I have a confession: I can’t remember the last time I went shopping.

Not because of the long lines or the ridiculously inflated prices, but because the thought of children working from sun up to sun down in unfathomable conditions for as little as cents a day doesn’t sit right with me. Because when you look past the clearance tag, the price is clear.

Fast fashion is a capitalistic hell disguised as an unbeatable bargain.

We’ve all seen it before. Shein, Temu and Amazon hauls trace our social media like crazy, and it seems like there’s a new trend every week. Bows and flare pants are so in right now, and if you don’t have a Stanley cup, you must be living under a rock. But out with the old and in with the new comes with a price: the disaster of overconsumption and fast fashion.

You’ve probably heard the term fast fashion before, but what does it really mean?

Fast fashion refers to the technique used by fashion brands that quickly manufacture a large amount of clothing at ridiculously low prices. So what’s the big deal? Making clothing and other products quickly at such a low cost is a good thing, right?

Wrong. When taking a look at the history of fashion and the practices of older popular brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, you will notice that new item releases were categorized into two seasons, one for the fall and winter, and another for summer and spring. Fast forward to today, and popular brands such as H&M and Forever 21 have about 52 microseasons.

In these “micro-seasons,” fast fashion giants like Shein swiftly churn out new clothing, up to 10,000 new items per day, that typically have a lifespan as brief as their production cycle. Made from feeble, low-quality materials, these garments are discarded as often as weekly trends shift. These clothes go from trash can to landfill, and before you know it, you’ve added to the mounds of pollution already tarnishing our environment.

This constant cycle of production and disposal releases 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas annually, more than emissions from “all international flights and maritime shipping combined.” The problem is only getting worse, as researchers estimate these emissions to rise by more than 60% by 2030.

The issue doesn’t just lie in the environment. These practices are just as unethical as they are unsustainable. Shein’s 2023 sustainability report stated two cases of child labor and factories failing to pay employees minimum wage were found, which is considered an improvement from previous years. In China, where most of the clothes are produced, employees often work for over 18 hours a day – with only one day off a month – for as little as 3 cents per hour.

Even if you’ve never shopped at Shein, you’re likely to have participated in overconsumption elsewhere. Have you owned a pair of Nikes? What about clothing from H&M or Zara? These companies have all engaged in ‘fashion wage theft’ in which over 400,000 garment workers were recorded to have been paid under minimum wage since April 2020, leaving more than $50,600,000 in unpaid wages.

But the exploitation goes beyond inadequate pay. Temu, another appealing brand that promotes overconsumption by encouraging consumers to “Shop Like a Billionaire” through its catalog of clothes and home goods, is at “extremely high risk” of using forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region, a direct threat against the Uyghur population. Uyghurs, the largest minority ethnic group in Xinjiang, are detained in re-education camps and prisons to work in factories under deplorable conditions against their will without means of communication with the outside world. When they aren’t working, their conversations are heavily monitored and cut short as most of their time is spent learning Mandarin and undergoing ideological indoctrination. Several investigations have uncovered what has been identified as a genocide and collection of “crimes against humanity” under China’s regime. Purchasing products from Temu and other China-based ultra-cheap markets contributes to the exploitation of these endangered people.

Unethical working conditions are seen here in the States as workers also face hazardous working conditions. Amazon was found to implement work processes that were designed to deliver your packages speedily without any regard to the wellbeing of their employees, resulting in “serious worker injuries.” These practices, consisting of constantly lifting heavy packages for long hours, put these workers at risk for pain and disorders in their lower back, bones, joints and skeletal muscles. I find it certainly hard to look the other way from the blatant mistreatment of the workforce when it can be seen locally. Sure, the pay can be okay, but this means nothing when you don’t have the physical or mental strength to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Now that you know the facts, there’s one final question to be answered: what can we do to stop this?

First and foremost, we shouldn’t play the blame game. There are several cases in which fast fashion may be the only viable option for consumers as not everyone can afford more sustainable options. Secondly, beware of companies that attempt to “greenwash” or appear more environmentally friendly than they actually are (H&M is especially known to greenwash).

Lastly, do what you can and do it well. If you insist on buying from a fast-fashion retailer or unethical brands, try to keep that garment, electronic, etc. for as long as possible. Thrifting is the best option if the higher price tag attached to sustainable fashion doesn’t align with your finances. If you can afford higher quality clothing or other items that may take a bit longer to arrive home, invest in those things. They’re likely to last much longer and are worth the money.

Regardless of the approach you take, you should advocate for better labor practices everywhere you go. Talk to your friends and family about the potential effects of their spending habits and offer some better alternatives. You can use websites such as goodonyou.eco to check how ethical or sustainable your favorite brands are as well as some better options.

Before you make a purchase on Shein or Amazon, think about the potential lives you’re putting at risk first. Because behind every bargain price tag lies a hidden cost paid in human suffering and environmental devastation that no discount can justify.