Fast Fashion vs Sustainable Fashion

The fashion industry is one of the biggest contributors to global carbon emissions. From producing raw materials to dyeing, sewing, and shipping, each step consumes vast amounts of energy. Fast fashion accelerates this by pushing frequent new collections, encouraging overconsumption.

Excessive Water Use: Tons of water are consumed to grow cotton and produce clothing.

Toxic Pollution: Harmful dyes are dumped into rivers, contaminating ecosystems.

Worker Exploitation: Underpaid laborers work in unsafe factory conditions.

In recent years, the fashion and textile industries have faced heavy criticism for polluting the environment. These industries are massive and require a lot of energy and chemicals, which release harmful gases and create waste.

According to the World Health Organization, between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause around 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress alone.

Every year, around 80 billion pieces of clothing are bought globally, making the industry worth about $1.2 trillion. Most of these are made in countries like China and Bangladesh.

According to the Sustainable Fashion Forum, global clothing consumption is expected to increase by 63% by 2030, while textile waste could reach 300 million tons by 2050.

In Indonesia, the issue is also serious. Based on 2021 data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, about 2.3 million tons of clothing waste were generated, 12% of total household waste.

Only a small part, around 0.3 million tons, was successfully recycled.

The solution lies in sustainable fashion. Here’s how:

Use Sustainable Materials: Opt for natural or recycled fabrics.

Energy-Efficient Production: Switch to renewable energy (solar, biomass, geothermal) for processes like dyeing and ironing.

Conscious Consumption: Buy less, choose well, and support eco-friendly brands.

Long-Term Solution: Build green industrial zones powered by renewables to combine clean energy, smart infrastructure, and waste management.

Indonesia’s Role: With abundant renewable resources, Indonesia can lead this change—but it takes collaboration between governments, companies, researchers, and the public.

These issues harm both the planet and people, showing that cheap fashion comes at a high price.

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Bhardwaj, V., & Fairhurst, A. (2010). Fast fashion: Response to changes in the fashion industry. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 20(1), 165–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593960903498300

Bick, R., Halsey, E., & Ekenga, C. C. (2018). The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environmental Health, 17, 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7

GoodStats. (2023, July 18). Sampah pakaian makin banyak, saatnya sudahi konsumsi fast fashion. https://goodstats.id/article/sampah-pakaian-makin-banyak-saatnya-sudahi-konsumsi-fast-fashion-Bx10s

Mica, M., Sultana, N., Begum, M., & Islam, A. (2022). Energy consumption, environmental impact and implementation of renewable energy resources in global textile industries: An overview towards circularity and sustainability. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359574045

World Health Organization. (2021). Climate change and health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health