Fast Fashion - What Is It & Why Is It A Problem?

Fast fashion is the economic model behind the low-cost, ever-evolving clothing lines of famous brands like Shein, Forever 21 and H&M.

With speed, scale, efficiency, and, crucially, low supply costs, brands can get new clothing items/styles to consumers at an incredible pace; sometimes in just a couple of days.

However, behind the low-cost glamour, fast fashion’s rapid process is notorious for causing environmental harm as well as worker exploitation and animal cruelty.

Fast fashion is expected to reach a market size of £108 billion worldwide this year according to Research And Markets. The report cited also projects the industry will surpass £150 billion in 2028.

As fast fashion expands, so do its ramifications, making increased consumer awareness and action arguably more important than ever.

In this guide, we’ll examine the latest fast fashion statistics for the UK while considering the industry’s current state and scale, as well as its environmental impact and future projections. First of all, however, let’s look at the definition of fast fashion.

Explaining Fast Fashion

Fast fashion is a market approach many fashion retailers use to acquire and launch new clothing lines rapidly. It is also used as a term to reference low-cost, speedily produced fashion more generally.

The Rapid Production Model

Fast fashion brands can save on supply costs by outsourcing rapid clothing production to suppliers from lower-income nations.

This is because garment workers are paid relatively low wages in these countries and, in some cases, do not even receive the minimum wage.

Either way, fashion brands can then sell new clothing items to consumers quickly and cheaply. However, there’s a big price to pay for this rapid production model.

Why This Model Is Harmful

Fast fashion’s convenience often comes at the expense of poorly paid or unpaid workers, the environment, and sometimes even the consumers.

With fast fashion being unsustainable, change is essential to prevent worsening environmental damage, such as water pollution, air pollution and excess water usage.

New consumer habits (e.g. avoiding unsustainable or unethical brands) can also help reduce fast fashion’s exploitation of workers.

The Current Fast Fashion Industry

Fast fashion’s low-cost strategy has allowed it to grow into a massive multi-billion-pound industry.

In September 2024, the fast fashion industry is nearing £110 billion globally, according to Research and Markets. The same report cited also predicts a compound annual growth rate (a.k.a., CAGR) of 8.5% in the years ahead.

Domestically, the UK’s fast fashion market is worth a little under £11 billion according to data from IBIS World.

As for the industry at large, Statista data projects it will reach an annual global revenue figure of around £590 billion this year.

Key Fast Fashion Brands

While there are thousands of fast fashion brands globally, some stand out as key players in the industry.

Some of the largest fast fashion brands globally include:*

Company	2023 Annual Revenue
H&M	£16.99 billion
Shein	£24.95 billion
Zara	£22.01 billion
Forever 21	£3.045 billion
ASOS	£3.42 billion

*These aren’t the definitive ‘worst five’ fast fashion brands by one or more specific metrics. Instead, they are examples used to show the sort of revenue streams enjoyed by fast fashion brands.

At home, Primark, ITX UK and ASOS rank among the top UK fast-fashion brands, although international players like Shein have grown their online presence significantly in recent times.

Fast fashion brands can adapt to new trends and styles on the fly by releasing new clothing lines at speed.

For instance, this approach can allow brands to bring the latest catwalk look to their stores in just several days. Fast fashion is also known for its ‘52 micro-season’ strategy, with some brands basically embracing a new mini-fashion season every week.

Lots of modern brands use social media to reach new customers while tapping into new and upcoming trends. Shein, for instance, is known for their popular TikTok hauls.

How much fast fashion brands negatively affect the environment, workers or/and animals is going to vary from brand to brand. Between this and the room for brands to change with time, up-to-date research is crucial to making informed choices when shopping.

Fast fashion brands like Shein have grown significantly in recent years. The controversial Chinese e-commerce company has seen its active users/buyers grow from around 5.6 million in 2019 to 88.8 million last year.

Shein and other brands have continued to expand their appeal in top fast fashion markets recently, including the United States, one of the world’s top fast fashion consumers.

Top Markets Globally

While the U.S. is a major market, China is the number one fast fashion consumer worldwide. Other top fast fashion consumers include Australia, Canada, the UK, France, Italy, Russia, Turkey and Japan.

Regionally, North America, western Europe, east Asia, Oceania and parts of South America are among the key fast fashion importers.

Outsourced Production

While developed and rapidly developing nations make up most of the top fast fashion consumers, brands often outsource the production end of things to lower-income nations. These countries face the initial brunt of fast fashion’s ugly side as a result.

For instance, suppliers in lower-income nations are known to exploit workers through low- or non-existent wages while also exposing them to unsafe working conditions.

Fast fashion’s supply chain model can also cause environmental damage in these manufacturing nations such as waterway pollution, excess water use or/and chemical soil pollution.

Main Exporters

Asia is the dominant continent for fast fashion exports worldwide, responsible for over half of all global exports according to the latest data.

China is the key exporting nation. According to Statista, the manufacturing giant accounted for almost a third of all global exports in 2022.

Other notable exporters include Bangladesh and Vietnam, reportedly responsible for 7.9% and 6.1% of total clothing exports, each.

India is responsible for 3.1% of global exports, while Turkey accounts for 3.3%. Indonesia, Cambodia, and Pakistan each account for less than 2% of the big picture.

While the European Union’s market makes up 27% of global clothing exports, the EU largely exports high-end and second-hand clothing so it does not rank on the list of top fast fashion exporters.

Recent Growth And Future Projections

The global apparel market has seen plenty of growth in the past six years, bringing it to its current, increasingly impactful position.

Economic Position

Both fast fashion and the fashion industry, more generally, are expected to continue growing over the next 5-10 years.

Statista projects fast fashion will reach around £140 billion in value worldwide in 2027. In addition, Uniform Market predicts fast fashion will see a CAGR of 10.7% on average from 2023 to 2032 before reaching a value of £222 billion in 2032.

With similar figures to Statista for 2025 through to 2027, Uniform Market suggests the industry will grow by about £37 billion in the next three years before seeing an £80 billion-or-so jump over the five years that follow.

Growing Repercussions

With the value of fast fashion increasing, so are concerns over the industry’s future impact, emphasising the need for stronger opposition to the current trends.

In one of the better scenarios, fast fashion’s growth may slow, particularly if environmental awareness and other factors lead to a significant shift in purchasing habits.

That said, to tip the pendulum in a better direction, consumers should prioritise smart purchasing choices based on ethical and sustainable value, write to their local MPs about their concerns and raise awareness online and in person where possible.

Attending peaceful protests organised by trustworthy and effective protest campaigns is another way to potentially make a difference.

Either way, consumer choices and actions can lead to a more eco-friendly industry. This is crucial with the increasing negative environmental impact of the industry.

The Environmental Impact Of Fast Fashion

As fast fashion has grown, so has its environmental impact. Along with a large carbon footprint, fast fashion can cause significant textile waste disposal and water contamination, among other forms of environmental degradation.

There is a pressing need for change with the industry’s environmental impact set to worsen still, further highlighting the unsustainable nature of the fast fashion model.

Existing and new awareness efforts are needed to turn the tide ideally along with new government regulations. All that said, what is the industry’s current environmental footprint?

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Slow fashion or fast fashion, the industry at large, is unsurprisingly a significant greenhouse gas emitter. The industry reached 968 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2023 according to data from Statista.

In total, the industry covers up to 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions according to the European Parliament. This makes the fashion industry one of the more significant contributors to climate change in the modern era.

Current projections suggest the industry’s annual carbon dioxide emissions figure will steadily increase in the near future, one of the prices if business as usual continues. The figure is set to surpass 1.2 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions annually in 2028, according to the Statista data mentioned above.

While sustainable brands do exist, these companies and the sort of policies they often use do not have enough of a sway.

The industry’s current and projected environmental impact is why some consumers are keen to push the industry toward a more sustainable and ethical future.

Microfibre Water Pollution

Fast fashion is also associated with significant water pollution. This includes wastewater production and the contamination of existing clean waterways.

Microfibre water pollution is another significant issue. Fast fashion often relies on low-cost clothing made from plastic materials like acrylic and polyester, which can easily result in substantial microfibre pollution.

This sort of pollution may take place during the production process or when clothing items are put on a wash sometime after purchase.

Microfibre water contamination is linked to physical and chemical changes in aquatic lifeforms. Notably, a U.S. interstate body publication from 2017 highlighted microfibres leading to abrasion, ulcers and internal bleeding in aquatic animals.

Here in the UK, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) submitted a petition late last year asking that the government mandate manufacturers add microfibre filters to all new washing machines.

Measures like this could act as small but meaningful steps toward a cleaner and more sustainable fashion future.

Wastewater Generation

Another water contamination concern is the large amounts of wastewater that can result from fabric dying and treatment techniques.

According to Science Direct, textile dyes can inhibit plant growth and negatively affect the food chain within bodies of water.

Excess Water Usage

Also, as you might imagine, excess water usage is another environmental cost of rapid-fire fashion. In a world of declining fresh water, this is a particularly egregious aspect of the industry’s general approach to clothing manufacturing.

Between 250 and 300 litres of water are needed per kilogram of cloth within the Bangladeshi apparel and textile industries according to a ResearchGate conference paper.

While the arguable misuse of natural resources can be worrisome, the direct exploitation of human beings and even deaths through negligence represents the height of fast fashion’s damage.

The Human Impact

Whether through labour exploitation, societal impacts or even criminal negligence, the fast fashion industry has had a severe human impact across various nations. The environmental impact, as discussed above, could also affect societies both directly and indirectly.

By outsourcing to low-income nations, fast fashion brands generally benefit from low-cost production at the expense of the worker.

The human impact is, it could be argued, the inevitable result of what the fast fashion industry is on a core economic level. However, the demand for fast fashion can also enable specific suppliers/manufacturers to prey on or/and exploit the poor and vulnerable on a more individual level.

Unsafe and Unfair Working Conditions

Along with poorly paid, underpaid or even unpaid labour, fast fashion manufacturing workers (a.k.a. Garment workers) can be particularly susceptible to unsafe working conditions, forced labour and sexual misconduct.

Only around 1 in 50 garment workers receive a living wage, and up to half of women in these roles experience sexual harassment, according to a publication from the U.S.-based Georgetown Law Journal.

Shein is infamous for alleged human exploitation and alleged forms of criminal behaviour. A 2024 BBC news report highlighted an investigation from environmental advocacy organisation Public Eye into Shein’s apparel supply.

The investigation found at least one or more Shein suppliers allegedly paying workers just £265 per month (after deducting overtime). This figure is only around 36% of the living wage in China.

The investigation centred on six Chinese factories. However, while the human impact can vary, it has been clear for some time that the fast fashion industry has a serious labour exploitation problem.

Loss Of Life

The human cost can be as high as it gets in the fast fashion industry, as was seen with the horrendous Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh back in April 2013.

This collapse claimed 1,134 lives, while 2,500 people experienced non-fatal injuries. This disaster would usher in new legal changes in Bangladesh following public outcry.

The collapse of the eight-storey commercial garment factory complex was linked to criminal negligence, and 38 individuals were subsequently charged with murder, including the building owner, Sohel Rana.

Solutions and Alternatives

With so much human suffering (and even loss of life) associated with the fast fashion world, more consumers are looking for alternatives and considering how to have a positive impact.

Ultimately, more ethical and sustainable production is needed, although lowering the environmental impact and wastage associated with fast fashion imports should be kept in mind too.

Consumer choices, public pressure, awareness campaigns and legislation can all act as ways to turn the tide away from the wasteful and exploitative trends of modern fast fashion. But what exactly can you do as an individual?

On an Individual Level

Firstly, there are lots of approaches you and other like-minded people can take to reduce harm caused by fashion.

Opting for ethical and sustainable brands or at least steering clear of harmful fast fashion brands such as Shein and Forever 21 is a great first step.

Websites such as ‘Good On You’ can help you identify more ethical brands while highlighting those you’ll likely want to avoid.

Some ethical and sustainable brands in the UK include:

COSSAC
Stella McCartney
BEEN London
Nobody’s Child
Beaumont Organic

Buying second-hand and avoiding single or small online purchases can also make a difference. Waiting till you’re in need of several new clothing items or/and accessories can reduce waste and potentially lower your carbon footprint associated with e-commerce.

Success Stories

Applying pressure to brands through petitions and peaceful protest can also make a difference. Previous case studies have already proven the effectiveness of legal and intelligent pressure campaigns.

For example, British luxury fashion brand Burberry took steps toward sustainability in 2018 following criticisms of their practices.

Following a backlash, Burberry made the following changes:

Brought an end to the burning of unsold clothing items, bags and perfume, instead opting to reuse, repair or recycle these products.
They also opted to stop selling real fur following environmental criticism.
Burberry became the first major brand to make public plans to end the destruction of unwanted products.

In recent years, more fashion brands have moved toward increasingly sustainable fashion, including, to an extent, retailer giant ASOS.

The brand is now moving toward circular systems with the goal for all ASOS brand products and packaging to be the result of recycled or sustainable materials by the end of the decade.

However, these changes should be taken with a grain of salt since ASOS is still considered fast fashion. According to ‘Good on You’, the brand is still ‘Not good enough’ according to their sustainability criteria.

New Consumer Trends

Changes in the scale of the industry may result from public pressure (tied into new consumer habits), new and enforced laws or/and technological change.

By avoiding certain brands known for environmental harm, human exploitation or/and animal cruelty, consumers can move the needle of fast fashion’s culture and incentives.

Legal changes, however, could have a more definitive impact. Of course, consumers can have a say here, too, by supporting relevant petitions or contacting their local MP ahead of a parliamentary vote on fast fashion.

Legal Changes

The new legislation will likely prove a key component to significantly improving the state of fast fashion, whether as new laws in key manufacturing nations or legal changes in the top importing countries. Multinational laws and agreements could also play a part.

Major importing nations, generally developed or rapidly developing nations (e.g. the United States, China, Canada, the UK, France and Japan), could pass new laws prohibiting fast fashion imports unless new, stringent regulations are met.

Top fast fashion consumers could also pass laws to improve sustainability at home, even if this covers slow fashion only.

Previous Examples

Here is a brief timeline of recent UK fast fashion political discussion and action:

Domestically, the UK’s extended producer responsibility for packaging is due to see the addition of modulated fees in 2025. *
In 2019, an Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) report highlighted sustainability issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and textile waste ending up in landfills. Around this time, there was a heightened focus on fast fashion in UK politics.
The EAC revisited this report on May 1st this year as part of an evidence session on the UK fashion industry and sustainability.

With a new Labour government, the ‘honeymoon phase’ could act as an opportunity for campaigners to push for a new attitude toward fast fashion in politics and even the implementation of new laws.

*The changes to the extended producer responsibility for packaging will mean that non-recyclable packaging will come with higher associated charges, with the same applied to packaging that is relatively difficult to recycle. On the other hand, fees for packaging with limited recycling difficulties will go down.

Some examples of recent changes further afield:

In 2020, the European Union introduced their Circular Economy Action Plan, with the EU likely to pass more legislation in the future.*
More recently, the EU passed the ‘Ecodesign Sustainable Products Regulation’ as part of the Circular Economy Action Plan.

According to the EU, the Circular Economy Action Plan will support the collective’s efforts to double its material use circularity rate over the next several years.

*A circular economy essentially refers to a low-waste approach to production, meaning reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling materials and products to a greater extent. This economic model can lower waste, increase resource efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

Future Legislation

Looking ahead, new regulations must be sufficient in scale, rigorous enough and correctly enforced to have the required impact.

Alternatively, governments could impose new regulations on multinationals that operate within their borders, pressuring them to clean up their supply chain. One way or another, significant change is needed to push the fashion industry toward a more ethical and sustainable future.

Summary

Changing consumer habits and increased public demand for more ethical fashion are key to pushing the industry in a better direction. This is with many prices to pay for fast fashion’s low-cost, high-speed production model.

With fast fashion’s environmental impact continuing to grow, change is paramount to prevent a significant increase in air pollution, water pollution and excess waste use associated with the industry.

To help limit the fashion industry’s environmental impact as well as human exploitation and animal abuse that have strong links to fast fashion, consumers should carefully weigh up what brands to avoid and what ones to purchase from.

Consumers can also make a difference by pushing the government to introduce legal change, participating in peaceful pressure campaigns aimed at influencing specific fashion brands and raising awareness both online and in the real world.

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