How we can use technology (3D printing, AR, AI) to stop fast fashion from ruining our planet

3D Bag Model (Left) and 3D Printed Bag Prototype (Right)

Fast fashion is deteriorating our planet, and as long as consumers continue to consume and keep the demand high, the production of clothing will only increase; good solutions to this would be sustainable clothing materials, digital clothes, or both combined. The world is constantly evolving and so is our taste in the things we wear.

Fashion is one of the most damaging industries to the planet. This is because it contributes massively to creating carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams. Even washing clothes releases 500 000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles. A lot of these cheap clothes are made using polyester which has synthetic fibres that have plastic in them which end up in our waterways as well as developing countries’ wasteland. In the future, archaeologists may look at landfills taken over by nature and discover evidence of Zara. With this in mind clothes that aren’t sold are often burned, causing further pollution.

Currently with the overproduction of clothes to meet consumer demands brands offer cheap and trendy clothes but at what cost? Brands are constantly chasing the next trend meaning to keep up they're creating clothes nearly on a daily basis.