EU's Von Der Leyen Says Fast Fashion 'Poison For Our Planet'

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2021) Fast fashion, the process of mass-producing garments at low cost with little concern for the environment and the people who make the clothes, is "poison for our planet," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday.

"Fast fashion is poison for our planet. It should be replaced by slow fashion that is circular. In other words, by well-designed products that create less waste and last longer," von der Leyen said in a video message delivered at Frankfurt Fashion Week.

The European Commission president added that fashion houses have a responsibility to drastically reduce their carbon footprint, in line with the bloc's aim to become "climate-neutral" by 2050.

Von der Leyen said that sustainable clothing must become affordable, adding that consumers should not have to sacrifice style in order to dress sustainably.

"Sustainable products need to become affordable for all and we have to convince people that sometimes the solution is simply to buy less but better," she said.

The European Commission president also used her address to publicize the European Union's New European Bauhaus movement, a multidisciplinary initiative that aims to bring together cultural, environmental, and economic experts to tackle challenges such as climate change.

UNICEF estimated in a 2020 report that more than 100 million children, many in low-income countries, are directly affected by the global clothing and footwear supply chain.