The Real Cost of Fast Fashion - Reading Exercise

Reading text: Fast fashion has made it possible for consumers to buy new clothes at very low prices, often in response to rapidly changing online trends. The apparent affordability, however, does not reveal the full cost of production. Manufacturing garments requires water, energy and raw materials, while transporting them across several countries adds further emissions. Some synthetic fabrics also release tiny fibres when they are washed, and these fibres can enter waterways.

The environmental impact is connected to the way people use clothes as well as to the way they are produced. When a garment is worn only a few times and then discarded, the resources used to make it are wasted. Charities and recycling companies can redirect some unwanted clothing, but not every donated item is reused locally. A proportion may be exported, processed into lower-value material or sent to landfill.

Consumers cannot solve the entire problem alone, but their choices can influence the market. Buying fewer, better-made items, repairing damaged clothes and using second-hand shops can extend the life of garments. Companies also have responsibility: they can publish clearer supply-chain information, design products that last longer and reduce unnecessary packaging. The most effective response requires changes from both businesses and consumers.