Image source: UNEP
The FAIR FASHION Erasmus+ Project is reimagining how fashion & textiles are taught across European higher education. Our pan-European consortium aims to prepare the next generation of fashion professionals to lead responsibly and ethically in an evolving industry through new university curricula approaches to sustainability, digital innovation, inclusive entrepreneurship, and leadership. It will be no surprise that one of the key issues we create awareness around is the impact of fast fashion—a system built on mass production, low cost, and rapid turnover of clothing styles. While it has made fashion more accessible, the true cost of fast fashion is borne by the planet and its people.
The environmental impact is severe. The fashion industry is among the top global polluters, with fast fashion contributing significantly to water contamination, microplastic pollution, and excessive textile waste. Garments are often made from synthetic fibres derived from fossil fuels, dyed using toxic chemicals, and discarded after just a few wears. The push for cheap and constant newness means more energy use, more emissions, and more waste ending up in landfills.
Let’s look at some facts:
- The fashion industry produces between 2 to 8 percent of global carbon emissions.
- Textile dyeing is also the second largest polluter of water globally
- It takes around 2,000 gallons of water to make a typical pair of jeans. (UNEP)
And then there’s the human cost. Beyond the environmental impact, the social consequences are equally alarming. To maintain low costs and high speed, fast fashion often relies on exploitative labour practices. Garment workers—many of whom are women and girls in the Global South—work long hours for poverty wages, frequently in unsafe conditions. Fast fashion reinforces global inequalities, gender disparities, and unsafe supply chains hidden from view.
At FairFashion, we believe in equipping fashion & textile students and educators with the tools, knowledge, and values to challenge this system. By championing circular economy principles, ethical entrepreneurship, and the use of innovative digital technologies, we aim to foster a more transparent, inclusive, and sustainable fashion future.
The Trump Tariffs - A New Layer of Pressure
Recent trade tariffs introduced by the Trump administration (April 2025) have made things worse. While there is much uncertainty, we do know that countries like Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Lesotho, and Vietnam—where many garments are produced—are now facing higher export costs and additional challenges to an already vulnerable industry. These tariffs threaten to exacerbate the exploitation of garment workers, as brands may seek to offset increased costs by further squeezing suppliers, leading to lower wages and deteriorating working conditions. The Clean Clothes Campaign has urged brands to absorb these additional costs rather than passing them down the supply chain, emphasising that workers who are already on poverty wages should not bear the brunt of these policies. Source: Clean Clothes Campaign.
So, What Can We Do?
Change starts with education—and that’s where FAIR FASHION comes in. We’re helping students and teachers explore better ways of doing fashion: from circular design and ethical business models, to using digital tools that make supply chains more transparent. We believe fashion can be creative, exciting, and fair. But we need to stop ignoring the impact of what’s behind the seams. If you're a student, educator, or someone working in fashion—or just someone who cares—there’s a role for you in this shift.