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?

Fast fashion denotes the rapid production and distribution of clothing to quickly reflect current trends.
Technological advancements, reduced production costs, and efficient supply chains since the early 1990s have dramatically shortened fashion cycles.

Measures in India

Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974: It regulates the discharge of pollutants into water bodies and establishes penalties for non-compliance.
Sustainable Textiles of India initiative: It aims to promote sustainable production and consumption of textiles.
Other notable initiatives
- Sustainable Fashion Policy: In 2020, the Ministry of Textiles launched National Hand-loom Day with the theme "Handloom for Atmanirbhar Bharat" to promote sustainable fashion and textiles, support local artisans, and reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
- Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic waste management.
- Ban on Single-Use Plastics: In 2019, the government announced a ban on single-use plastics.
- Others: Clean Ganga Fund, Green Building Norms, National Action Plan on Climate Change, Textile Waste Management (Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship, Green Wardrobe Initiative)