The Cost of Cheap Fashion: Water, Workers, and Waste.
- QFSF
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Is clothing from companies such as Temu and Shein actually cheap, or is there a hidden cost? Fast fashion moves at a pace that sustainable brands cannot match, but their speed comes at the cost of ethical production. Fast fashion brands can be identified by their unreasonably low prices, rapid turnover of trends, outsourced manufacturing, and a general lack of transparency. These traits alongside an illusion of scarcity promote impulsive shopping without an informed understanding of the true cost.
Shein is known for its cheap clothes and trendy designs, often selling upwards of 600, 000 pieces on a daily basis. They produce 6, 000 new styles everyday and are officially known to be the second biggest polluter in the fast fashion industry (Ritch, 2025). This is made possible through the outsourcing of their production to countries with less labour laws and regulations and paying their employees next to nothing. The exploitation of workers allows companies like Shein to keep their production costs low and clothing prices abnormally cheap. Shein also faces allegations of modern slavery, violation of labour laws, copying designs from small businesses and the use of toxic chemicals and dyes.
Alongside the labour issues, the fast fashion industry also negatively impacts the environment through water consumption and pollution. According to the UN, the fashion industry is the world's largest consumer of water. The majority of textiles require water for their production and will generate waste at every stage of their lifecycle, contaminating water sources as a result of the toxic chemicals and dyes added to clothing products. Around 3, 500 different chemicals are used in fast fashion production and 10% of them are harmful to human health. These clothes end up in landfills where synthetic fabrics will take thousands of years to break down.
Shopping from fast fashion companies also tends to put a higher burden on the consumer. The poor quality clothing produced by these companies often means they have to be replaced, meaning that part of their business model relies on the consumer purchasing more, contributing to overconsumption. That said, there is an appeal and level of accessibility that fast fashion provides given that it is low-cost and convenient. The sustainable choice can seem out of reach for individuals on a tight budget, even though shopping sustainably can be cheaper in the long run.
What is cheap on investment is expensive upon return. Fast fashion not only breaks down rapidly, but also exploits labourers and damages the environment, demonstrating the trade off of extreme affordability. Sustainable consumption lasts longer and is rewarded in quality and transparency. The decision must be made, is the true cost worth it?
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