H&M and Zara: Can fast fashion be eco-friendly?

Producing clothing is bad for the environment, but fast fashion companies H&M and Zara have come out with eco-collections that claim to reduce the harms involved. They also say that they’re moving their whole brands in a more sustainable direction. But is it all greenwashing? 

#PlanetA #FastFashion #SustainableFashion

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Author: Amanda Coulson-Drasner
Video Editor: Henning Goll
Supervising Editor: Kiyo Dörrer

[KPp]

Kinda shocked at how fast people throw away their clothes. I'm glad that there's no strict date for fashion style in my country. I still wear clothes from 5 years ago and no one bats an eye

[mikaylasmith]

I studied fashion in college and one of the possible aspects of sustainability we always talked about was ethics. Is a piece of clothing sustainable if its made of a Earth safe biodegradable fabric, but made by a person who is not being paid a fair wage and being over worked? The biggest problem with fast fashion (in my opinion) is ethics, because that's how they keep their prices low, so they're less likely to fix it. I do not think fast fashion can ever be sustainable, on a corporation or cultural level .

[Deathinition]

"do you see this tag? it is eco friendly"
"do you mean the clothing is eco friendly?"
"no"

[rick-yo]

Excellent job! Stop overconsumption by buying fewer quality pieces a year and stop getting manipulated by social media and marketing. Let’s focus on our self worth and our ability to care for ourselves, others including garment workers and the environment in a deeper way.

[aneikrust]

You know, it just dawned on me. This is also the result of our psychological health. A person who says "I do not need more than 3 pairs of jeans" has to be confident, secure in themselves and content. To derive fulfilment, self-worth, self-esteem from other things, not including looking trendy.
I would buy mostly second hand and I was very happy (also about the money saved). But slowly I started feeling... not good enough? Also my mom would sometime say I look like a bum, why would I buy used clothing if I can afford new one, etc. I also have a friend who always dresses gorgeous, always buying new clothes. Emotionally she is a mess, but she looks amazing. And I envy her.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I am not as strong as I though I was and now the need for new clothes just help patch up some psychological gaps.

[LauraO]

I do buy fast-fashion but I use them for a very long time, and if I don like them anymore I will either give them to a second-hand store or will sell them. And I think if we all just do that the overconsumption will be a whole lot less. Because not everybody can afford to buy sustainably.

[datamonster]

Asking if fast fashion can be eco-friendly is like asking if blue can be red, it's just not possible. "Fast" fashion is inherently unsustainable by virtue of the fact that its main focus is being fast, which is necessarily wasteful. For fast fashion to be sustainable it would have to be SLOW!

[TobiasStarling]

The main issue is consumers say they care, but don’t really at all.

[TheSameYellowToy]

I'm always shocked whenever I hear about people throwing away so many clothes. Why throw away clothing, unless it's in horrible condition (like a bunch of rags, not just missing a button) where it's unwearable?
If you don't like your old clothes or they don't fit anymore, there are plenty of places in-person and online where you can sell gently used old clothes, and there are plenty of thrift shops, churches, and charities that will be happy to accept donations! Plus old clothes can be repurposed into new designs via upcycling, or household purposes like cutting up old clothes to use as reusable cleaning rags.
I also think Home Ec should be required in schools and should include sewing lessons involving repairing and upcycling clothes. A burst seam or missing button is a very easy repair anyone with a needle and thread can do, there's no reason to throw away something that can be so easily repaired!

[kong_kwan]

It's not just fashion ... It's makeup too and everything else. All these problems boil down to overconsumption and the business will NEVER want to solve this because it means they will make less money.

[RunaSunset]

The most eco friendly product is the one you already have. Keep it for as long as possible, repair it, resell it from person to person, stop buying new products, go thrifting, rent one-time-use clothes like suits and wedding dresses

[anav]

If people who have the money to buy from sustainable brands or anything else over fast fashion, used it for that cause, we wouldn't have nearly as much trouble. And to avoid buying clothes every 4 weeks or so. That same logic applies to people who don't have the resources to buy nicer clothes, like me. Even if I'm a consumer of fast-fashion stores like Zara, it's not like I buy clothes that often; maybe once or twice a year and they're pieces that I will take care of while also being used in many different outfits. Second-hand stores are always an option and even if they don't have pieces you like, you can also give them a new life :) The thing is, there is something for everyone out there and maybe, by decreasing our overconsumption, we would encourage companies to stop overproducing. That alone brings so many other possible benefits but you get the idea ;]

[andreang]

Fast fashion is the best at green washing. No clothes that are produced massively without regulations can’t be sustainable

[feartears]

I made some rules when it comes to buying clothes: I only buy one pair of new shoes a year (only when I need it), I buy mostly thrifted, I don't buy Jackets and sweaters anymore (Because I have enough and you can find it in any thrift store), I buy clothes that are plain and simple (so that it doesn't go out of trend), I repair when I can (repaired a pair of slippers many times, wearing them 6 years already), and make a list of things that i want to have so that I don't go overboard. I buy fast fashion for underwear and socks. I buy fast fashion when there is a piece that I cannot find in a thrift store and that i really want (but it's quite rare). I am happy with what I am wearing so far, you don't have to buy every week new stuff and buy sometimes things that are expensive and good quality (if you can afford it) that you can use for years (Shoes, bags, watch, jackets and sunglasses, it's a game changer and can make your clothes look more expensive).

[ryeofoatmeal]

5:00 how despicable, they only put the stamp is only meant for the tag, not the whole item lmfao 😭😭 that's a huge misleading!!

[gabivallu]

lived in Brazil up to my 30s, and buying clothes there, even fast fashion brands like zara, is very expensive (example: zara is considered a brand for high-middle class to rich people there. not extreme luxury but a luxury brand). So I grew accustomed to only buying clothes when I needed and on special occasions (birthday, christmas, church/family/social events). I also always shared clothes with my younger sister, my mom and one of my grandmas. Mom and grandma always had a full wardrobe, and often grandma would pull up some vintage piece out of her closet, or would keep our clothes that were out of fashion in our eyes, just so we would pick it up again a few years later. Clothes that didnt fit anymore or were not 100%, but still usable, we would give away to other people, at least twice a year, and clothes that were too old or damaged would turn into cleaning cloths or my other grandma would cut them make clothes for our toys/barbies/dolls. Now I live in a rich country where clothing, specially these fast fashion brands are much more affordable, and yes I do get tempted sometimes to buy stuff.. but I always try to remember myself that it makes much more sense to spend more in fewer pieces of clothing that are better quality and will last longer.. and I prefer to save my money for when I do NEED to buy something, so I can spend more in a better quality thing.

[rejinraj]

I'm shocked to hear people buy clothes on a weekly basis. I wear mine for years 🤯

[kauigirl]

I shop only at Thrift stores. It's amazing how much clothes people give away because they don't fit it anymore or just tired of it.

[Ohne_Silikone]

I buy a lot of my stuff from H&M. I go for 100% natural fibres most of the times. I wear my clothes for five years on average. I recently found out that the yellow (jacket) I bought ten years ago was trendy again last autumn.

[stormpetrel]

In this video it's implied that these brands make clothes that easily fall apart but I wear my clothes from H&M for years and they're all still good