I thought this cycle of seeing, buying, wearing, trashing, repeat, was a normal phenomenon within our society. Little did I know, that despite the normalcy, I was contributing to the numerous negative effects of fast fashion. Fast fashion is cheap clothing made fairly quickly by retailers acknowledging the latest trends. In response, consumers wear the clothing for a short period of time and then get rid of them after the trend has become obsolete.  Fast fashion was introduced in the early 90’s when technology became more advanced. Trends came and went more rapidly than ever before because the world was at our fingertips. 

At first glance this concept doesn’t seem as detrimental as it actually is, but peering into the industry with a scrutinized vision allows one to see fast fashion causes severe damage. 

Hadari Oshri aborda tres grandes razones por las que la moda rápida es un problema en Forbes. One of them being “More Clothing Produced Equals More Waste.” “The rate of production to keep up has resulted in (literal) tons of excess inventory and waste,” Oshri said. Companies mass produce cheap clothing because of the quick trend turnaround. Companies do this because it is too expensive to create sustainable garments for each trend of clothing. They make cheap clothes so they don’t lose money in the long run.  This highlights the waste build up. People today are getting rid of their clothes after a short period of time resulting in the 92 million tons of clothing thrown into landfills each year. 

¿No es una locura? 92 millones de toneladas de ropa que decidimos que ya no nos gusta. Cuanta más ropa tiramos, más empresas tienen que fabricar. En un par de años estoy seguro de que el número aumentará dramáticamente si la gente no comienza a hacer un cambio. Además, un gran problema es que la ropa barata está empezando a dañar nuestro medio ambiente. Para ahorrar dinero, las empresas utilizan telas baratas que utilizan productos químicos tóxicos para mantenerse en el buen camino. Sin embargo, estos productos químicos están dañando la vida. Según Kaya Dory, una Programa del Medio Ambiente de las Naciones Unidas(PNUMA) periodista, “Alrededor 100.000 animales marinos son asesinados cada año por desechos plásticos, incluidas las microfibras”.

I believe in ethical companies; especially the ones that acknowledge the mistakes they have made. Brands need to address the toxic chemicals used in the clothing that is mass produced because the synthetic fibers are non biodegradable which means it can’t break down. Another problem is the work conditions for workers are inhumane and appalling. Oshri addresses the “Low Wages And Terrible Work Conditions For Workers.” 

Oshri mentions H&M having female garment workers in Asia. These workers in supplier factories have dealt with abuse, forced overtime, mistreatment, exploitation, low wages, etc. 

La profesora de mercadeo de moda de Dallastown y asesora del club de moda, la Sra. Guttridge, es “con la esperanza de que otros países implementen leyes para proteger a los trabajadores y prevenir la moda rápida en la fuente”.

Dory aborda que “Nike, Burberry y Gap… se sumaron a la iniciativa Make Fashion Circular”, para tomar el control. La iniciativa Make Fashion Circular mejora la sostenibilidad de la industria de la moda al reciclar materias primas y productos: lo cual es un paso en la dirección correcta. Ver que algunas empresas están empezando a tomar la iniciativa me hace pensar que los consumidores también deberían hacerlo. Reciclar es una gran manera de reducir la moda rápida. Ser capaz de hacer ropa nueva a partir de las que ya tienes ayudaría a disminuir el tiempo de entrega.

However, not everyone has the capability to do that. But, donating clothes to shelters or thrift stores is a quick way to reduce fast fashion as well as helping people attain attire. A simple search of ‘clothing recycle centers near me’ would be a step in the right direction.  But, Dory creates a good question: “how can we eliminate the need for recycling altogether?” Starting to shop from sustainable and ethical fashion brands would allow people to have good quality clothing they will wear for a longer time. Companies would be limited from mass producing clothes because trends will be made for a longer period of time. Not buying clothes as often, and instead buying high quality or second hand clothes should be sufficient enough that people won’t need to buy many apparel items so consistently. Buying less often will allow people to wear their clothing in different ways. “I would recommend that someone looking for sustainable clothing do a Google search for clothing companies that are environmentally friendly and ethical. Many companies are making this part of their mission. Also, thrifting is another alternative to support recycling and limiting waste in the landfills,” Guttridge said. If people put more time into educating others about the harms of fast fashion through social media than creating new trends that most likely will become obsolete in a couple months, then fast fashion wouldn’t be nearly as bad. 

Como hay una necesidad de más ropa en el futuro, intente comprar ropa en tiendas locales de segunda mano y en consignación o incluso en marcas de lujo. Su calidad es más duradera y sostenible que la de los productores de moda rápida, y mantiene seguras a las personas y al medio ambiente. Tómalo de mí: una chica que cayó en la trampa de la ropa barata. Entonces me di cuenta de que la ropa de buena calidad ayuda a nuestro medio ambiente y en realidad puede ayudar a definirme como persona. Todos deberíamos hacerlo. Vemos un atuendo de buena calidad en una tienda y decidimos que durará un tiempo. Lo usamos y lo guardamos, y decidimos no deshacernos de él. ¿Cuál es el daño?

Ve a ver Dallastown's el faro https://dtbeacon.net/8255/ae/es-tu-vestuario-causando-daño/