Environmental pollution by the fashion industry — Interview with Nana Banguara
Nana Bangura is one of the most influential environmentalists in Sierra Leone today. She is also an advocate for sustainable fashion and the unjust pay of 3rd world workers for big corporations.
I had the pleasure of interviewing her as we spoke about the ever growing fashion industry and the aftermath of this. The fashion industry remains to be one of the most consistent and ever transforming industries. Even though some practices or trends in fashion tend to recur after some time, the reality is that the industry is an ever-changing phenomenon.
While on the phone speaking to Nana, I get a sudden understanding of why there is so much pressure on fashion companies to buckle up and be more aware of the underlying issues arising. I ask what the social and environmental impacts of the fashion industry are and how grave these concerns are, to which she then replies “The fashion industry is disastrous to environmental sustainability. The fast-paced nature of the industry makes it difficult to dispose of the wastes while preserving the environment. Fast fashion has made it affordable to shop for clothes. However, it comes at an environmental cost, which is often overlooked”.
Q. What is the extent of damage so far?
- “When you read articles about the fast-paced nature of the fashion industry and the documentary films that have keenly observed, we establish that the industry continues to present a significant threat to environmental sustainability. What is happening in Europe, Asia, Africa and America is a key threat to sustainability efforts. Globally, society consumes approximately 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year. This number is almost double the consumption rate a decade ago. Where do these wastes go? Paradoxically, the more we purchase new clothes, the more we discard the old ones. The environmental consequences of this behaviour are significant. The clothing and textile industry is not only depleting non-renewable resources but also degrading the environment in the form of wastes. In particular, the synthetic fibers that are largely used in the industry have been key contributors to environmental pollution. From a social and environmental perspective, fast fashion is undoubtedly harmful.”
Q. What are your final thoughts on the current matter?
- “Solving the issue will necessitate a multi effort engagement among the key players in the industry. For instance, a sustainable alternative that could be employed is lyocell and biobased plastics, since they do not contribute to plastic waste or microfiber pollution. Furthermore, the consumers should play a more central role that involves holding these companies responsible. For instance, we could buy less products from these companies or instead shift out purchasing behaviors to only prefer fashion companies that have established efforts to improve environmental sustainability.”
Over the past two decades, the clothing production in the fashion industry has more than doubled. The environmental footprints of the fashion industry have been established to significantly contribute to carbon emission and other significant environmental harms.
It is equally vital for society to focus on the negative implications of the fashion industry. Environmental conservation efforts have been considered a key part of corporate social responsibility. As a matter of fact, consumer behaviour is largely influenced by the social responsibility that organisations demonstrate.
