Argumentative Essay: The Fast Fashion Ban in Canada Debate

This argumentative essay explores the complex issue of whether the Canadian government should ban fast-fashion stores like H&M and Zara. The essay presents a compelling argument for a ban, delving into the negative consequences of the fast fashion industry. It examines the industry's detrimental impact on the environment, highlighting the excessive waste generated and the unsustainable use of resources, such as water and chemicals in cotton production. Furthermore, the essay addresses the ethical concerns surrounding the industry, including worker exploitation, low wages, and unsafe working conditions. The essay acknowledges the economic dynamics of the industry, referencing Zara's success in sustainable initiatives while highlighting the industry's tendency to overlook the true costs of production, which are often borne by workers and the environment. By analyzing these factors, the essay concludes that a ban is necessary to mitigate the negative effects of fast fashion on both the environment and society. The essay also includes an annotated bibliography of sources used to support the arguments.

Running head: FAST FASHION INDUSTRY
FAST FASHION INDUSTRY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Argumentative essay
Fast fashion is identified as the inexpensive designs that are promoted straight from
catwalk to stores in order to score in making it a new trend. The contemporary trend is further
identified as shortening of lead-time and offering products of low cost to the business market.
The idea therefore has led to various issues and has changed the mentality of the customers in
their purchasing behaviour especially in the developed countries. Moreover, fast fashion also
result severe impacts on the environment as well as on the workers of the industry.
The thesis aims to deliver an in depth analysis on the topic “Should fast-fashion
stores (i.e. H&M, Zara) be banned by the Canadian government?” in an argumentative
structure by using three sources in the following paragraph. To support the statement, that
Canadian government should ban the fast fashion industry, the essay focuses on providing
concrete justification for both the sides of why and why not. The first paragraph facilitates an
insight on the consequences and implications of the garment industry in the global text along
with the explanation of human rights that are related to this industry. The second paragraph
develops argument on the economic models and theories in terms of the unethical business
practices. The third paragraph shows the contradictory picture with respect to the statement in
support, describing how brand like Zara gains sustainability success and leads in retaining the
demand of contemporary fast fashion industry. The paper establishes its point in the
conclusion through an argumentative framework and exposes the topic, why fast-fashion
stores (ie. H&M, Zara) should be banned by the Canadian government.
The paragraph aims to deliver how a contemporary trend in global perspective of
garment industry opposes the values of ethics and human rights. “The jet plane, the
telephone, and the Internet give you a global society with the transnational corporation and
World Economic Forum.” As stated by Peter Singer, he emphasizes on the rise of global

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followers due to the revolution of communication. And further it is put forward in the
perspective of global economy that is, due to the globalization of economy through flexible
communications, the states retains the bond and valued connections (van Ree, pg. 6- 54).
However, in the process, it is to mention that the ethical need are to be served with
accordance. As per the reports, it is observed that the dilemma of fast fashion create global
justice issues through the changes made in international laws based on human rights, and the
laws which are represented by fast fashion organization or companies. For instance, European
states for years and decades were able to hide behind the protectionism and took advantage
from uneven dealings of trade and business. However, in the context of fast fashion industry,
the popularity increased by evaluation of the positions of the retailers in the market, putting
more stress on the forecasting that minimizes the lead time and also by creating their
independent brands (van Ree, pg. 6- 54). This eventually led to the popularity explosion. The
criticism highlights the matter that overconsumption leads to excessive waste. Selling off the
garments in less money increased the demands that resulted to an immense downward
pressure on the workers of garment industry. Such situations leads to the production of
inferior quality of clothes and even many defects are seen in the production (van Ree, pg. 6-
54). In addition in the context of environmental factors, the waste produced in the
environment is increasing order. For instance, the U.S alone discards 85% of the textile
production that leads to the generation of 21 billion pounds of garment waste per year (van
Ree, pg. 6- 54). It further accounts to be one of the lowing recycling rates in terms of reusing
the materials.
The second paragraph provides the fast fashion records that has produced
unsustainable landscape in the context of global trade and further proves to produce global
health risk through industrial pollution. It is to mention that about 40% of garments are made
of cotton. Following it, in the making of cotton clothes, it requires 500 gallons of water,

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utilizes 10% of the chemicals that are basically agricultural by products and 25% of world
wide pesticides. It is evident enough that cotton clothes imposes high risk on health,
especially on farmers (Lambert, pg. 10-155). As per the reports of US department of
Agriculture, 3% of agricultural workers across the world, that is 77 million, suffer from
severe health issues resulting from acute pesticide poisoning. The paragraph provides on of
the major reason why fast fashion should be banned by the Canadian government, that is, the
it provide an in depth analysis of the firm revealing how firms create empires depending on
the practices of unethical business and trade within the dynamics of fashion industry. The
strategic tool is to gain profit through the poor quality and higher quantity in the production.
However, the magnitude of the matter on ethical violation is greater than the sustainability
factor. The various ethical violation includes long hours and low wages, child labour and
insufficient safety investments (Lambert, pg. 10-155). These issues are immensely witnessed
in the textile production.
The third paragraph delivers the dynamics of the economy within the industrial
context. Zara is recognized as fast fashion giant and “. . . was ranked 73rd in the list of the
world’s 100 top brands 2006 by Interbrand, overtaking fashion brands like Hermes, Prada
and Armani” as stated by Lopen and Fan (pg. 279-296). It is witnessed that Zara has proved
to hold an impressive record in retaining sustainable initiatives that includes process control,
customer orientation and flexibility in the supply chain. However, the industry also produces
the tremendous scope of far reaching impacts (Portway and Tasha, pg. 11-103). It is to
mention that the environmentally preferred materials costs more than the unconsidered
counterparts. It means that the true cost of the products are overlooked by the industries
because the retailers usually tend to facilitate the customers with most suitable price which
makes the market competitive. (Portway and Tasha, pg. 11-103). This results that the ultimate
consumer does not meet the necessary payment required for the social and environmental

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costs of the products. In this way the prices are distorted which is not revealed in the reality
of supply chain. Such practices are encouraged or permitted to maintain sustainability in
economic growth. It is observed that researchers do agree that social and environmental
impacts can be avoided if the consumers or the customers were made aware or educated
regarding the impacts in the dynamics of clothing production. One needs to understand the
value of the materials that are gained due to the participation of the workers and their
immense amount of efforts (Portway and Tasha, pg. 11-103). It is the responsibility of
industrials leads and hierarchal authority to take care of the fair human rights and code of
ethics in order to value the efforts of the human labour.
From the in depth analysis provided with evidences mentioned in the above
discussion, it is concluded that Canadian government should ban the fast fashion stores like
Zara and other brands like H&M in order to avoid the impacts that is witnessed in the
environment as well as in the society. It is to mention that through the evidences provided in
the essay, it reveals how the efforts of human labours are not valued provided with the fact
that they undergo long working hours and low wage system. The paper also describes the
health risk factors and the industrial pollution that is witnessed in greater amount. Thereby,
with an awareness of such issues, the Canadian government should ban the fast fashion
industries.

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Annotated Bibliography
van Ree, Laura A. Fast Fashion as a Contemporary Global Justice Problem: Towards
more justice in the'fast fashion'industry. MS thesis. 2016, pg. 6- 54.
The author provides the status of the global fashion industry by drawing out the new model of
business strategy of fast fashion. The paper brings out the unethical practices. To meet the
buying demands of the customers the products or the garment were sold off in low prices. It
is to mention that the system of the fast fashion points out to be under criticism because the
trade emerged out to be involved in environments consequences , exploitation of human labor
and violation of human rights that includes the poor condition of the workers and their severe
health risk (van Ree, pg. 6- 54). The source is credible enough to establish its purpose with
detailed insights. However, the weakness lies in the complex senteces that has been used. It
would have gained more attention if the language were made simple.
Lambert, Megan. "The Lowest Cost at Any Price: The Impact of Fast Fashion on the
Global Fashion Industry." (2014), pg. 10-155.
The paper delivers fast fashion records that has produced unsustainable landscape in the
context of global trade and further proves to produce global health risk through industrial
pollution. It is to mention that practices of unethical business occurs occur majorly during the
design phase of the supply chain, such actions are recognized as design piracy, which is
identified as an unethical business practices (Lambert, pg. 10-155). However, the practices
are now a common thing in the fashion industry. Apart from these, it is also evident that there
are certain strategic tools through which the European fashion firms like Zara and H&M
though gained sustainability success, yet the production quality is found to be poor. The
records provides a detailed insights of fast fashion.

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Portway, Sarah, and Tasha Lewis. Regenerative Abundance: Fast and Sustainable
Apparel Production in Toronto. LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, 2012, pg. 11-
103.
The paper delivers the dynamics of the economy within the industrial context. It provides the
facts regarding the results when the ultimate consumer does not pay for the social costs and
environmental costs of the products. It furthers explains how the prices are distorted and what
is done in order to maintain sustainability in economic growth. It is observed that researchers
do agree that social and environmental impacts could be avoided if the consumers were
educated regarding the impacts in the dynamics of clothing production. Though the paper is
written in easy language and is convenient to understand the true purpose of research study,
however it requires more facts and reports in order to make it credible.

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Work cited:
Lambert, Megan. "The Lowest Cost at Any Price: The Impact of Fast Fashion on the Global
Fashion Industry." (2014), pg. 10-155.
Lopez, Carmen, and Ying Fan. "Internationalisation Of The Spanish Fashion Brand
Zara". Journal Of Fashion Marketing And Management: An International Journal, vol 13,
no. 2, 2009, pg. 279-296. Emerald, doi:10.1108/13612020910957770.
Portway, Sarah, and Tasha Lewis. Regenerative Abundance: Fast and Sustainable Apparel
Production in Toronto. LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, 2012, pg. 11-103.
van Ree, Laura A. Fast Fashion as a Contemporary Global Justice Problem: Towards more
justice in the'fast fashion'industry. MS thesis. 2016, pg. 6- 54.