Fast Fashion’s Environmental Impact in 2023, Explained

Racks of clothing in Levittown, Pennsylvania.

Allegra Catelli

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The business model known as fast fashion has proved wildly successful. Apparel makers churn out new styles on an ever-shorter cycle, offering them at prices so low — like $5 for a shirt or $20 for jeans — that consumers buy more and more items, sometimes getting only a few wears out of them. But there's a dark side: The boom in the production of garments has increased carbon emissions and other ecological harms, and generated enormous clothing waste. Some consumers say they would prefer to buy clothing made with less injury to the environment, and brands in the $1.5 trillion fashion industry are starting to commit to producing so-called sustainable fashion. Even so, fast fashion continues to grow unabated.

In China and developing nations where most garments are produced, energy is often generated from dirty fuels like coal. Frequently, each step of the assembly process occurs in a different country, adding to emissions from transportation. All told, textile production, dominated by apparel, generates as much as 8% of global carbon emissions, according to the United Nations, exceeding the impact of maritime shipping and international flights combined. Polyester and cotton make up 85% of all clothing material, and both are rough on the planet in added ways. Most polyester is made from crude oil. Chemical dyes are often added to the fabric, which can contaminate groundwater. When polyester and nylon clothes are washed, they expel particles that contaminate sewage. Cotton is thirsty: The production of a single T-shirt requires enough water to sustain a person for three years.