Fast fashion has been prevalent over the past two decades. Uniqlo, GU, H&M, and Zara are iconic fast fashion brands that have woven themselves into the fabric of daily life in Hong Kong, where access to these retailers is widespread across various districts and malls, making them easily accessible to local customers.
Since Hong Kong is a consumerist society where local residents possess strong purchasing power, frequent shopping for fast fashion items, including T-shirts, hoodies, and trousers, has become routine. To delve deeper into these consumption patterns and their implications, we conducted a survey using Google Forms aimed at gathering data on fast fashion consumer habits. This survey comprised a total of 50 local young people, aimed to uncover the motivations behind clothing purchases, preferred shopping platforms, and attitudes toward second-hand clothing.
Consumption behavior in Hong Kong
First, statistics revealed that all respondents shop at fast fashion retailers, with the majority shopping sometimes and about one-seventh shopping often. Furthermore, the data also indicated that online platforms such as Taobao and Instagram shops selling clothing from Korea, Japan, and China are increasingly prevalent, reshaping the shopping habits of Hong Kong consumers. Thus, most respondents purchase fast fashion items primarily due to their ideal prices and trending styles.
The primary driver of clothing purchases is affordability. Fast-fashion brands and retailers offer significantly cheaper alternatives compared to other options. Ren is a partner at JupYeah – a non-governmental organization founded in 2011 which works on barter trading of second-hand clothes. Ren explained: “Most people buy from Instagram shops because they are convenient, affordable, and offer trendy items that align with current fashion trends. When fast-fashion clothes are cheaper than second-hand alternatives, fewer people consider purchasing second-hand clothing”. Price sensitivity is particularly acute among consumers with limited budgets, making fast-fashion an attractive option despite its drawbacks.
However, this affordability comes at a cost. Due to lower prices, fast-fashion garments typically have poor durability, forcing consumers to replace them frequently and contributing to substantial textile waste. Beyond practical considerations, some consumers view clothing as a reflection of personal identity and social status. As Samanthy, another partner at JupYeah, noted, “Some Hong Kong residents view buying new clothes as a symbol of social status.” Despite lingering stereotypes surrounding second-hand clothing, JupYeah’s founders observe an encouraging shift, the acceptance of second-hand fashion is gradually increasing, with more consumers embracing sustainable alternatives.
This phenomenon is further supported by the survey results, all respondents are engaged in discarding clothing, while more than four-fifths of them are unwilling to purchase second-hand items. Some even expressed that they “prefer first-hand clothing, as it is a matter of cleanliness,” viewing second-hand items as inferior goods. This resulted in the rise of unrecycled textile and abandoned garments.
According to the latest data from Greenpeace, 110,000 tons of textiles are discarded by local residents each year, which is equivalent to approximately 1,400 T-shirts thrown away every minute. On a per capita basis, each person throws away nearly 15 kilograms of old clothing annually, amounting to 102 T-shirts. The significant amount of waste has led to different environmental problems in Hong Kong, such as the currently most-concerned landfill problem.
Based on the current daily waste intake, it is projected that both landfills will be exhausted in 2026.
by Tse Chin-wan, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology
Fast fashion does bring negative impacts to our city, contributing to the landfill crisis and increasing textile waste. To address the crisis, the Hong Kong government announced the “Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035” in February. This initiative promotes “Waste Reduction, Resource Circulation, and Zero Landfill,” emphasizing the recycling of used apparel and the minimization of textile waste. However, before addressing local problems caused by fast fashion, it is crucial to understand the harm caused by fast fashion from a global perspective. Analyzing the situation and its root causes is essential.
The Scale of Global Textile Production
According to the statistics from the National Institute of Health (NIH), the world generates 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually, a figure expected to surge to 134 million tonnes by 2030. This massive production volume reveals a fundamental tension: the fashion industry’s reliance on materials with severe environmental consequences.
The Environmental Toll: Cotton
Cotton sounds natural and sustainable, but the reality is far more complicated. Around 24 million tonnes of cotton are produced annually for clothing. Cotton cultivation demands enormous quantities of water and chemical fertilizers, which pollute land and water systems.
But here’s the real problem: as cotton farming has become more profitable, farmers have abandoned food agriculture to grow cotton instead – a shift toward cash crops that has disrupted entire agricultural systems. This has created agricultural monoculture across many regions, damaging local ecosystems, reducing biodiversity, and threatening long-term agricultural sustainability. The soil itself becomes depleted, losing its ability to bounce back.
The Polyester Problem
Polyester sounds like a solution – it’s durable, affordable, and easy to produce. Between 31.5 to 47 million tonnes of polyester are produced annually.
But here’s what happens: polyesters are extremely difficult to recycle. Separating it from blended fabrics requires advanced technology that most recycling facilities don’t have. This creates a severe textile crisis: vast quantities of polyester-containing garments cannot be effectively recycled or repurposed into second-hand clothing.
The end result? These clothes go to landfills – a particularly acute problem in Hong Kong, where landfill space is already critically limited. As Ruwanthi Gajadeera, a sustainable designer and Tai Wan Fashion Designer Award Winner (2021), shared that “In my progressive pollution concern, I’m not very happy to work with polyester.”
What designers are doing effectively?
Ruwanthi Gajadeera represents a different approach to fashion. She integrates sustainability into every collection she creates, and her philosophy starts at the design stage – the most critical point where waste can actually be prevented.
The designing stage is the most significant opportunity to reduce garment waste. Using second-hand materials during the design process is essential.
Gajadeera is using the textile – trousers to redesign them into new and unexpected garments. Photos are provided by Ruwanthi Gajadeera.
She claimed that most of her designs begin with reclaimed garments. She carefully analyzes and segregates waste materials to identify usable components. When new materials are needed, she deliberately selects modern, recyclable options to ensure her finished pieces can continue circulating through the system even after they’ve served their initial purpose.
Gajadeera takes unworn trousers, redesigns them, and adds creative elements to the fabric. She then attaches these pieces onto plain shirts, transforming them into trendy and stylish garments. Photos are provided by Ruwanthi Gajadeera.
But Gajadeera also challenges a common assumption: just because something is vintage doesn’t mean it’s sustainable. If you buy a vintage piece and wear it once – or never – it hasn’t justified its environmental footprint. True sustainability requires keeping clothes for years and building a personal style around quality pieces rather than constantly chasing trends.
It is important to develop a personal style so that you buy less and invest in high-quality garments you can wear for a long time.
The Fast Fashion Production Cycle
The constant release of new clothing styles fosters a habit of regularly purchasing new clothes, leading to a societal tendency to not value each new item. Ren mentioned that some fast fashion companies market themselves by promoting new styles every week, attracting customers to shop daily with the promise of variety. She continued, however, these garments are deliberately made with low-quality materials, potentially containing harmful chemicals or using sparse materials, resulting in poor quality.
This creates a vicious cycle: clothes break, people buy replacements, more waste piles up. Ren pointed out that citizens would not feel sorry about discarding clothes and this “constantly creates cycles”, causing significant waste over time that becomes nearly impossible to manage.
The Unsold Inventory Problem
It gets worse. Fast fashion companies continually produce far more than they can sell. When items don’t move off shelves, they face a disposal problem. Ren noted that burning unsold clothing is currently prohibited, so these items ultimately end up in landfills.
Ren mentioned that many citizens choose to donate their clothing to roadside recycling stations, believing they’ve taken an environmental step and then continuing to buy new garments. Several peers in the environmental sector have shared with Ren that these large recycling companies are unable to handle such vast amounts of clothing.
“It could be that the quantity is too large to manage, or the quality is too poor to process,” Ren said.
Ultimately, these unmanageable items end up in landfills. “If they don’t address this today, there will be several tons of new clothes tomorrow,” Ren stated, expressing a sense of helplessness regarding the situation.
Returning to the local landfill problem, which is primarily caused by a significant amount of textile waste in Hong Kong, according to the statistics from the Environmental Protection Department’s “Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong,” the amount of textile disposal has increased significantly from 2020 to 2023. On average, approximately 359 tons of textiles were disposed of in landfills daily over these four years.
The Redress 2025 report states that in 2023, the average daily textile waste sent to landfills in Hong Kong was 402 metric tons, which is estimated to be equivalent to discarding 17,480 suitcases of clothing.This represents around 3% of the total municipal solid waste (including glass, metal, paper, wood, etc.).
The Panel on Environmental Affairs mentioned in a Legislative Council meeting this March that, based on the current daily waste intake, it is anticipated that the North East New Territories (NENT) landfill and the West New Territories (WENT) landfill will reach capacity by 2026.
The Real Challenge: Fighting Big Fashion
Promoting sustainable fashion in Hong Kong faces multiple barriers. It means competing against enormous international fast-fashion corporations. Gajadeera mentioned that some international brands such as H&M, Uniqlo, and GU have massive social media reach, professional marketing teams with huge budgets, and the ability to secure prime retail locations in every neighbourhood.
In addition, Gajadeera also claimed another challenge in developing sustainable clothing: psychological elements. She pointed out that there’s a dopamine rush when people buy something new, a chemical reward in your brain that creates addictive consumption patterns. As Gajadeera observes:
The brain is quite addictive, so you’re battling with all those factors simultaneously. It is difficult when you are struggling against such powerful psychological and commercial forces.
Ren also mentioned that those large international brands’ financial resources allow them to secure prime retail locations, ensuring Hong Kong residents encounter these fast fashion outlets simply by walking down the street.
She believes that from funding, convenience, and brand recognition, secondhand shops or sustainable fashion struggle to compete with international fast fashion giants.
Lack of funding and support
Samanthy emphasized that Hong Kong society currently lacks sufficient funding for sustainable fashion.
“ Hong Kong doesn’t pay enough attention to environmental protection,” said Samanthy, “Public awareness remains quite low”. She recalled that when organizing events and searching for venues, some organizations offered discounts or even funding support to them to show their support to environmental NGO. However, such cases are rare. She believes both the government and private institutions should increase their support and focus on environmental protection.
The Regulatory Gap
In contrast to other cities worldwide, Hong Kong has no specific textile regulations. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is in effect across multiple European countries, including the Netherlands, France, and Hungary, requiring producers to take responsibility for the waste they generate. This incentivizes the production and sale of more sustainable products. France regulates that products made with certified sustainable materials and eco-labels receive incentives, while those containing non-recyclable substances face penalties. The Netherlands requires brands to submit annual plans by April each year. Taiwan also has regulations concerning textile, regulating the dyes and materials used.
Although Hong Kong lacks a large-scale garment industry like European nations, it currently has no regulations specifically targeting imported clothing. Existing Hong Kong regulations on clothing fall under the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance, with no independent legislation for imported goods or disposal methods for unsold clothing. This led to fast fashion continuing to use low quality materials and large-scale production of new products, further burdening Hong Kong’s landfill.
Challenging Consumerism
In a place dominated by consumerism, it’s hard to get people to stop buying things; “everyone is used to shopping,” said Wong. Many people are still working hard behind the scenes for this environment. Gajadeera believes that the 3Rs (recycling, reuse, reduce), although mentioned for many years, are still important. She emphasizes that these actions require everyone to practice together as a whole.
Ren also says that their efforts are limited.
All we can do is urge people not to throw away clothes and buy new ones.
Some people may question: why does the environment matter to me? Why is it important to raise awareness of the environment?
Many people view recycling as just one industry among countless others. However, this perspective fundamentally misses the point: recycling is not an outer concern—it is the foundation upon which all other industries depend.
Ren pointed out that some citizens view environmental protection as just one of many options, but this is a misconception. She emphasized that a healthy environment is the foundation of everything. “Without a healthy planet, there is no survival, no sustainable place for us to continue living. Everything else becomes irrelevant” said Ren. All economic development loses its importance without a good environment.
They cannot survive in an increasingly degraded environment. The production of materials like cotton and polyester demonstrates this reality, as these industries create significant environmental damage that ripples across our entire world.
Ren pointed out that one reason many people are indifferent to environmental protection is that the impacts seem distant from us. They assume environmental issues are abstract while these problems don’t directly touch their lives.
“The snow-capped mountains are not melting around me, and the glaciers are not melting here. I can’t see it” Ren mentioned. “but if all of that is gone, then there will be nothing left to do. Therefore, environmental protection is not just one of many options; it is something that must be done.”
So, what can we do as ordinary citizens? Simple actions can make a difference, such as recycling our old clothing or utilizing materials from previous garments to reduce waste. One example is Retrovert, a second-hand clothing shop located on Sai Yeung Choi Street South in Yau Ma Tei. This shop often receives discarded clothing from the public, transforming it into new products to make good use of material resources.
“The first step is to check for quality and style. If the items are acceptable, we conduct a simple selection and cleaning before the redesign process. For items that do not meet our specifications, we typically use them as upcycling materials,” said Mandy Wong, a staff member at Retrovert. She also mentioned that jeans can be transformed into denim fabric or bags, while T-shirts can serve as materials for upcycled products. Wong also suggested that buying second-hand clothing can help “revive” old garments.
Our vision is to normalise environmentally friendly practices. We hope that purchasing second-hand clothes becomes a common daily habit and a way of life, allowing people to uphold these practices every day.
by Mandy Wong, Staff Member at Retrovert
In fact, we don’t need to take drastic actions. By simply donating our old clothes to places like Retrovert or placing them in recycling bins instead of discarding them in landfills, we can give these items a chance to be reused. Our planet can be saved through our collective efforts, and when everyone in our city embraces these habits, we can foster a positive impact on the environment.