By Madison Baker
Assistant Professor of Communication Marathana Prothro gave a Civic Engagement Day presentation focusing on the negative impact fast fashion has on our daily lives.
Assistant Professor of Communication Marathana Prothro photo provided
Prothro’s response to her desire to live minimally was simple.
“I think it is a practical way to fight and resist capitalism,” Prothro said. “I also want there to be an Earth that is livable for my grandchildren.”
She shared that her experiences outside of the United States showed her it is possible to live without a lot.
Fast fashion is a design, manufacturing and marketing method focused on rapidly producing high volumes of clothing. The effects it has on our lives are impeccable.
Popular brands such as: Shein, H&M, Zara, Old Navy, Forever 21, Fashion Nova and Nike all use fast fashion to produce their merchandise.
Qualities that put brands in the fast fashion category include: rapid production, cheaply priced trendy clothing, low quality materials used to make clothes, origin of clothing and competitive pricing.
Prothro said the fast fashion industry is responsible for 8% to 10% of global carbon emissions. Prothro followed up by saying it is twice the amount of emissions airline and shipping industries produce combined.
To go along with the pollution, clothing industries also are one of the top leading waste sources in the United States. Some of the clothes that get tossed into a dump truck never even reach consumers. In total, 14 million tons of textile waste goes to landfills in the United States each year and 20% of global wastewater comes from textile dyeing, which is the second largest water polluter.
Protho explained in detail how synthetic fibers in clothes can negatively affect the environment and people. Microplastics are found in synthetic clothing, the most common is polyester.
Prothro cited one study that estimated the average American consumes 458,000 microplastics by drinking tap water each year. She said 35% of microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic fabrics alone.
First-year communication and media and writing double major Oliva Daugherty shared her takeaways from Protho’s presentation.
“I was not aware of the microplastics that are made with clothes, and when you wash them, they get into our water sources which then leads to us digesting them,” Daugherty said. “It’s pretty scary to think about.”
Prothro went on to share the hazardous working conditions sweat shop workers face daily. She shared a video of a factory in Bangladesh collapsing, killing and injuring more than 1,000 workers who were forced to work in an unsafe building.
On average, she said, a factory worker producing clothing or textiles for fast fashion makes 35 cents an hour. The CEO of a clothing company could make in four days the lifetime earnings of one of their factory workers’ earnings.
An image from Prothro’s slide presentation on her advice for those who are interested in a more sustainable wardrobe. Image provided.
Prothro ended her presentation by offering her audience six pieces of advice: set priorities, name your limits, make a plan, do research, edit your closet and learn to mend.
Junior communication and media and writing major, Payton Stephens never considered how purchasing clothes can make an impact.
“After hearing the presentation, I will definitely be thinking a lot more about where my clothes come from, and I will be doing more research on brands’ ethical values before purchasing,” said Stephens.
Prothro shared her purpose of giving this presentation during Civic Engagement Day.
“It is possible to make small choices over an extended period of time to really change your relationship with clothes and the people who make them,” Prothro said.
Editor’s note: Prothro is faculty advisor for The Witmarsum and the students quoted are also Wit staffers. None of them made changes beyond copyedits for the piece, which was written as a requirement for COM 375 Advanced Media Writing.
