How Fast Fashion Affects Local Economies and Waste Management

Fast fashion is more than just cheap clothes that come and go with every trend—it’s a system that deeply affects communities and the environment. While it's easy to get caught up in the thrill of a $5 t-shirt, the real cost shows up in places we don’t always see—like small businesses, waste collection centers, and even landfills right here in our neighborhoods.

Let’s break down how fast fashion impacts local economies and the systems that deal with all the waste it leaves behind.

The Rise of Fast Fashion—and the Fall of Local Businesses

In the last 20 years, the average number of times people wear a piece of clothing has dropped by 36%. That’s because fashion has sped up. Stores like Shein, Zara, and H&M can release new styles weekly, flooding the market with cheap options that people buy, wear once or twice, and throw away.

But who loses when big global chains dominate? Local clothing stores, tailors, and small fashion brands often can’t keep up with the low prices and rapid turnover.

“We used to have steady customers,” says a small boutique owner from New Jersey. “Now, people come in, take photos of the styles, and then buy something similar for half the price online.”

Impact on Local Economies:

Area Affected	Description
Small Retail Stores	Struggle to compete with fast fashion prices
Local Manufacturers	Fewer orders as brands move production overseas
Secondhand Shops/Thrift	Overwhelmed by donations, especially low-quality fast fashion items
Tailors/Repair Services	Decline in business as people choose to replace rather than repair clothing

Waste Management: Cities Can’t Keep Up

Clothes don’t just disappear when you donate or toss them. Most fast fashion items are made from synthetic materials like polyester, which takes up to 200 years to decompose. Many are dyed with chemicals that can leach into soil and water.

A Quick Stat Check:

• 15 million tons of textile waste is generated in the U.S. every year.

• Only about 13% of clothing is recycled.

• Edison, NJ alone collects hundreds of tons of clothing waste annually, much of which ends up in landfills or gets shipped overseas.

According to the EPA, clothing and footwear made up 7.7% of municipal solid waste in 2018. That percentage continues to grow.

The Strain on Local Waste Systems

Municipal waste systems were never designed to handle this much textile waste. When people dump clothing in regular trash bins or in unapproved donation drop boxes, it clogs up the entire process.

In Edison, NJ, local waste services reported in 2023 that the volume of improperly discarded textiles has gone up by 18% in just two years.

So, where does it all go?

• Landfills: Most clothing waste ends up buried, taking decades to break down.

• Incinerators: Some cities burn textiles, which releases toxic chemicals into the air.

• Overseas: Tons of "donated" clothes are shipped to developing countries—many of which don’t want them.

Real-Life Example: Kantamanto Market in Ghana

This is one of the largest secondhand clothing markets in the world. Every week, they receive 15 million items of clothing—most of it from the U.S., U.K., and Canada.

A 2021 report found that 40% of these clothes are completely unusable and are thrown away, contributing to massive textile landfills on their shores.

This global dumping hurts their economy and floods their waste systems with clothing they didn’t produce and don’t have the means to dispose of.

So, What Can Local Communities Do?

We’re not powerless. In fact, communities are already trying new things to reduce the harm.

• Clothing Swap Events – Like the one held at Edison High School in 2024. Hundreds of students traded clothes instead of buying new ones.

• Donation Education – Teaching people where and how to properly donate items (not everything belongs in a donation bin).

• Repair Cafés – Pop-up events where people bring clothes to be mended instead of trashed.

• Support Local – Buying from small businesses helps circulate money locally and reduces shipping-related emissions.

The Bottom Line

Fast fashion may look like a bargain, but its real cost is showing up in our communities and landfills. Local economies suffer, waste systems are overwhelmed, and the environment takes a hit every time we choose speed over sustainability.

It’s not about never buying clothes again—it’s about being thoughtful with what we buy, where we buy it, and what we do with it when we’re done.