When we think about clothes, we don’t usually think about water. But behind that $10 fast fashion find is a hidden cost, and it’s a big one. The fashion industry is the second most water-intensive industry in the world, using around 93 billion cubic metres of water every year. That’s enough to fill 37 million Olympic-sized swimming pools!
The rise of fast fashion has made things worse. These days, people are buying 60% more clothing than they did just 15 years ago, and wearing each piece for half as long. And the more we buy, the more water the industry quietly drains in the background. Let’s break down how fast fashion impacts water.
Water-intensive fabrics
Cotton is the most commonly used natural fabric, and it’s incredibly thirsty. It takes about 2,700 litres of water to make ONE cotton t-shirt. That’s enough drinking water for one person for almost three years. Now, imagine the billions of garments that are produced every year. You can see how quickly this adds up. In Bangladesh alone, the garment industry uses over 1,500 billion litres of water every year.
While cotton may be a natural fibre, conventional cotton farming is anything but gentle on the planet. It relies heavily on pesticides and fertilizers, and those chemicals don’t just stay on the crops. They seep into the soil and wash into nearby waterways, polluting drinking water and harming local wildlife. The result? Damaged ecosystems and serious risks to the health of nearby communities.
Dirty dyes and toxic treatments
After cotton is harvested, it goes through spinning, dyeing, and finishing, and this part of the process is just as water-intensive. Textile dyeing and finishing alone are responsible for about 20% of global industrial water pollution.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, many of the dyes and treatments that are used to colour and soften clothing contain harsh chemicals like heavy metals, phenols, and formaldehyde. In countries where regulations are weak or poorly enforced, that chemical-filled water is often dumped straight into rivers and streams. And that water doesn’t just vanish. They are used to grow crops, supply drinking water, and support local ecosystems.
Water scarcity and the true cost of cotton
As droughts become more frequent around the world, water is becoming one of our most precious and limited resources. But despite that, the fashion industry continues to use enormous amounts of it, especially when it comes to cotton.
In countries like India, China, and the U.S., where droughts are getting more severe, cotton farming is putting even more pressure on already strained water systems. China, which supplies nearly a quarter of the world’s cotton, is feeling the impact — not just environmentally, but economically too.
In 2011, cotton prices spiked by over 150% after floods in Pakistan and droughts in China and India devastated cotton crops. It was a clear example of how extreme weather worsened by climate change can shake global supply chains.
And while we enjoy “affordable” fashion, 90% of garment production happens in low and middle-income countries, where the environmental toll is often out of sight. It’s the communities growing cotton and sewing clothes who are left to deal with the fallout: dried-up water sources, polluted rivers, and the daily realities of water scarcity.
Microplastics in your laundry
Here’s something you might not know: every time we wash synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, or acrylic, tiny plastic fibres, called microfibres, are released into the water. A single load of laundry can shed up to 700,000 microplastic fibres. These microplastic fibres make their way through wastewater systems and into rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Microfibres are now found everywhere, from deep-sea fish to the seafood on our dinner plates. And most of these fibres come off in the first few washes, which is a big problem in fast fashion, where clothes are often worn only a handful of times.
Each year, over half a million tonnes of these microfibres end up on the ocean floor, disrupting marine ecosystems and entering the food chain. Unlike natural fibres, microplastics don’t break down. They just stick around forever.
Overproduction, overconsumption
Fast fashion thrives on speed and excess. Companies like Shein, Zara and H&M can go from design to sale in a matter of days or weeks. The term ‘fast fashion’ started when Zara landed in New York in the early 90s. Their mission was to design and have a garment on store shelves within 15 days. They made clothes so fast that in 2005, Madonna fans attended her concert in knockoff clothes that she had worn just a few weeks earlier!
This fast cycle fuels overproduction, early discardment, and enormous textile waste. Nearly one-third of the clothes made each year are never sold! They are dumped, incinerated, or left to rot in landfills.
In the U.S. alone, over 11 million tons of clothing waste end up in landfills each year — that’s about 85% of all textiles, or roughly 81 pounds per person annually. And despite all that waste, only 1% of used clothing is ever recycled into new garments. The rest? More waste, more pollution, and more pressure on water systems and ecosystems.
What can we do?
The impacts of fast fashion are huge, but every small change adds up and can make a difference over time. Here are some ways we can start:
- Buy less, choose better. Invest in timeless, high-quality pieces that last. (At Miik, customers report wearing our leggings for 8+ years and counting!)
- Support sustainable brands. Look for companies using eco-friendly fabrics, low-impact dyes, and ethical production practices. (You can read more about Miik’s here.)
- Wash smart. Wash clothes less often, use cold water, and opt for a microfibre-catching laundry bag.
- Buy second-hand. Thrift, swap, rent, and resell to extend the life of your garment.
- Repair, don’t replace. Mend holes, sew buttons, and give your clothes a longer life.
- Recycle responsibly. Donate or repurpose old clothing instead of tossing it in the trash.
- Choose your fabrics carefully. Some fabrics are less water invasive, such as bamboo, Modal, Tencel, and many more. (Did we mention those are the fabrics Miik uses?)
At Miik, we’re doing things differently
We believe fashion shouldn't come at the planet’s expense. That’s why we choose low-impact fabrics, produce locally, and make clothing designed to last that won’t be out of fashion next season. Our bamboo and modal fabrics are produced with significantly less water and without the use of harmful chemicals. By keeping production close to home (within 30km of our Toronto office), we avoid the toll of shipping overseas — another major environmental cost of the fashion industry, because fashion shouldn’t cost the earth or its water.
With much love,
Your Miik team 🤍
