11th July 2024 (8 Topics)
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Fast Fashion & Environment
Context
Textile waste poses a pressing global challenge, with only 12% of textiles recycled worldwide. Merely 1% of discarded clothes are recycled into new garments, with the rest often repurposed into low-value items like insulation or mattress stuffing.
The dark side of fast fashion (Impact)
Despite affordability, fast fashion has significant environmental and social repercussions:
- Environmental Impact: The fast fashion sector contributes 2-8% of global carbon emissions and 9% of annual microfiber pollution in oceans, as per the UN Environment Programme.
- Resource Intensive: It consumes approximately 215 trillion liters of water annually, equivalent to 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.
- Social Issues: Workers often endure exploitative conditions for minimal wages, while shareholders profit extensively.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Every phase of the fast fashion lifecycle—from resource extraction and manufacturing to transportation and waste management—contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating global warming.
- Synthetic Fabrics: The industry heavily relies on fossil fuel-derived synthetic fibers (e.g., polyester, nylon), intensifying the climate crisis through emissions and contributing to non-biodegradable plastic pollution.
- Microplastics: Synthetic fibers shed microplastics when washed, comprising 35% of microplastic pollution in oceans, perpetuating environmental degradation.
Fact Box:What is Fast Fashion?
Measures in India
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