Have you ever wondered what the impact of fast fashion is on our planet? Having recently embarked on a virtual journey run by Globe From Home in cooperation with UK-German Connection, I was horrified to discover how severely certain parts of the world suffer from Western buying habits. Although it is difficult to deliver the same impact in an article, I will try to outline some of what I have learnt about the devastating effect that overconsumption and fast fashion have on the people who do the least to cause the issue.

A hundred billion garments of clothing are manufactured every year. Of these items, a large proportion will either break and be thrown away, or simply discarded due to changing fashion trends. It is easily done - buy a cheap Halloween outfit that will suffice for the party, throw it out the day after as it has a tear. What I was appalled to discover on my virtual journey, was that a huge amount of our rejected or damaged clothes are shipped off to Africa and sent on to low-profit markets or waste sites. The tour guide showed us the impact this has on the people in his community. When the sun beats down on these dumping grounds, the plastic fibres in the cheaply-made clothing sets on fire; the gases from these fires sink down into the slums below the dump - often causing severe respiratory problems for the inhabitants. This is just one example of how our fashion choices impact the ‘innocent’. 

So what is the solution? As we were told by the representatives from Globe From Home, the first step in addressing the problem is recognising that there is an issue and that we must change our habits. The second step is being strict with ourselves and deciding what we need, and what we desire. If we decide the latter - before we click ‘submit order’, we need to ask whether the six months of wear will be worth the atrocious environmental impact. 

Of course, we all need clothes - there is no denying that. However, the big fast-fashion companies thrive on Western demand. If we collectively make small changes to our lifestyles, such as using clothes till the very end of their useful lives, upcycling and fundamentally - buying less, we can slow the rate at which fast-fashion is damaging our planet and harming those who don’t deserve to live with the consequences of our greed.

Economic strain puts many in a position where they feel there is no other choice but to shop at fast fashion giants. However, there is another option that is economically and environmentally friendly - shopping at second-hand stores. There is an increasing community of people out there who are consciously trying to make a difference, but we need to join them - not work against them. If we all make small changes, there is still hope for the future of our planet.