Fashion Sustainability : Poverty in Japan 2 of 4

*This "Poverty in Japan" series of articles is based on a presentation given by the Seisen High School Social Justice Committee to their peers at an assembly in November 2021.

What is Fashion Sustainability?

Fashion sustainability refers to clothing that is designed, manufactured, distributed and used in ways that are  environmentally friendly. 

Fast fashion 

Fast fashion is a term used to describe inexpensive clothing produced rapidly in response to latest trends. 
As trends are constantly changing, after companies produce new clothing, there is an immense amount of waste of materials and energy used. 
Fast fashion brands focus on quantity over quality, therefore the quality of clothing is not the best. This means that clothing items may break easily and if people throw them away, it adds onto the waste buildup. 
Although fast fashion is not beneficial for the environment, it is cheap and affordable especially for those who are in poverty. 

How does the fashion industry harm the environment?

CO2 Emissions

• According to the Ellen MacArthur foundation, the fashion industry contributes to 10% of global CO2 emissions  each year.
• Carbon emissions occur during transportation of the products from factories to stores, and also occur when the consumer discards the product which is taken to a landfill and burned.

Water pollution

• Some clothes can contain microplastics which may be harmful to the marine animals when they go into the ocean
• Untreated toxic wastewaters from textiles factories are dumped into the rivers. Wastewater contains toxic substances that pollutes the environment. 
• Environmental damage can prevent those impoverished from having safe and hygienic living standards.
• Those in poverty rely more directly on the environment than others for their survival. 
  • Water, food, shelter

Fast fashion and poverty

Dangerous Working Conditions

• Along with the miserable pay, working conditions are dangerous and dehumanizing
• Workers often face verbal and physical abuse 
• Employees often work with no ventilation while breathing in toxic substances 
• Accidents and injuries are also common

Child exploitation

• Trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty, children are susceptible to forced labor 
• These unethical practices demonstrate how fast fashion and poverty are intermingled 
   

How you can help!

1. Don't throw your clothes away! Recycle or donate them. If you have old clothes that you no longer wear, consider taking them to shops and organizations such as: 
    UNIQLO→ They collect old clothing from their consumers to deliver them to those in need, or reuse them to make new products.
    H&M→ Takes old clothing that they recycle and reuse. They will provide you with a 500 yen coupon for every bag of old clothing you bring.
    Second life → NPO organization that collects used clothes 

2. Repair your clothes.

3. Shop secondhand, check out vintage shops and charity shops.

4. Focus on quality over quantity! Limit the amount of fast fashion you purchase.

5.Many sustainable fashion brands encourage their consumers to redesign or repurpose clothing. This can help to reduce the use of new resources.

Fashion Revolution

Fashion revolution is a nonprofit that investigates transparency in fashion and advocates for a global fashion industry that conserves the environment. It’s a great example of how to get involved and showcases the issues within the fashion industry. 
 

https://www.fashionrevolution.org/ 

Links to good resources within the fashion revolution website: 
Japanese site with events and news focused on Japan
Information on how to get involved! Really good stuff here  
List of resources for further reading  

Seisen Social Justice Committee "Poverty in Japan" Article Series

1. Introduction
2. Food Sustainability
3. Fashion Sustainability
4. Immigration
5. Education