Why is Fast fashion Bad For Our Budgets and The Environment?
Evolution tips on saving money and feeling good about your finances and yourself.
Fast Fashion
Fast fashion is a design, manufacturing, and marketing method focused on rapidly producing high volumes of clothing. Garment production utilises trend replication and low-quality materials in order to bring inexpensive styles to the public.
But did you know in Australia we dispose of 6000 kilos of fashion and textile waste EVERY TEN MINUTES?! Or that one t-shirt is created using 2700 litres of water (or three years of drinking water for ONE person)? Additionally, the fashion industry is the second biggest contributor to pollution globally, second only to aviation. Fast fashion’s carbon footprint gives industries like air travel and oil a run for their money.
You’re getting it – fashion generally is not good for the environment.
Slow fashion offers an alternative, with mindful manufacturing, natural materials, and lasting garments. It’s encouraging to know there are brands, communities, and individuals out there with the drive and spirit to work to change industries, one being the fashion industry.
Financial Impact
Not only is moving away from the addictive process of fast fashion a good thing for the environment and a more sustainable choice, but you’ll also benefit from spending smarter. Sure adding another $15 tee to your cart may seem harmless, but when you’re doing that on a regular basis it quickly adds up! Buying quality instead of quantity is a great way to think about it – invest in items that are well made and increase the lifespan of your clothes by steering clear of trends that will be outdated in a couple of weeks.
Ways We Can Shop Smarter & More Sustainably.
Support Local
Small businesses have been doing it tougher than most of late so if you can, support local brands who boast sustainable, ethical practices to keep them open and thriving, instead of supporting big international retailers with questionable processes in place.
Conduct a little research on your favourite brands to double check their practices match your values and ethics
There are good online resource called the Ethical Fashion Guide which grades popular fashion brands based on their practices, so you can look up your favourite brand and see if that is still where you want to be spending your hard earned money. Also, be conscious of brands that ‘greenwash’ – many brands are guilty of utilising tricky forms of marketing by using words like ‘eco’ or ‘natural’ etc. to make you think they are ethical or sustainable when they are not. Stay vigilant!
Buy Less
Ultimately, this is the best way to buck the system and obviously save money. Invest in pieces that will last longer than a season and that you’ll receive a greater cost per wear on. The average Australian buys 27kg of new clothing and textiles per year, which are worn an average of seven times and then sent to landfill –we can bring it down by simply buying less.
Consider Adopting a Capsule Wardrobe
Capsule wardrobes are a terribly sensible way to go about your clothing. In essence, capsule wardrobes contain a smaller number of items that can be paired with multiple other items in your cupboard, instead of having an abundance of pieces that just don’t work together. How many times have you looked at your brimming wardrobe only to say on a Saturday night that you have NOTHING to wear?! Heaps of times if you’re anything like us. So tone it down, get back to basics, and embrace a wardrobe of fewer, high quality items that pair brilliantly together.
Utilise you local
Buying second hand clothing is not only sustainable but it can be a really good way to stand out by having items in your wardrobe that no one else has. There’s nothing sweeter than receiving a compliment on a pair of jeans, only to reply that you picked them up for $3! Sure it takes time but it’s worth it when you find a gem.
Wait 30 days before making a purchase of something you really want.
Putting time between you and the purchase you can’t wait to buy is a brilliant test to see how much you really want it. This practice takes the emotion out of shopping, and will provide a little clarity around whether this purchase was really about the product itself, or about you craving the rush of buying something new.
Did you ever think you would be receiving fashion tips and ways to save our planet from your accountant? Every decision we make somewhere down the line revolves around our finances. Finding small ways to save money can bring large rewards when it all adds up.
For more information on this topic please visit some of the following resources
How your fast fashion addiction affects the planet