Sustainable fashion options are becoming more necessary with every passing year. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has listed the climate crisis as one of the most urgent of our generation, impacting human lives and health in every aspect. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is projected to cause around 250,000 additional deaths per year, with US$2 billion to US$4 billion of direct damage costs to health.
Because of this, it’s important for everyone — regardless of age and location — to start making changes to how we consume. Unfortunately, fast fashion ventures have created a market that makes this incredibly difficult. Since 2000, clothing sales doubled from 100 to 200 billion units a year. By contrast, the average number of times each item was worn decreased by 36%. A big chunk goes to waste — filling up landfills at a scary rate.
This has created a profoundly unsustainable fashion environment. Fast fashion — with its high turnover rate — makes it easy for clothes to be thrown out and replaced instead of reused or recycled.
Yet, it’s hard for cash-strapped students to turn to more ethical fashion brands. The main reason behind this? Fast fashion is cheap, while sustainable brands are often more expensive as they need to pay decent wages to workers and use better materials that do not damage the earth.
Fortunately, more sustainable fashion brands are beginning to pop up, opening up our options. These have the benefit of being at the same price point as popular retailer websites such as ASOS and Shein, without contributing to the growing waste of fast fashion. It’s a win-win situation for all.
