CBIS2021 - Cheap Clothes But at What Cost? The Impacts of Fast Fashion on Labor & Environment

Resilience through sustainability is needed more than ever. As the line between business and social and environmental issues is disappearing, the private sector is learning how it can be a productive partner in promoting solutions to issues such a social and environmental justice, food insecurity, climate change, supply chain transparency, overconsumption, and more. They are coming to the realization that addressing these issues through core business strategies is not only good for society but also good for business. Attend one or all of the panels to hear from those leading efforts to create a more resilient world.

Cheap, trendy clothes that consumers demand then discard after a few wears make the fashion industry the second largest polluter in the world due to the volume of fresh water used during its textile dyeing process and its enormous amount of textile waste. In addition, fast fashion is infamously known for poor working conditions for poverty wages. This panel will dive into critical issues in the fashion supply chain such as transparency, sourcing, waste and hazardous practices. We will explore the large toll fast fashion has taken on the environment and ways in which these practices can be improved. Finally we will look behind our clothes to get a better understanding of the conditions endured to meet our large demands.

Panelists will provide insight into how their companies or organization are navigating these issues in the clothing industry and will touch upon our role, as customers, in perpetuating the hyper-consumerism which has allowed fast fashion to flourish. Student host: Global Network club.

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