As convenient and accessible as it is, fast fashion is more harmful than we realize. It’s more than just wanting to follow trends or score free shipping. What college students tend to forget is that the stores we often shop at, like H&M and Zara, tend to be extremely environmentally unfriendly.
The equivalent of one garbage truck’s worth of clothes is either incinerated or sent to a landfill every second, according to a report by the United Nations. Last year, UN Secretary-General, António Guterres highlighted the severity of the crisis at the UN’s International Day of Zero Waste event, warning that “dressing to kill could kill the planet.”
According to the article, the UN has called for governments to enact policies that promote zero-waste initiatives and environmental sustainability. Guterres also urged businesses to stop greenwashing and take real steps to reduce waste.
“Designers are experimenting with recycled materials. Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainability. In many countries, resale markets are booming,” Guterres said.
However, according to a study by Statista, 23% of Gen Z buys clothes that they end up never wearing after purchasing. Gen Z tends to buy clothes for just one occasion, whether that be a weekend party, or a football game. Honestly, I’ve done that a few times here and there.
Local high school senior, Hazel Borja, is passionate about fast fashion and said there isn’t an ethical way to shop fast fashion. She said it can’t be done because fast fashion relies on the labor of children and unpaid people.
“I feel as though people lean towards fast fashion due to the convenience of it and to the lower costs,” Borja said. “Although it is costly, the the costs of it damage the workers more than they do the consumers, which is [why] I think is it’s vital to rely on larger proprietorships as they actually pay their laborers”
According to Business Insider, 85% of textiles are wasted, and “washing some types of clothes sends thousands of bits into the ocean.” Earth.org also said large amounts of petroleum is required to make the plastic fibers used to make clothes in fast fashion factories.
Though it’s proven to damage the environment, having access to fast fashion does have its perks. Oftentimes, stores online and in person, like Temu, give you points that are a part of their reward system if you buy something from them. Using these points can often lead to sales on items that are similar to what you’ve bought before.
“People just opt for it because it’s convenient and you can easily just search up a website on your computer, have it delivered to you the next morning without even knowing all the unethical practices that go behind the scenes,” said Arielle Galicia, co-owner of the 143 Flea in Newbury Park.
In a 2025 study about Gen Z’s shopping habits, Forever 21 was the most-shopped-at store, reporting that 35% of shoppers bought from them. Similarly, H&M came in at 27%, and Ross at 25%.
Desserin Pereya, community manager at Hub101, located at California Lutheran University’s Westlake Village satellite campus, said the Sustainable Fashion Festival held back in November gave the chance for entrepreneurs to see how they could tie in sustainability to their businesses.
“This past November was the second time we put on the Sustainable Fashion Festival,” Pereyra said. “Part of the reason we wanted to do this is because we saw an interest in the student body in sustainability, as well as entrepreneurial activities.”
Pereya said there could be ways to shop in fast fashion in an ethical manner. She said a matter of how long we plan on using a piece, but also to do the best we can with what we have.
“You have to think about, like, this item has got to the store, and will eventually make it to your home, and how are you going to use it over time?” Pereya said. “And if you have values not aligned with the way that this garment was produced because of either human trafficking issues, child labor … that’s a big industry issue.”
There have been many times when I was looking at clothes during class, on stores like Uniqlo and Amazon specifically. I also like to share clothes with my roommates. There have been times when my roommate has given me a shirt simply because she wasn’t wearing it and wanted to give it to someone who would.
Finding clothes at affordable prices that aren’t sold at fast fashion stores isn’t difficult either. Thrift stores and buying second-hand are some of the most sustainable options for buying clothes. It gives you the opportunity to give a piece of clothing a second life.
Going to flea markets is also a great option to look for clothes. It gives you a chance to support small businesses, but still be on a budget. Galicia said there’s a stigma around resellers and how people think they ruin thrifting.
“There’s this whole stigma around reselling, around buying clothes from resellers … because it’s ‘Oh, resellers are ruining thrifting,’ or ‘Resellers are taking clothes from people in need,’” Galicia said. “Resellers are actually giving opportunity to these clothes again, giving these clothes a second chance to be worn again, to be reworked.”
Being able to support small businesses, especially if they’re local, is one of the best ways to counter fast fashion. The 143 Flea is a great option to find new places to shop at. The market is held at Newbury Park High School, and the next one will be held on Feb. 21, according to its Instagram page.
Pereya suggested the idea of doing a clothing swap with friends to save money and to see what your friends might have to offer from their closets.
“So you can just, like, make an evening out of [the swap party]. Get some snacks, get some friends together, and bring some items that you no longer love so that you and your friends could trade,” Pereya said. “That’s the way to give, you know, those good clothes to somebody that’ll actually appreciate it.”