Workers in Guangzhou are putting in 12-hour days, six to seven days a week, to keep up with the relentless pace of fast fashion giant Shein's production demands, reported Le Monde.
What's happening?
Behind the trendy clothes that cost just a few dollars lies a production system pushing both people and planet to the brink. Dong, a 21-year-old worker, starts her days at 8 a.m. local time and finishes at 10 p.m. with just two one-hour breaks. She hasn't had a day off in a month.
"I'm tired, but if I didn't tire myself out, I wouldn't make a living," she told reporters who visited several workshops in Guangzhou, China, where Shein has its headquarters.
The fast fashion giant ships approximately one million garments daily. Despite competition from cheaper manufacturing regions, Chinese workshops remain the system's backbone.
"Here, the efficiency is double compared to Southeast Asia. China produces the raw materials, and we offer the models. Around Guangzhou, hundreds of thousands of people work in this sector," one manager explained to journalists.
Workshop managers must propose hundreds of new designs monthly, with some now using AI tools like ChatGPT to generate ideas fast enough to meet demands.
"It's an extreme capitalist race," said one workshop manager who questioned the sustainability of the business model. "This industry is moving at such a speed that it will die within five years."
Why is fast fashion concerning?
The breakneck production pace that has workers folding clothes until exhaustion comes with severe environmental consequences.
Each piece is designed to be worn briefly before being replaced by the next trend. When a €4 blouse is sold for €12, there's no room in the business model for durability or quality. These garments are made to look just good enough to hide that they are essentially designed to fail.
This throw-away approach fuels a growing mountain of textile waste. Clothing production has roughly doubled since 2000. Meanwhile, the number of times a garment is worn before being discarded has decreased by about 36%.
TCD Picks » Moms Clean Air Force
💡 Join a group of concerned mothers, fathers, and caregivers by signing petitions to fight for children's health
|
What should the government do about the fast fashion industry?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Set strict regulations 🚫 Fast fashion manufacturing also consumes massive amounts of water and energy while releasing dyes and chemicals into waterways. A single cotton T-shirt requires about 700 gallons of water to produce. That's enough water for one person to drink for two and a half years.
What can I do about fast fashion?
You can break the cycle of clothing waste while saving money. Choosing quality over quantity helps both your wallet and the planet in the long run.
Thrifting has become popular. Secondhand clothing apps make it easier than ever to find unique articles of clothing at a fraction of retail prices.
When buying new clothes, look for brands committed to ethical manufacturing. These companies typically use sustainable materials and ensure fair working conditions throughout their supply chains.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
