Transforming Fast Fashion: Advancing SDG 12 Through Sustainable Consumption And Circular Economy
- IJLLR Journal
- Feb 4
- 2 min read
Deepika Dhemla, Research Scholar, Department of Law, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda
ABSTRACT
The swift proliferation of the fast fashion sector has emerged as a significant catalyst for environmental degradation and social imbalance, undermining the attainment of SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. This article critically examines how the fast-fashion business model exacerbates adverse consequences on environmental justice in relation to SDG 12, through resource exploitation, pollution, and waste generation. Adopting a doctrinal research methodology, the study synthesizes existing legal frameworks, industry practices and policy documents to assess where gaps remain in regulatory interventions and systematic inefficiencies within the fashion supply chain. Key environmental ramifications explored include water pollution from cotton cultivation, toxic chemical discharges in textile processing, carbon-intensive manufacturing emissions, and the proliferation of pre-and post-consumer textile waste. The latter, comprising production offcuts and discarded garments, exacerbates landfill saturation, positioning the fashion industry as a leading contributor to global waste crises. The study takes a two-lens approach to research by focusing on both supplier practices such as unsustainable sourcing and labour exploitation and consumer behaviours that prioritize quantity over quality. The paper, therefore, suggests systemic changes towards slow fashion principles that include minimalist consumption, adoption of sustainable fibres, and corporate accountability. This is also complemented by a circular economy framework for extending the lifecycles of garments through reuse, repair, and recycling and policy interventions that will incentivize ethical production. Through the combination of doctrinal analysis of regulatory mechanisms with case studies on sustainable alternatives, this study highlights the urgency of aligning fashion industry practices with the targets of SDG 12. The results indicate that shifting to sustainability-oriented models is crucial not only for reducing ecological damage but also necessary for ensuring balanced economic growth and long-term health of the planet. In this regard, the study is relevant to the debate on environmental justice by specifying steps toward the realization of the potential for fashion industry growth without compromising ecological and social responsibility.
Keywords: circular economy; environment; fast fashion; sustainable; waste; sustainable development; SDG12.
