Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Fast Fashion - Why Clothes of Today are JUNK and WHERE They REALLY End Up

Have you ever heard the term Fast Fashion?  I'm sure you've experienced the results of it, but didn't know what it was called. It is the practice of quickly producing affordable, trendy clothing that replicates high-fashion designs to meet consumer demand. It results in environmental harm, cheap junk garments, and unethical labor practices due to its focus on speed and profit over high-quality and fair wages.

Fast fashion has created massive clothing dumps, with one of the largest in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Around 39,000 metric tons of unsold and used garments, often shipped from the US, Europe, and Asia, pile up here annually because they can’t be sold or recycled. These heaps, made mostly of non-biodegradable synthetic materials like polyester, take up to 200 years to break down, releasing toxic pollutants into the air and water, harming local communities and the environment.  

The scale of the Atacama dump is unreal. It spans nearly the size of 580 football fields, and is visible via satellite imagery. This isn’t just a Chilean issue either. In Ghana’s Kantamanto Market, 40% of the 15 million garments arriving weekly end up as waste, contributing to global problems like microplastic pollution and carbon emissions. The fashion industry, responsible for 10% of global emissions, is creating a major environmental crisis.

These dumps highlight the fast fashion model’s flaws which are overproduction, overconsumption, and lack of sustainable solutions. Consumers often discard clothes after just 7 to 10 wears (because they are cheap and low quality). Efforts like recycling programs are emerging, but better regulations and speaking with our dollar is more important than ever.

Let's get back to quality over quantity!

Much Love, 
Lynn 

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