Most of the cheap clothes are made with fabrics consisting of synthetic fibres such as nylon, acrylic and elastane. These artificial polymers are typically derived from petroleum and thus are closely associated with fossil fuels and damage to the environment through emissions and waste, including the release of microplastics into the environment, according to the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).
"These fabrics form part of a petrochemical economy which is fuelling runaway climate change and pollution," said Josie Warden, head of regenerative design at the RSA and co-author of the report 'Fast Fashion's Plastic Problem', when speaking to the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Britain's throwaway culture means most fast fashion will end up in landfill where it could take thousands of years to break down, said the RSA, which works to find solutions to social challenges.
Published ahead of the start of London Fashion...