We need to stop buying fast fashion

We all know the cycle too well - promising you will never again buy a $5 shirt and contribute to the fast fashion industry, only to compromise your decision in favor of convenience and cost.

Actively choosing to thrift, paying more for clothing from fair trade businesses, or forgoing shopping altogether can be time consuming and more expensive.

But knowing what you are contributing towards when you buy that $5 shirt might help you end the cycle once and for all.

1. Environmentally Disasterous

The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters on earth, second only to the oil industry. In Australia we are the 2nd largest consumers of new textiles, with each person buying an average of 27kgs a year(Textile Beat 2016)

What's even more, most garments are made with petroleum-based fibers (including polyester, nylon, and acrylic) that take decades to decompose. These chemicals also pollute rivers and oceans.

2. Child Labour

Sofie Ovaa, global campaign coordinator of Stop Child Labour, says: "There are many girls in countries like India and Bangladesh, who are willing to work for very low prices and are easily brought into these industries under false promises of earning decent wages."

About 170 million children are in employment, with many making clothing to satisfy the massive demand in the US and Europe for fast fashion.

3. Exploitation

Fast fashion manufacturers rely on low-wage, low-tech sweatshop labor that can be found in abundance in developing countries - where human rights can and are often overlooked.

Working hours are typically 10-14 hours a day, six, sometimes seven days a week. The working environment neglects human rights completely, with necessities such as drinkable water or toilet facilities being denied.

Average salaries of $21 a month mostly earned women who can barely feed or clothe their families. The fast fashion industry made 1.8 trillion dollars last year, slated to hit 2.1 trillion by 2025.

Buying from The SecondHand Sisters will help end that cycle and help us create a better world for all.