What is fast fashion? 

As we continue to dive further into a digital age, a strong social media presence is advantageous. This leads to the constant need for the newest and up to date fashion and accessories posing potentially disastrous consequences for our planet's oceans. This has caused companies to mass produce poorly made garments to keep up with consumers demands for new styles, which is commonly referred to as fast fashionLinks to an external site.. These garments are typically made from low quality, syntheticLinks to an external site. materials while also employing cheap labor which has increased the average amount of garments purchased annually.  Some reports stateLinks to an external site. that “On average, a US consumer purchases one mid-priced item of clothing per week” (4) which is a significant difference from the average 13 items bought annually in the 1980sLinks to an external site.. 

What’s the problem? 

Although the price tag may appeal to the average consumer, fast fashion imposes many moral dilemmasLinks to an external site. through its use of cheap labor and unethical practices. Additionally, it is detrimental to the environment, with the production of clothing and shoes contributing to 8.1% of greenhouse gasses globallyLinks to an external site.. The synthetic materials used to make the clothing are destroying entire ecosystems, especially aquatic ones. When washed, materials like polyester and acrylic leak microplastics which are shards of plastic that are less than five millimeters in diameterLinks to an external site.. Imogen Napper, a researcher at the University of Plymouth, states that in “a typical clothes wash, up to 700,000 fibres could come off our clothesLinks to an external site.” so for the entire City of Vancouver that's almost 870 tonnes of plastic microfibers just from laundry! 

CTV National News: Plastics in laundry wastewaters

Why does it matter? 

These microplasticsLinks to an external site. are slowly destroying aquatic food chains and negatively affect habitats.  Many organisms end up consuming microplastics which block digestive tracts leading to starvation. This breaks food chains quite rapidly and can result in the total available fish stock to decrease for humans if action is not taken. Additionally, when microorganisms such as plankton consume these plastics, they can be passed on to larger fish and eventually end up in the fish we eat. 

(Image courtesy of eXXpedition / Lark Rise Pictures)

What can we do? 

Although microplastic pollution is a huge issue that impacts our oceans, there are a few simple, but effective solutionsLinks to an external site. that we can implement in order to move to a more sustainable future. Starting with our own personal choices, we could avoid purchasing from stores that engage in fast fashion practices and  find ethically sourced, quality clothing that would not only save money in the long run, but it would also ensure that less plastics end up in our oceans. Another thing we can do as consumers is to pressure some of the larger corporations that mass produce these garments to begin taking sustainability into account. If we all do our part,we could make a large scale change and allow our oceans to heal.