ZARA: Stop Fast Fashion and Greenwashing, NOW!

Are you aware that the fashion industry is reportedly the second-largest polluter in the world? In fact, a Business Insider study indicates that the fashion industry “produces 10% of all humanity's carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world's water supply, and pollutes the oceans with microplastics” (McFall-Johnson, 2019).

With poor quality fabrics and overproduction, thousands of clothing pieces end up being thrown into landfills and eventually contaminate our rivers and oceans with synthetic microfibers. In addition, more than 80% of contaminated water and chemicals are flushed directly into local river streams (Thebo, 2017). These eventually end up in our sources of drinking water and food supply. As consumers constantly demand more clothing, the fast fashion industry continues to take a toll on the environment and our health.

With many clothing retailers in the market, you may wonder which ones are responsible. One of the leading brands in the fast-fashion industry is ZARA, which has reportedly produced “ roughly 840 million garments every year for its 6,000 stores worldwide ” (Chua, 2019). They have dropped over 24 new collections of clothing every year.

With the overproduction and irresponsible consumption of clothing, ZARA worsens the environmental impact created by fast-fashion. Despite many concerns and requests from consumers, ZARA continues to practice “greenwashing” measures with public statements of commitment to sustainability and limited usage of recycled materials in their clothing. However, the mass production of clothing produced with synthetic fibers and polyester continues to create more CO2 in the atmosphere and end up overfilling our landfills.

As a group of young undergraduate students concerned for the state of our future, we are urging ZARA to meet our demands.

1) ZARA must invest in recyclable technology and implement cleaner energy practices moving forward.  

2) ZARA must stop the overproduction of clothing and new collections produced each year to reduce the accumulation of waste in landfills.  

3) ZARA must shift its usage of material to organic and sustainable alternatives. Rather than continue to overuse the consumption of water to produce pieces of clothing made of synthetic fibers, we encourage the company to use organic cotton or recycled fabrics made of polyester, nylon, or wool.  

4) ZARA must eliminate “greenwashing” promotional tactics and create a recycling program for unwanted clothing with proper reports and frequent audits.

5) ZARA must develop a concise waste disposal plan for the water used in its production process. The plan should have a detailed explanation as to how it is more sufficiently sustainable for the environment.

The environment needs our help, NOW! Taking a stance against fast fashion today can lead to a more sustainable future for generations to come. Join our campaign, side with the earth - sign our petition and please share it with your friends and family!

References
Chua, Jasmin Malik. “The Environment and Economy Are Paying the Price for Fast Fashion - but There's Hope.” Vox, Vox, 12AD, www.vox.com/2019/9/12/20860620/fast-fashion-zara-hm-forever-21-boohoo-environment-cost.  

McFall-Johnsen, Morgan. “The Fashion Industry Emits More Carbon than International Flights and Maritime Shipping Combined. Here Are the Biggest Ways It Impacts the Planet.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 21AD, www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10.

Thebo, A. L., Drechsel, P., Lambin, E. F., & Nelson, K. L. (2017). A global, spatially-explicit assessment of irrigated croplands influenced by urban wastewater flows. Environmental Research Letters, 12(7), 074008.