THE
REAL
COST
OF
FAST
FASHION ✹

WHEN YOU BUY INTO FAST FASHION, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU WASH YOUR CLOTHES THEY WILL NEVER BE TRULY CLEAN. THEY'RE STAINED BY THE SWEAT OF THOSE WHO MADE THEM, AND THE FOOTPRINT IT LEAVES ON THIS PLANET.
LAURA FRANÇOIS

WHAT IS FAST FASHION
& WHY SHOULD YOU CARE

Defined as 'an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of fashion clothing that emphasises making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers. At its heart, the fast fashion business model relies on consumers endlessly buying more clothes. Brands tempt consumers by offering really cheap garments and ever-changing new ranges. Globally we are now consuming 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year—400% more than we were consuming just two decades ago. A report by Oxfam called 'What She Makes' found that women garment workers were being paid less than 37cents an hour and a 1% increase in the price of a garment could mean a fair living wage would be paid.On top of the ethical questions that come along with fast fashion, there is the environmental footprint it is leaving behind. The fashion industry accounts for 2% of global GDD but is also the second-largest polluter behind the Oil industry.

Around 20% of industrial wastewater pollution worldwide originates from the fashion industry. Fashion accounts for 35% of the microplastics polluting the ocean. Whilst Polyester, spandex and nylon take up to 200 years to break down in a landfill.

Every year, Australians acquire on average 27 KILOS of new clothing per person, chucking out 23 KILOS each year. Thats 800000000KGS of clothing and textiles discarded by AUSTRALIANS each year, 90% of which ends up in landfill.

An estimated 250 million children aged 5 to 14 are forced to work in fast fashion factories in developing countries. With workers being payed as little as 3 cents per hour working up to 100+ hours a week in dangerous conditions such as poor air quality, long hours and extreme heat. With 141 deaths and over 800 serious injures in garment, textile and related factories over 2021-2022.

The fashion industry is responsible for an estimated 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With the apparel industry's climate impact is expected to increase 49% by 2030, meaning that fashion alone will emit 4.9 metric gigatons of CO2.