LETTERS: WHO hasn't been enticed by a sale? As we fill our shopping cart with more items, not many will stop and consider the full cost of their purchases.
Take a RM20 shirt as an example. We rarely ask why a garment is so cheap. The truth isn't nice. Exploitation and environmental devastation lurk behind every cheap item.
The things we wear are often made by poor workers in countries with lax labour laws. Sweatshop workers work long hours for low pay, drowned by consumer demand.
This industry relies on a culture of disposability. Garments are produced quickly to keep up with trends and are worn briefly before being discarded.
This throwaway culture has many effects. A startling RM545 million worth of clothing enters landfills annually, a terrible indictment of our sustainability apathy. The environmental impact goes beyond overflowing trash cans.
The clothing industry's carbon footprint exceeds that of the aviation and shipping industries combined. From harmful textile dyeing chemicals to microplastics in our oceans, our clothing tastes have serious environmental effects.
To spark change, mindful consumerism is needed. We can create a more sustainable future by prioritising quality over quantity and implementing ethical production.
We can improve an industry plagued by exploitation and excess by supporting brands that promote transparency, fair labour and environmental responsibility.
AHMAD NIZAM CHE KASIM
Faculty of Business and Communication, Universiti Malaysia Perlis
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times