From green-washed fast fashion

Sobering Greenpeace report on the conscience-soothing green lines of the fast fashion industry.

Even if we try really hard - certain fashion chains are so difficult to avoid because we have become so accustomed to buying a certain standard of material and fashion quality at a certain price.

As the background to this industry is slowly getting around, we are hesitant to make uncomplicated purchases.

Now the system is working better again thanks to certain specially designated sustainability lines, which Greenpeace recently highlighted in memory of the 1134 victims of the collapse of a textile factory in Rana Plaza (Bangladesh) ten years ago.

The result is not very reassuring.

 

"Even ten years after Rana Plaza, the fashion industry continues to exploit people and destroy the environment. Advertising sustainability on a label but producing more and more disposable plastic textiles under catastrophic working conditions is greenwashing."

Viola Wohlgemuth, resource conservation expert at Greenpeace.

Companies create the labels with the terms "sustainable", "green" or "fair" themselves.

The extent to which this portrayal of market-leading fast fashion companies is actually due to better production is worth examining.

For example, the use of chemicals that are hazardous to the environment and health was examined according to reported and measured factory wastewater data. The extent to which workers receive a living wage and data on suppliers and supply chains is publicly accessible was also examined.

If you are still tempted to reach for fast fashion, please take a look at the pictures of the unbelievably gigantic fast fashion landfill in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

That should help. 💚