The Global Fashion Glut: Fast Fashion Clothing

Don’t be fooled – that sustainable paper bag full of fast fashion items you carry home from the store doesn’t make up for what these retailers do to the global environment. No matter how many recyclable paper bags are produced, there’s no getting away from it: the quicker the fast fashion clothing is manufactured, put on the shelf and sold, and the sooner it’s discarded because it’s not the latest trend anymore, the more it is harming our planet.

The reality is a slap in the face: according to the United Nations, 92 million tons of clothes end in landfills annually. There’s too much clothing and very little time to rectify the problem. While savvy people on the African continent are finding new ways to recycle this discarded clothing, creating giant megamarkets that sell to needy buyers and make a reasonable profit in Ghana and other innovative countries, the rest of the world carries on regardless, buying, and buying and buying…

To understand the impact the fast fashion industry has on our planet, read the interesting data in our guide, How Fast Fashion is Damaging the Environment.

Fast Fashion – Cheap at the Price

How can we afford it? Sadly, brands like Shein, Temu and Forever 21 are so inexpensive that they usually cost less than food essentials, like a dozen eggs. No matter how much cred a top designer garment from a well-known brand has, its price tag is only affordable to a privileged few. The rest of us need to buy what we can afford. And having a wardrobe full of new clothes is a dream come true for many.

Just over a year ago, in 2023, the global clothing industry was estimated at US$1.710 billion, and it’s expected to grow by a minimum of 4.1% by 2030. Thanks to Chinese fast fashion mega-stores Shein and Temu, looked down upon for how much waste is created producing their clothing, not to mention their awful exploitation of cheap labour, the excess will grow exponentially. There isn’t enough knowledge about what’s happening to make consumers sit up and notice. And those who hear the facts about cheap labour and bad working conditions don’t realise the frightening truth. Thus, the fast fashion industry booms, and very little is done about it.

Transforming Our Mindsets: Fast Fashion to Slow

Slow fashion is the answer to the fast fashion industry problem. As we’re discussing the fashion glut, it’s a good idea to consider this more sustainable philosophy, a glimmer of hope that could make consumers pause and think before they shop. Slow fashion is the antithesis of fast fashion; it encapsulates a sustainable way of shopping for fashionable clothes, choosing quality clothing that will withstand the test of time because it’s been manufactured with excellent materials and styled classically so it will last.

Vintage has become a glamorous buzzword, depicting fashion-forward people with the savvy to reuse clothes in their wardrobe or give a second life to worn clothing found in myriad vintage stores worldwide. These stores make a fortune by offering quality second-hand designer goods at excellent prices. Buying vintage is the perfect opportunity to show off your unique creative edge instead of being a sheep and dressing head to toe in the latest trend.

It's also an opportunity to purchase a designer brand at an affordable price. Once these clothes are ‘gently worn’, their price drops exponentially. Those who can afford to buy top designer clothing at the drop of a hat often wear the clothes once or twice before discarding them. In the current economic downturn, even people with champagne budgets are happy to pick up a few pounds for something they won’t be seen in a second time.

If we consider the importance of recycling our own – or someone else’s – old clothes, we’ll be doing the planet a favour. When we purchase a quality second-hand pair of shoes, a jacket, or another gorgeous piece, we extend that item’s life. We’re being sustainable. And we’re not rushing online to purchase fast fashion clothes. We’ve changed our mindset, because we’re aware these garments will end up in landfill just like the rest of this year’s ‘latest trend’.

...And Then There's Circular Fashion

Another sustainable choice for buying garments is ‘circular fashion’, clothing made from sustainably recycled fabrics. The term describes clothes that have gone ‘full circle’. The circular fashion industry uses materials in a way manufacturers aren’t using them right now. The fabrics currently made into fast fashion garments aren’t sustainable or designed to be recycled or reused. This is what is known as ‘linear fashion’.

In contrast, circular fashion looks at manufacturing differently. It involves creating long-lasting and timeless items using eco-friendly materials that are recycled or upcycled and manufactured sustainably, using less water and energy and avoiding toxic chemicals in processes. The focus is on recycling garments, which involves repairing existing clothing, perhaps transforming garments into something else.

Circular fashion is a transformative solution to the fast fashion industry, and it considers pollution and climate change. It provides an opportunity for creative minds to find innovative methods of producing clothing in an environmentally conscious way.

Sustainability Takes a Back Seat in 2025

As the clothing industry continues to boom, competition gets tougher. And when the going gets tough, the tough worry about making ends meet, not about being sustainable. According to McKinsey & Co’s State of Fashion Report, sustainability is not manufacturers’ concern in 2025 – they are far more worried about their bottom line. With sustainability taking second place, consumption continues to increase at an alarming rate, and it’s anticipated that the clothing industry will make up more than a quarter of the world’s carbon emissions by 2050. How much of that will be fast fashion remains to be seen.

The demands for sustainability far outweigh the world’s current financial situation, which has dire consequences for the future. Yes, people found a solution for discarded clothes – they sent them to developing countries to give them employment plus clothes, in Chile and several African countries. The world’s largest secondhand clothing market to be created from these excess clothes is the Kantamanto Market in Ghana’s city of Accra, home to over 30,000 traders. Sadly, in January 2025, a fire destroyed two-thirds of the market, now closed.

We have compiled in-depth data about Why Sustainability in the Fashion Industry is an Environmental Necessity – take a look.

Industry Hope for Sustainability

Some manufacturers that have the funds to continue with sustainability initiatives are carrying on the fight. Manufacturing giant H&M is financing an initiative in Bangladesh with brands such as Bestseller, Gap and Mango. Their aim? Decarbonising. They are funding an offshore wind farm in Bangladesh to increase clean energy resources and support local suppliers so they use more eco-friendly energy resources.

Those who still insist on prioritising sustainability try to find sustainable pieces made from organic or recycled materials that won’t break the bank. But we’re human, and the array of cheap and cheerful stuff out there is hard to resist. Social media has made us fickle, trend-aware and constantly looking for a good deal. Sadly, most of those great deals aren’t good for the planet. So if you can resist the excess of cheap clothing available, remind yourself of the damage this excess is doing, all the better.

If you need assistance from being tempted by fast fashion clothing, read this guide to combat fabric waste.

What Clothing Recycling Really Means

When you buy a quality item that costs a little more, you are more likely to take care of the clothing to make it last. That’s what recycling is about – reducing your need to go out and purchase a replacement because you’ve cared for your clothes, and it’s lasting. It’s not falling apart. Classic styles withstand trends, and the quality is unmistakable. You bought something that you could wear more than a few times, and that extra money it cost has paid off.

Sure, recycled clothing also means reusing differently. Perhaps it involves restyling the clothing to be worn differently or reusing the fabric to make something else. Or maybe recycling means reselling or giving the clothing away so that someone else can enjoy it. Whichever way you recycle, remember: you’re doing your bit towards a greener future by not allowing your clothing to end up in landfill.

We compiled a comprehensive guide with data on Recycled Fabric. Please read this.

Follow Our Lead & Make Less Waste

Follow our lead and be more sustainable in your business. This is what maake does to increase our sustainability and fight against the fast fashion industry:

·      We believe in sustainable innovation: maake works daily to have less impact on the environment in our fabric printing. We use 95% less energy when we print. We also use only 100% renewable energy resources, and our production process uses virtually no water.

·      Our fabric is ethically sourced: We purchase materials (including polyester) from trusted ethical UK mills that are REACH-accredited. Some also have SEDEX accreditation. This way, we assist the local economy, which is another sustainable innovation, and reduce our carbon footprint.

·      We follow a Zero Waste policy: In our production and printing processes, we have implemented a ‘zero waste’ policy, which involves sending excess textiles and cut-offs for reuse in local schools, charities and educational institutions. At our North London mill, our machines are all fitted with energy-saving cut-off switches to reduce consumption when not in use. We also use recycled paper and ink to avoid these ending in landfills.

Read more about how maake minimises fabric and ink usage here.

And find out Why Slow Fashion is the Only Choice for Sustainable Clothes!