As I walk around Georgia Tech’s campus, I cannot help but notice the student body’s diverse range of outfits. Many, like myself, opt for sweatpants or jeans coupled with a sweater for chillier days. The more fashionable may choose a statement piece, such as bright pants or a bold shoe. But one consistent theme I have seen is the consistency of Greek Life merchandise. A shirt bearing the phrases Alpha Delta Pi or Sigma Chi can be seen on almost every street corner. There is nothing inherently different about these stylish t-shirts until you begin to recognize how many you see. There are roughly ten variations of the exact same t-shirt from the same sorority only differing by theme. As the community becomes more aware of the plight of fast fashion, it is easier to recognize fast fashion in everyday life. This article will aim to break down the impacts of fast fashion as a whole, and how students at Georgia Tech can change our behavior patterns to limit our consumption of fast fashion.
Fast fashion as an industry has grown exponentially in recent years. Fast fashion is the business of producing low-quality and cost garments at a rapid pace in order to generate profit as trends appear. From brands such as Shein and Zara, there is a large variety of quality and prices that are classified as fast fashion. However, one theme remains consistent with fast fashion: waste. Much of the clothing purchased through fast fashion is donated or thrown in a landfill. Of the clothing donated, only about one-fifth is resold (Claudio, 2007). This means the rest of the pieces end up in the garbage further polluting the Earth. Fashion and textiles are the second most polluting industries, contributing roughly 20% of global water waste (Bailey et al., 2022). This mass amount of waste contributes heavily to the pollution of our earth and the changing climate that we experience. Additionally, the quality of fabrics has significantly decreased over time. Polyester is a very commonly used material to make clothes because it is cheap and can be mass-produced. However, polyester is made of microplastics, meaning it will not break down as easily as natural fibers (Weber et al., 2017). All of these factors contribute to the growing piles of discarded clothing in our landfills. However, fast fashion seems unavoidable in our society, as exemplified by merchandising in Greek life.
I interviewed the Director of Merchandise for Alpha Omega Epsilon to collect information about consumption in Greek Life on Georgia Tech’s Campus. She says thus far this academic year she has received five t-shirts from the sorority, as well as a multitude of other merchandise, including a crewneck, a pair of sweatpants, a hoodie, and a keychain among other items. However, she also explained to me the ways that Alpha Omega Epsilon attempts to mitigate any waste they create if they order extra t-shirts or merchandise. She says that all extra merchandise is kept and offered to new members in the following years. It is great to see that these organizations have solutions to excess consumption. However, Greek life still creates a significant amount of excess waste, which as stated previously contributes significantly to the pollution of our Earth.
Although this article focuses mostly on Greek life, it is up to us to limit our own consumption patterns in an attempt to make a difference. We are constantly given free t-shirts by the university, which inevitably end up in landfills. Every person consumes more than they need to, as it is almost impossible for an individual to remain carbon neutral. It is important to ask yourself as you purchase items: Do I need this? Do I have something similar to this? Can I purchase something like this second-hand? All of these questions may assist consumers in making smart decisions that could save them money and help save the planet.
Sources
Bailey, K., Basu, A., & Sharma, S. (2022). The Environmental Impacts of Fast Fashion on Water Quality: A Systematic Review. Water, 14(7), 1073.
Claudio, L.. (2007). Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(9), A449–A454. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.115-a449
Weber, S., Lynes, J., & Young, S. B.. (2017). Fashion interest as a driver for consumer textile waste management: reuse, recycle or disposal. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 41(2), 207–215. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12328
