WHAT IS FAST FASHION?

Investopedia says, "Fast fashion is the term used to describe clothing designs that move quickly from the catwalk to stores to take advantage of trends. The collections are often based on styles presented at Fashion Week runway shows or worn by celebrities. Fast fashion allows mainstream consumers to purchase the hot new look or the next big thing at an affordable price."

EFFECT ON WATER

It has been found that the second largest consumer industry of water is the fashion industry requiring 2000 gallons to produce a pair of jeans and 700 gallons to produce a cotton shirt. Fast fashion is a big user of textile dyeing, known to be the second largest source of water pollution. 

MICROPLASTICS

Microplastics like nylon and polyester are significantly used in the fashion industry because of their durable nature. Since nylon and polyester clothing is non-biodegradable, they have to be burnt when disregarded, which produces a tremendous amount of carbon footprint and worsens the problem of climate change. It has been found that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of the carbon footprint of the world.

SOLUTIONS

The biggest solution to combat the problem of fast fashion is educating ourselves and the people around us. There should be a conscious effort to not buy from fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M, forever 21, etc, but instead shop from sustainable, eco-friendly local brands in your country. Thrifting clothes is another excellent option. Moreover, It's always good to stray away from artificial fabric clothing since they are not biodegradable.

REFERENCES

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fast-fashion.asp

https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/