Dressed to Kill: Fast Fashion Crisis

When environmental activist Livia Firth said, “Cheap fashion is very expensive when it comes to the environment,” she wasn’t just aiming to raise awareness; she was trying to push us to act quickly – act now. Yet, across India, consumers continue to do the exact opposite. Blinded by the convenience of quick online services and affordable outfits, we frequently buy cheap, low-quality clothes to catch up with micro-fashion trends, just to end up throwing the cheap materials away once they become outdated, they then break down for centuries to pollute the earth. As more cheap trends attract the world, fast fashion continues to poison our rivers and turn our landfills into dump yards of plastic waste.

More than half of fast fashion clothing is made of plastic and petroleum-based fibers. Companies use these materials to cut costs while meeting the relentless demands for trendy clothing. Today, social media is flooded with constantly changing, highly specific trends. Most teenagers, driven by the fear of missing out and peer pressure, try to keep up with these trends and end up buying clothes made of cheap plastic-like materials. Once the particular style dies, we end up throwing the clothes away. These synthetic fibers do not rot, but break down into the soil and water to pollute the earth for years to come.

The Noyyal River Crisis: Black Waters of Tirupur

The water crisis in the Noyyal River in Tirupur is a stark reminder of how fast fashion triggers extensive environmental destruction. Most clothes are made of cheap plastic-based and petroleum-based synthetic fibers which aren’t biodegradable and pile up on the river beds, polluting them heavily. The Noyyal River is mostly polluted by toxic chemicals including bleach and washing liquids, but mainly fabric dyes which release such an enormous amount of synthetic compounds, heavy metals and salts directly into the water that the river is now completely pitch black. Nearly 50,000 acres of surrounding agricultural land has lost soil fertility to cultivate staple crops due to ground water pollution.

The Burning Mountains of Bhalswa Landfill

Another shocking case is Delhi’s Bhalswa Landfill whose mountain of waste covers an area larger than 50 football fields and rises to a height of 62 meters. Around 60% of fast fashion clothing is made of plastic based synthetic fibers such as polyester, acrylic and nylon. Unlike plant based fibers like cotton, a discarded cloth of nylon can take up to 50 years to breakdown. It slowly fragments into tiny microplastics which severely contaminate the soil. But the breakdown process takes up to 200 years especially in a landfill like the Bhalswa Landfill which lacks oxygen. The highly flammable methane gas released by the deoxygenated organic matter paired with summer heatwaves can cause frequent fires. Polyester, when burnt, releases microplastics into the air which causes the air to become hazardous. Anyone near this area can develop respiratory distress, severe eye infections and even long-term health complications.

The Hidden Ecological Cost of Textiles

The fast fashion industry is the second largest consumer of water and accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions. Approximately 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year. Washing clothes alone releases 50 lakhs of microfibres into the oceans each year, which is the equivalent of 5,000 crore plastic bottles. The pollution rates have reached an unbearable amount with dyeing and fabric finishing contributing to the contamination of the earth by up to 30%, yarn preparation up to 28% and fibre production 15%. To put the water consumption into perspective, the industry uses approximately 2,650 litres to produce a cotton shirt and around 7,600 litres for a pair of jeans.

A Mindful Shift Toward Sustainable Fashion

The best and most simple antidote to this environmental toll is to buy less, choose better, and make what we own last. Before buying something new, ask yourself “Will I wear this at least 30 times?”. Check the tags of your clothing and choose sustainable or locally cultivated fabrics like wild silk, organic cotton, linen, hemp, lyocell etc. Keep an open mind to buying thrifted clothes and organise outfit swaps with your family and friends. Support brands that facilitate clothing donations to transform them into new recycled outfits. A small change in our choice can make a big impact on the environment. In my view, the path to a healthier planet doesn’t require us to abandon fashion; it requires us to shift our bond with it, because true style shouldn’t cost the earth.

WriteToWin Summer 2026

Official publication archive for the WriteToWin National Climate Literacy Competition – Summer 2026 Season. Showcasing top shortlisted essays and real-world environmental actions by young leaders across India.