by Georgia Bubel
In this blog, we zoom out from Lake Simcoe and focus on how one of the biggest industries in the world impacts water.
An Introduction to Fast Fashion
Throughout history, fashion has been an important part of human identity, serving as a powerful tool for cultural connection, self expression and art. Over centuries, fashion has continuously changed and evolved, both in style and production.
During the industrial revolution new technologies like power looms and sewing machines revolutionized fashion, making clothing quicker and cheaper to produce (BBC Bitesize, 2023). Now, we produce clothing faster than ever, and purchase at rates never seen before. Globally, people consume an estimated 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year, which is a 400 per cent increase from 20 years ago (The Environmental Costs of Fast Fashion, 2025).
These extreme production/consumption rates are part of a relatively new phenomenon called fast fashion. First coined by the New York Times in the 1990s, fast fashion refers to the rapid and inexpensive production of clothing, designed to quickly capitalize on current trends (Maiti, 2025). It prioritizes speed and low cost over quality, sustainability and ethics.
Fast fashion’s environmental impacts have been devastating in more areas than one, but in this blog we will focus on its impact on water. If you would like to know more about its other environmental or ethical concerns, please check out the “references” for further reading at the end of this article.
The Impact on Water
Earth’s second-largest water consumer is the fashion industry (Nijman, 2022), using an estimated 5 trillion litres of water each year to dye fabric alone (Drew & Yehounme, 2017). The dyeing and finishing processes in textile production involve the use of numerous chemicals, some of which are toxic and hazardous. Today, around 20% of global wastewater comes from the dyeing of textiles (Le, 2020). Once water is polluted by the runoff of this textile dyeing process, often no treatment can make it safe again.
However, the dyes used by the fashion industry aren’t the only harmful part of textile production; synthetic fabrics like nylon and polyester also shed microplastics when washed. Microplastics are extremely small and can easily pass through wastewater treatment plants, eventually finding their way into rivers and oceans, where they can harm aquatic life (The Environmental Costs of Fast Fashion, 2025).
Greenwashing
In order to cover up the devastating costs of fast fashion and capitalize off increasingly eco-conscious consumers, companies engage in greenwashing. This is a technique where companies present themselves as more environmentally friendly than they actually are. (The Environmental Costs of Fast Fashion, 2025).
For example, companies might use misleading words with no legal definition such as: green, eco-friendly and sustainable to describe their products. This allows them to appear environmentally friendly without actually engaging in such practices. Greenwashing isn’t unique to fashion, but it’s very common in the industry. Brands like H&M and Zara have been called out for greenwashing in the past with their lines “Conscious” and “Join Life” (Minhaj, 2019).
What can you do?
- Buy fewer items a year, but make them great and durable pieces
- Wear your clothes for longer
- Repair and Up-cycle
- Before buying, read the materials!
- When possible, avoid directly buying from fast fashion giants such as…
- SHEIN
- H&M
- Fashion Nova
- Zara
- Thrift and shop second hand
- Raise awareness about fast fashion by telling friends and family
Living in a way that’s 100% environmentally friendly is nearly impossible. Instead of being preoccupied with how to be a “green consumer” remember, it’s better to just be less of a consumer! Commit to not buying new clothes for a season. Only shop thrift shops for a period of time. Have fun with it! And instead of beating yourself up for falling short of perfection, simply try your best and be proud of yourself for the positive initiatives you do make.
References
BBC Bitesize. (2023, December 8). How did the Industrial Revolution change the textile industry? – BBC Bitesize. BBC Bitesize. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zys7xbk#zkfxhcw
Drew, D., & Yehounme, G. (2017). The apparel industry’s environmental impact in 6 graphics. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/apparel-industrys-environmental-impact-6-graphics
Le, N. (2020, July 20). The Impact of Fast Fashion on the Environment. Princeton Student Climate Initiative; Princeton University. https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/7/20/the-impact-of-fast-fashion-on-the-environment
Maiti, R. (2025, January 20). The environmental impact of fast fashion, explained. Earth.org. https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/
Minhaj, H. (2019). The Ugly Truth Of Fast Fashion | Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj | Netflix [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGF3ObOBbac
Nijman, S. (2022, June 21). UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion Addresses Damage of “Fast Fashion.” UNEP – UN Environment Programme; United Nations. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/un-alliance-sustainable-fashion-addresses-damage-fast-fashion
Regan, H. (2020, September 29). Why our colorful clothes are killing the environment. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/style/article/dyeing-pollution-fashion-intl-hnk-dst-sept
The environmental costs of fast fashion. (2025, January 8). David Suzuki Foundation. https://davidsuzuki.org/living-green/the-environmental-cost-of-fast-fashion/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21977442138&gbraid=0AAAAAD4OMJF_WZkv8m8pJc9U0K-5RJ-q2&gclid=CjwKCAjwwNbEBhBpEiwAFYLtGLunSvxp2oSOX9ROpaGd4w2oH92O2AOEfzmfTxTOo2gZ5CqhBcsqfBoCmGQQAvD_BwE