'Fast fashion' is slowly helping to kill the planet — and British shoppers are the most wasteful, a study has warned. The clothe...
'Fast fashion' is slowly helping to kill the planet — and British shoppers are the most wasteful, a study has warned.
The clothes industry produces more than 92 million tonnes of waste a year and consumes around 1.5 trillion tonnes of water annually.
Developing countries bear most of the brunt of this excess.
In the UK, more garments are bought per person per year than anywhere else in Europe — to an astonishing 59 lbs worth in weight.
This is more than double the global average of 29 lbs — and almost twice as much as fashion-conscious Italian consumers, who purchase an average of 32 lbs each.
Germans, meanwhile — the second most wasteful — buy only 37 lbs per person.
'Fast fashion' is slowly helping to kill the planet — and British shoppers are the most wasteful, a study has warned. The clothes industry produces more than 92 million tonnes of waste a year and consumes around 1.5 trillion tonnes of water annually
'The average garment use-time has, consequently, decreased by 36 percent compared with 2005,' said paper author and design researcher Kirsi Niinimaki of the Aalto University in Finland.
'There is evidence in the UK, Norway and elsewhere suggesting disposal after little use, especially for impulse purchases.'
Fast fashion is based on low-priced, trend-led products — and relies on 'recurring consumption'. This practice represents a 'key environmental threat', Professor Niinimaki said.
Constant turnovers in wardrobe contents has to stop — and be replaced by a new trend dubbed 'slow style', the researchers argued.
Shoes, dresses, shirts, trousers and coats need to last for years — instead of months — to combat climate change, they added.
Shoppers will also have to pay more, with the 'environmental impact' of their purchases reflected in the prices, the team concluded.
According to Professor Niinimaki, consumers must start seeing clothing 'as more of a functional product rather than entertainment.'
'Slow fashion is the future. But we need a new system-wide understanding of how to transition towards this model,' she added.
'It requires creativity and collaboration between designers and manufacturers, various stakeholders — and consumers.'
'Consumers also have a crucial role and must change their consumption habits.'
'They must be ready to pay higher prices that account for the environmental impact of fashion — namely decreasing clothing purchases and increasing garment lifetimes.'
Fashion is now the second largest industrial polluter after aviation, accounting for 10 per cent or more than 1.7 billion tons of global carbon dioxide emissions annually
Fashion is now the second largest industrial polluter after aviation, accounting for 10 per cent or more than 1.7 billion tons of global carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Textile treatment and dyeing are responsible for a third of the micro-plastic pollution in the oceans — a colossal 190,000 tons per year.
Global clothing production has roughly doubled in 15 years. Brits are spending an estimated £2.7 billion on items we wear only once.
'Global consumption has risen to an estimated 62 million tons of textile products per year, and is projected to reach 102 million by 2030,' Professor Niinimaki said.
'As a result, fashion brands are now producing almost twice the amount of clothing today compared with before the year 2000.'
Consumer thirst for the latest garments has been fuelled in no small part by social media.
Annually, clothes worth about £140 million go into landfill.
'However, the industry continues to grow, despite rising awareness of the environmental impacts, in part owing to the rise of fast fashion,' Professor Niinimaki said.
'It relies on cheap manufacturing, frequent consumption, and short-lived garment use.'
'Global consumption has risen to an estimated 62 million tons of textile products per year, and is projected to reach 102 million by 2030,' Professor Niinimaki said. 'As a result, fashion brands are now producing almost twice the amount of clothing today compared with before the year 2000'
In their study, Professor Niinimaki and colleagues identified the environmental impacts of fast fashion, all the way from production to consumption.
They focused on water use, chemical pollution, carbon dioxide emissions and textile waste.
The findings, Professor Niinimaki said, 'highlight the need for substantial changes in the industry, including deceleration of manufacturing and introduction of sustainable practices throughout the supply chain.
A joined-up approach is required, the team added, with investment in cleaner technologies, sustainable business models and stronger legislation by governments.
'These changes stress the need for an urgent transition back to "slow" fashion, minimising and mitigating the detrimental environmental impacts,' Prof Niinimaki said.
The full findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.
Fashion designer Stella McCartney has urged people to wash clothes — including undergarments — less often.
The more you wash clothes, the quicker they wear out. In fact, it is estimated that the average lifetime for an item of clothing in the UK is just 2.2 years.
Ms McCartney recently revealed that she does not wash her bra every day — and avoids cleaning anything where possible.
'The rule on a bespoke suit is you do not clean it. You do not touch it. You let the dirt dry and you brush it off,' she said.
'Basically, in life, rule of thumb: if you don't absolutely have to clean anything, don't clean it.
'I wouldn’t change my bra every day and I don't just chuck stuff into a washing machine because it's been worn.
'I am incredibly hygienic myself, but I'm not a fan of dry cleaning or any cleaning, really.'
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