FAST – Fashion as a Sustainability Threat

Brief Description

The United Power of Youth wants to implement a project which will raise the awareness of the dangers this industry poses on the environment, targeting those who are the main customers – the young people. The clothing industry is the second biggest environmental pollutant in the world. Fast fashion poses a significant danger to the environment due to its unsustainable production and consumption practices. The industry’s relentless pursuit of low-cost, high- speed production leads to extensive resource depletion, massive water pollution, and heightened carbon emissions. Fast fashion relies on cheap materials like polyester derived from fossil fuels, which exacerbates the climate crisis. Moreover, the excessive production
and disposal of garments result in significant waste generation and overflowing landfills. The toxic chemicals used in textile manufacturing also contaminate water bodies, threatening ecosystems and human health.

Overall, fast fashion’s environmental impact is profound, making it imperative to promote sustainable alternatives and responsible consumer choices. Another identified issue is the decline in sewing skills. Over the past few decades, there has been a decline in the number of people who possess sewing skills, including hand sewing. This decline can be attributed to various factors, such as the availability of cheap ready-to-wear clothing, the rise of fast fashion, and a shift away from home sewing as a necessary skill. This is a problem because instead of repairing a piece of garment that has ripped, or sewing on a button that fell off – average consumer today will opt to throw the garment away and purchase a new one tomorrow.

Objectives

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the development of a more
sustainable consumer behaviours among the youth when it comes to fashion. The specific objectives of the project are :
● Raising awareness of the harmful effects their shopping habits and fast-fashion can have on the environment and them as consumers
● Educating the youth on the harmful effects on environment that the production of “fast fashion” clothing has (use of energy sources, use harmful chemicals and toxins, social and ethical implications)
● Teaching the youth basic hand-sewing skills , which will contribute to extending the life of their clothes and contribute to changing their ”throwaway” mindset into a more sustainable one
● Educate the wider public on implications the fast fashion industry has on the environment by using social media and online tools for achieving a wider outreach of developed materials (videos, tutorials, virtual discussions, etc.)

Learning Methods

The following learning methods have been identified:
● Ice-breakers, energisers and team building activities to encourage the participants t get to know each other and each other’s culture
● Non-formal educational workshops with creative and informative content to support the process of learning and encourage debates and discussions
● Practical workshops aiming at teaching the youth participants practical sewing skills which will last them a lifetime and encourage change of “throwaway” mindset
● Outdoor activity to encourage intercultural exchange and communication among the participants
● Self-reflection activities to promote critical thinking of the participants as well as progress tracking
● Individual assignments and simulations to equip the participants with skills on how to use social media to raise awareness of their peers.