Image source: UNEP

At the European E-Learning Institute (EUEI), we are proud to be a partner in the FAIR FASHION Erasmus+ Project — an ambitious initiative that’s rethinking how fashion and textiles are taught in higher education across Europe. Together with our partners, we’re helping prepare the next generation of fashion professionals to lead with sustainability, digital innovation, inclusivity, and ethical responsibility at the heart of their careers.

One of the most pressing issues we raise awareness of is the impact of fast fashion — a system built on rapid production, low costs, and a relentless cycle of new trends. While it may offer consumers affordable options, the true cost of fast fashion is paid by the environment and the people behind the garments.

Environmental Consequences

The fashion industry is one of the top global polluters, and fast fashion plays a major role in this footprint. From fibre to landfill, the lifecycle of a fast fashion garment involves significant environmental damage.

Consider these facts:

  • The fashion industry is responsible for an estimated 2–8% of global carbon emissions.

  • Textile dyeing is the second largest contributor to water pollution worldwide.

  • It takes around 2,000 gallons of water to produce a single pair of jeans (UNEP).

Much of the clothing produced is made from synthetic fibres derived from fossil fuels, dyed with hazardous chemicals, and discarded after only a few wears. This leads to mounting landfill waste, microplastic pollution in our oceans, and excessive resource consumption.

Social Consequences

Behind the glossy advertising and influencer campaigns lies another reality: the human cost of fast fashion. To maintain ultra-low prices and rapid turnaround times, many brands rely on exploitative labour practices. Garment workers — often women and girls in the Global South — are paid poverty wages, face unsafe working conditions, and have few protections.

Fast fashion not only perpetuates global inequalities and unsafe supply chains but also reinforces gender and economic disparities across borders.

A New Challenge: Trade Tariffs & Industry Pressure

Recent tariffs introduced by the Trump administration in April 2025 have added even more uncertainty to the garment industry. Countries like Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Lesotho, and Vietnam — where many garments are produced — are now subject to higher export costs.

This creates new risks: brands may try to offset costs by placing even more pressure on suppliers, potentially leading to lower wages and further erosion of labour rights. As the Clean Clothes Campaign has urged, it is critical that fashion brands take responsibility and do not pass these costs onto the most vulnerable workers in the supply chain.

What Can We Do?

Education is key to creating meaningful change. That’s why FAIR FASHION is working to embed sustainability and ethics into the heart of fashion education.

At EUEI, we’re helping lead this work through the development of the FAIR FASHION Digital Toolbox — a collection of digital tools and resources to help educators teach sustainability and circularity in accessible and practical ways. Alongside our partners, we are also supporting the development of case studies, bootcamps, and mentoring formats that bring students closer to real-world sustainable fashion practices.

We believe fashion can be beautiful, creative, and just — but it must also be fair.

If you’re an educator, student, entrepreneur, or someone passionate about responsible fashion, there’s a role for you in transforming the system. Let’s stop ignoring what’s behind the seams.

Visit the project website: www.fairfashionproject.eu
Follow the project on Instagram: @fairfashioneu
Connect with us on LinkedIn: FAIR FASHION Project