Developing countries should also be overwhelmed by fast fashion. Will the pollution problem in the apparel industry be more prominent?

McKinsey's recent research has undoubtedly given the fast fashion a punch. H&M, Zara and Gap have been sparing no effort to shape their image of protecting the environment and favoring recycled materials in recent years, but it seems that this will not help.

Through research, it is found that with the rise of emerging markets such as South America, Asia, and the Middle East, the burst of rapid fashion has arrived. The culture of one-off fashion is spreading, especially as retailers continue to introduce more cheap clothes to induce consumers to keep buying, and people unknowingly hoard a lot of clothing around them. However, the production of these clothes actually consumes a huge amount of natural resources. In addition, some of the fast-fashion factories that we have reported before have relatively poor employment conditions. If people do not change the way of production and sales, this expansion will greatly increase the pressure on environmental protection. .

“Without the improved methods of producing clothes, these problems will only continue to accumulate as more clothes are made,” McKinsey’s report warned.

According to the data, between 2000 and 2014, the global number of garment production has doubled, and the average number of series produced by European clothing companies has increased two to five times between 2000 and 2011.

They are all designed to meet the brand's need to expand business in many developing countries. After the rise of the local middle class, spending on clothing is also increasing, with clothing sales in Brazil, China, India, Mexico and Russia being higher than in Canada. Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States are eight times faster. However, the price increase of clothing has not kept pace with other commodities, resulting in the cost of water, electricity, land and other energy paid for the manufacture of clothing.

McKinsey believes that if 80% of emerging markets have to reach Western per capita consumption levels, this damage to nature will be immeasurable.

For fast fashion brands, they will not only benefit. In recent years, H & M is working to create their own green image, in the past two years, the interface have all reported in detail through H & M measures in environmental protection, both in the development of recycling fabrics and other production processes or marketing expenses are paid a lot. Especially when studying recycled raw materials, it is very difficult to separate the fibers from the fabric. Existing mechanical methods will reduce the texture of the recycled cotton.

But even if we work hard, the environmental protection speed is not as fast as the pollution rate. The environmental protection efforts made by the brands over the years may be offset. McKinsey suggested that in order to prevent the situation from deteriorating, it is best for brands to invest in the development of chemical methods in the future, and to improve the standard of employment. And this will be a lot of money.