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Explainer: What fast food and fast fashion have in common

by | Jan 16, 2025

Fast food and fast fashion have more in common than you think. Both thrive on convenience and low prices but leave behind a trail of harm for our bodies, the planet, and workers. The good news? Change is possible. Here we explain more:

Birds of a feather

Fast food and fast fashion have more in common than you think. Both rely on farming, are controlled by a few big companies, and often harm the planet and your health.

Why are they so popular?

People love fast food and fast fashion for the same reasons:

  • Price: They’re cheap
  • Convenient: They’re easy to get
  • Reliable: You know what to expect
  • Accessible: They dominate the market, so they’re everywhere

The dopamine hit

Both industries rely on overconsumption, tempting you with quick hits of joy. You chase the feeling of biting into salty fries or opening a new package. The problem? Once the dopamine fades, the aftermath isn’t pretty: harm to your body, the planet, and the workers involved.

Bad for your body

We all know that fast food is bad for us – low in nutrients and high in calories. But fast fashion doesn’t escape this one either:

  • Plastic microfibres from clothes end up in our food chain
  • Many clothes are made with harmful dyes and unregulated chemicals that impact our health

Bad for the planet

Both industries harm the environment:

  • Fast food fuels industrial farming and deforestation
  • Fast fashion drives polyester production and unsustainable cotton

Bad for the workers

To keep prices low, both industries depend on cheap production:

  • Chemical pesticides and fertilisers harm farmers
  • Workers face unsafe working conditions

Marketing tricks

Both industries spend billions on advertising to convince you that their products will make you happy. This marketing works. That’s why so many of us buy fast food and fast fashion.

Who is to blame?

Consumers are often blamed for choosing fast fashion and fast food. They’re called immoral, selfish, or uneducated – even if it’s all they can afford. True change will come from the companies making and marketing these products.

Pressure makes progress

Fast food isn’t perfect, but it’s changing. Consumers and legislation have forced fast food chains to offer healthier, meat-free options and share nutritional info. We need to see this same change in fast fashion, and learn from fast food’s journey.

Sources

Credits

Images from Moschino Fall 2014 collection. Photographer Kevin Tachman

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