Social Media is Killing the Environment
Out with the old, in with the new. Tiktok and Instagram fast-track trend cycles as influencers push new trendy clothes every week, which expedites the effects of clothing pollution. Today, you can’t go on social media without seeing ads and influencers convincing you to buy the hottest piece of clothing of the “season.” However, a season isn’t the duration these clothes are lasting in closets.
The concern of overconsumption has risen once again as landfills of textiles multiply before they can decompose. In countries such as Ghana, Kenya, and Panipat, thousands of pounds worth of textiles are unloaded almost every day as the communities nearby struggle to maintain them. The fashion industry uses large amounts of resources to produce clothing; a cotton T-shirt can take up to 2,700 liters to produce, and discarded textiles can take up to 200 years or more to decompose. While decomposing, the textiles emit toxic gases and chemicals into the environments they’re in, putting the neighboring communities at health risks.
“The fashion industry overproduces products by about 30–40% each season, contributes roughly 10% of all global carbon emissions, and is the world’s second worst offender in terms of water and plastic pollution,” explained The Public Interest Research Group.
These discarded clothes are not only coming from fashion companies but from consumers as well. With trend cycles becoming shorter and shorter, “microtrends” are being tossed out after a few wears and Instagram pictures. On YouTube and TikTok, influencers have partnered with fast fashion brands such as SHEIN, BooHoo, and Zara to create “haul” videos, posting their latest purchase, usually a large amount of clothing. In doing so, they do their best to convince their audience to purchase from these brands.
SHEIN has recently become the most popular online fast fashion brand, as it is affordable and up to date with every latest trend. SHEIN is not available in retail stores; its success is owed to the numerous “hauls” and targeted ads posted on social media. The influencers include micro-celebrities, fashion bloggers, and music artists who have 10,000 to 4 million followers on their social media, influencing millions to make these fast fashion purchases.
“...the center of its marketing strategy is its use of influencers and their #SHEINhaul videos,” explains Time Magazine.
In addition to influencers, there are now quick and easy purchasing options on various platforms, such as TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, which have algorithm-based shopping available to users. Fast fashion brands such as Urban Outfitters, H&M, and Forever21 push their content with an accessible “Shop Now” button placed below the post.
Familiar faces and ads become intertwined as continuous users of these apps scroll through their feeds. As a place for socializing has now also become a place for shopping, users are inclined to make purchases more often than before the introduction of the shopping tab.
To keep up with trends and purchases, these brands produce millions of garments each year.
“H&M currently manufactures an estimated three billion garments each year,” according to the New York Times.
The fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Clothing pollution affects energy, water, and land resources, releasing toxic chemicals and gases into the environment while putting communities at risk for health issues. As companies continue to push their content and overproduce, the long-term effects are not yet known.