Goodbye Shein: Slowing down for the planet

July 17, 2024

THIMPHU – A lot of Bhutanese people, especially young women, are falling into the ‘consumerism trap,’ and ultra-fast fashion serves as the prime example of this phenomenon in action, with latest obsession being Shein which now dethroned more expensive and established fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M and the once-thought-sustainable Bhutanese favorite Uniqlo (mea culpa for past few purchases). Fast fashion, as per Investopedia, is ‘low-priced but stylish clothing that moves quickly from design to retail stores to meet trends, with new collections being introduced continuously’. While fast fashion offers endless options, particularly appealing to low-income groups like students, it causes more harm than good. Consequently, this impact is felt not only by consumers but also by the planet and the workers involved in the industry.

A UN study (2023) reveals the dark truth of the fashion industry which is it is responsible for 8-10% of the world’s greenhouse gasses, and shockingly, its energy consumption is higher than both the aviation and shipping industries combined. Not only does the industry generate a staggering 20% of the world’s wastewater but it is also the second-largest consumer of water which surpasses even the massive footprint of the meat industry. While we are at it: A not-so-fun fact is that it takes 2700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt which would last for about 2 and half years for a person to drink. In addition, it is estimated that 60% of fast fashion clothes are made with plastic-based materials which make their way to the ocean bodies, and is equivalent to nearly 50 billion plastic bottles. It might not stop there – there are growing concerns that these microplastics are ending up