Page 12 - SGG_220316_Teachers_Handbook_Module_4

2. Sustainable Consumption & Production of Clothes

A quite new trend in the fashion industry is called "fast fashion" which means that new collections are
coming onto the market at ever shorter intervals, and the spiral of new trends and “outdated” fashion
is turning ever faster. Many items of clothing are only bought for one season and are mostly corre-
spondingly sloppy in quality. This results in a short life circle of products that can be observed for ex-
ample in Germany: here consumers buy an average of sixty items of clothing per year. The rapidly
increasing proportion of online purchases are exacerbating this trend. Not only low prices and ex-
tremely high discounts are typical for fast fashion, but also the marketing strategies are designed for
the short-term satisfaction of the buyer's interests and always give rise to new ones. One in five pieces
of clothing is hardly ever worn. The trend in the global clothing production shows a rather alarming
development: the production of clothing has more than doubled since the turn of the millennium and
further studies show that the textile sector might continue to grow steadily in the coming decades. All
the signs are there of excessive, unsustainable development.

Why is fast fashion a problem? The consequences of the problems described above are mainly ecolog-
ical and social problems, about which many consumers do not really know much at all: Large amounts
of water are needed to grow cotton, especially in water-scarce areas. About 200 bathtubs full of water
are needed to grow one kilogram of cotton. Pesticides and fertilizers are a particular problem in con-
ventional cotton farming. This sector accounts for about 14 percent of the global insecticide market
and about 5 percent of the pesticide market. Dyes and other chemicals pollute wastewater in produc-
12 ing countries, which often lack adequate wastewater treatment facilities.

In addition the issue of working conditions and wages in the textile sector is yet another huge problem.,
tailors in many producing countries work under inhumane conditions.
The use of polyester or elastane results in microplastics entering waterways and oceans during wash-
ing. So far, there is no reliable data on how many fibers are released in this way. It is estimated that a
total of 80 to 400 tons of microparticles are released by clothing in Germany each year.
All these aspects listed show that it is a systemic problem, which basically only a holistic view can really
do justice to.

Young people display the achievements of their shopping trips through the cities (or internet) on social
networks, blogs and/or YouTube: In the so called HAULS they present their purchases not only to rel-
atives and friends# but also, depending on the "privacy setting" used, to a wide audience. For the
clothing manufacturers, this results in an advertising effect that cannot be paid for, because what could
be more authentic than the appreciation of the products by the consumers themselves? More and
more fashion companies are therefore sponsoring successful bloggers with free clothing samples,
which they then put in the right light in their videos. There have been the first legal disputes for some
years now, because the labeling of advertising is an important factor in so-called influencer marketing.
The online community itself is also becoming more sensitive in this regard.
Pupils in postmodern society are accustomed to the constant availability of consumer goods and ser-
vices. Through the Internet, two enormous aspects come together: the constant availability and the
constantly growing and even overwhelming offer of consumer goods such as clothing, which is visible
around the clock (online stores obviously do not follow opening hours). This results in a high risk of
quick and therefore wrong purchases. In addition, advertising awakens further needs which, in the
absence of reflection, not only young people can mistake for their own desires.