Toxic chemicals are used in clothing to make, dye, bleach, etc. Fast fashion brands often do this because their main focus is to make the most amount of profit.
Sheins clothes were tested by environmental chemist Miriam Diamond. Researchers found a toddler’s jacket containing 20 times the amount of lead that Canada’s health department considers safe for children. The lead seemed to come from the pigment being used to dye the jacket. These chemicals being used, according to Diamond, can damage the brain and nervous system, impacting development, growth, and behavior patterns. This jacket was not the only case. Phthalates, a group of chemicals, are often used in plastic to make it more durable. Their research shows that they can interfere with some people’s reproductive hormones and risk of childhood asthma. Other chemicals, such as viscose, are used to make dresses, blouses, skirts, and more. The chemical is needed to change wood pulp into fiber. All of the chemicals find a way to get into out air and water ways, making them even more dangerous.
To limit chemical use, and therefore its harm, there are a handful of options. Simplest is to buy less. This will create less waste, contribute to the industry less, and produce less waste and chemicals. Being second hand will also not contribute to these fast fashion industry and therefore produce less waste and chemicals. Chemicals are one of the most greenwashed issues and it can be very difficult to not contribute to the production of them, though limiting your shopping will limit them greatly.
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