping grounds worldwide. An article by Lexi Woolums at the University of Alabama notes that, in 2019, the fast fashion industry and the clothing brand H&M had $4.1 billion in unsold clothing. While some unsold clothing was used to fuel a power plant in Sweden, most ended up in landfills. Additionally, the lifespan of fast fashion products is very short—many items are worn only a handful of times before being thrown out due to poor quality or changing trends. In Chile’s Atacama Desert, there are mountains of unsold clothing—much of it synthetic or non-biodegradable, making piles visible from space and leaching dyes and microfibers into the soil (BBC, 2022). These global “clothing graveyards” reveal the dark side of overconsumption and raise ethical questions about environmental justice and how our greed harms the environment.
I chose to use the frameworks of environmental ethics and environmental racism to look at this problem. Beginning with environmental ethics, the simple truth is that we often support companies that prioritize profit over the planet’s well-being. As mentioned earlier, the fast fashion industry contributes to pollution by contaminating clean water sources. It also accelerates climate change and destroys marine life. We are continuously tearing apart our environment in pursuit of cheaper and more clothes. The fundamental principles of environmental ethics—maintaining a respectful and sustainable relationship with the natural world—are being ignored. Instead, we alter ecosystems to produce more goods, expand factories, and pollute the natural world. We show little concern for future generations by depleting resources that should be preserved for their use. Through overconsumption, we create excessive waste and hoard the planet’s limited resources. In today’s consumer-driven world, environmental responsibility has largely been abandoned. We must urgently reclaim it—by questioning not only fast fashion corporations but also our own choices.
Environmental racism is described by civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr. as “the intentional siting of polluting and waste facilities in communities primarily populated by African Americans, Latines, Indigenous people, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, migrant farmworkers, and low-income workers” (NRDC). I had not given this concept much thought when I first began writing this paper. My research into the fast fashion industry made its connection clear. A 2018 U.S. Department of Labor report found evidence of forced and child labor in the fashion industry in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey, and Vietnam (U.S. Department of Labor, 2018). Other studies reveal that factory working conditions are often unsafe, and workers are paid extremely low wages. In Bangladesh, An Oxfam report showed that 91% of garment workers in Bangladesh struggle to afford enough food for themselves and their families. 25% face some form of abuse, and 84% remain poorly paid. These workers are not only paid poorly and forced to work in unworkable conditions; they are also exposed to toxic chemicals. The clothes we buy from fast fashion companies often contain many toxic chemicals. These chemicals are harmful to workers who handle and inhale them. There is a strong link between the exploitation of workers in fast fashion factories and the systemic inequalities that define environmental racism.
Although this paper has highlighted the negative aspects of the fast fashion industry, companies and nonprofits are taking action. The non-profit that has been making changes is The Fashion Revolution Foundation. It was founded in the wake of the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013, and has grown into the world’s largest fashion activism movement. The vision is “A global fashion industry that conserves and restores the environment and values people over growth and profit” (Fashion Revolution). They aim to promote transparency, accountability, and ethical practices across the global fashion chain. Through its Fashion Transparency Index, they rank major brands based on how openly they disclose information about their supply chains, environmental impact, and labor conditions. They encourage consumers to question where and how their clothing is made with the hashtag #WhoMadeMyClothing. “Rather than making people feel guilty, we help them recognize that they have the power to do something to make positive change” (Fashion Revolution). However, the organization’s influence is limited. It relies heavily on voluntary brand participation and public pressure rather than legal enforcement, meaning many major corporations can still obscure or manipulate data. Despite this challenge, Fashion Revolution’s campaigns illustrate the power of ethical awareness and the role of activism, education, and consumer responsibility.
In contrast to the exploitative practices of most fast fashion companies, Patagonia has emerged as a model of what environmentally responsible apparel companies can and should look like. Founded in 1974, Patagonia integrates sustainability into every aspect of its business model- from material sourcing to product lifecycle management. The company has been making Fair Trade clothing since 2014, promoting organic cotton and using recycled polyester. (Patagonia Fair Trade). Patagonia’s “Worn Wear” program encourages customers to repair, resell, and reuse clothing rather than throwing out or buying new products, promoting slower fashion. Patagonia has many other campaigns that help the environment, including Protect America’s Arctic, Protect the Ocean, Climate Justice, Protect Nature, and Environmental Justice. However, with all this good, there are still limitations, including its products being expensive, and, as a global retailer, it still contributes to carbon emissions through production and shipping. Nonetheless, Patagonia demonstrates that profitability and planetary responsibility can coexist when ethics guide corporate strategy rather than merely branding.
Despite growing awareness, the fast fashion industry remains one of the least sustainable forms of consumption. While progress has been made through nonprofit advocacy and selective corporate initiatives, these efforts alone are insufficient to address the scale of environmental degradation and labor exploitation driven by overproduction and fast fashion. There are still many ways we can team up to change this industry that is silently ruining our world. We need a policy change. Governments and international organizations must move beyond voluntary sustainability pledges towards enforcing environmental and labor regulations. We must also hold fashion brands accountable and demand accountability. We want companies to adopt third-party certifications such as B Corp, Fair Trade, or Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) to verify ethical sourcing and production, and to be transparent with consumers about how clothing is made and who is making it. We also have to put pressure on ourselves to be better. Take a stand: research the real impacts behind what you buy, support ethical brands, spread awareness, and join local or online campaigns for responsible fashion. Only through collective and individual action can we realign our values with the needs of the planet and future generations.
Over the last few years, my interest in sustainable living practices and my problem with overconsumption led me to learn about the fast fashion industry. I went through a spiral a few years back when I realized how bad our environment had gotten. I was always going to stores that promoted overconsumption, where their clothing was made from cheap and toxic materials. I could get a whole new outfit for not too much money, but you could always tell it was not made very well, and it would get ruined easily after the first few washes. I really had to sit myself down and look at my lifestyle one day when I realized I was a part of the problem. I was supporting companies that did not care about our environment or the people who made their clothes. I started donating clothes I did not need to thrift stores and got rid of more than half my wardrobe. I started shopping at local vendors, second-hand stores, Facebook Marketplace, and Poshmark, searching for higher-quality items that would last me a long time, and I adopted the mindset of buying second-hand before buying new. It not only makes me feel better about my choices and what I support, but it also saves money, helps my clothes last longer, and keeps me from going to the mall to buy a new outfit I don’t really need. However, I am human and not perfect; you can still find me at Target, browsing the clothing aisles, and sometimes buying a cheap shirt or sweater. Just like everyone, I am a work in progress and still educating myself every day.
The fast fashion industry has become one of the most challenging aspects of today’s society. The endless desire for newness at the cost of environmental and human devastation. What began as a celebration of accessible style has evolved into a system of exploitation, draining natural resources, polluting ecosystems, and perpetuating global inequalities. Through the frameworks of environmental ethics and environmental racism, we see that factories dumping dyes into rivers, landfills overflowing, and underpaid workers producing clothing that lasts only weeks, are not isolated problems but symptoms of a deeper ethical failure to recognize our interconnection with the planet. Every purchase is a moral act—one that either sustains or harms the living systems we depend upon. The non-profit The Fashion Revolution and corporation Patagonia reveal both progress and contradiction in the global response. The actual change will challenge our values and morals; we must learn to view clothing not as a commodity to be discarded, but as part of a larger ecological relationship. When we repair rather than replace, buy thoughtfully rather than impulsively, and demand transparency rather than convenience, we begin to rewrite the fashion industry.
Cover Image from: https://environmentamerica.org/articles/fashion-industry-waste-is-drastically-contributing-to-climate-change/ (11/17/2025)
References
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Megan Kelly is a UHM student, majoring in Psychology. She wrote this paper for a course entitled Human Values and the Environment taught by HTMC member Betsy Fisher. Megan is particularly concerned with environmental issues and hopes to contribute to meaningful change throughout her life.