The problem with fast fashion

快时尚带来的问题

There's nothing quite like new clothes, is there? The UK certainly loves them. According to a report by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), the UK consumes five times more clothes today than it did in the 1980s. That's more than any other nation in Europe and amounts to around 26.7kgs per person. This results in 235 million garments going to landfill – victims of fast fashion.

没有什么比新衣服更好的了，是吗?英国当然喜欢它们。根据环境审计委员会(EAC)的一份报告，英国如今的服装消费量是上世纪80年代的5倍。这比欧洲其他任何国家都要多，人均约26.7公斤。这导致了2.35亿件衣服被扔进了垃圾堆——成为了快时尚的受害者。

Fast fashion is defined as “an accelerated fashion business model” involving “increased numbers of new fashion collections every year”, “quick turnarounds” and “lower prices”, according to the EAC. Globalisation means that attire is made in countries where labour is cheaper. This saving is passed on to consumers, who then consider the garb they own disposable – easily replaceable with something more on-trend. And that creates problems.

根据EAC的定义，快时尚被定义为“一种加速发展的时尚商业模式”，包括“每年增加新的时装系列”、“快速转变”和“更低的价格”。全球化意味着服装在劳动力更便宜的国家生产，这种廉价会传递给消费者，他们会认为自己拥有的衣服是一次性的——很容易用更时尚的衣服替换掉。这就产生了问题。

First, there's the environmental cost. Manufacturing any kind of textile costs resources. For example, synthetic fibres, which are made from plastic, have a larger carbon footprint than natural ones. Natural fibres, although more carbon-efficient, still require more water to grow. And further resources are used as the cloth is dyed, made into clothing and transported to retail for sale. Secondly, the fast-fashion industry is under pressure to put the latest trending items on shelves fast, which can lead to workers being exploited and forced to labour in poor working conditions. In countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia and the Philippines, workers are paid wages that are insufficient to live on. One worker in Ethiopia told the BBC that they had to deal with intolerable conditions, such as withheld overtime payments, verbal abuse, and unsanitary toilets.

首先是环境成本。制造任何一种纺织品都要消耗资源。例如，由塑料制成的合成纤维比天然纤维的碳足迹更大。天然纤维虽然更节能，但仍然需要更多的水来生长。更多的资源被用于布料的染色，制成衣服，然后运送到零售商店出售。其次，快时尚产业面临着快速上架最新流行商品的压力，这可能导致工人被剥削，被迫在恶劣的工作条件下工作。在孟加拉国、埃塞俄比亚和菲律宾等国，工人的工资不足以维持生计。埃塞俄比亚的一名工人告诉BBC，他们必须应对无法忍受的条件，比如克扣加班费、辱骂和不卫生的厕所。

So what can be done in the UK to reduce clothes waste? The EAC has recommended eighteen improvements to the UK government, from increasing tax on purchases to fund recycling centres to introducing more sewing lessons in schools, encouraging a make do and mend attitude when things become threadbare.

那么，在英国怎样才能减少衣服浪费呢?EAC已经向英国政府提出了18项改进建议，从提高购物税、为回收中心提供资金，到在学校开设更多的缝纫课程、鼓励凑合着做和亡羊补牢的态度。

What can we do? Shop “second-hand and vintage,” recommends Tolly Gregory, an ethical fashion blogger. Kristabel Plummer, a London-based fashion blogger, who spoke to the BBC, also recommends “looking for quality” and “longevity”. So keep an eye out for durable, resilient, hardy apparel that resists wear and tear.