On my recent visit to Cambodia, I had the unique opportunity to visit a Phnom Penh garment factory with a translator by my side. My intent was to write an investigative report on the environmental impacts of “fast fashion,” a serious topic I had studied during my junior year in high school.
Upon entry to the first of three factories that we visited, I was immediately greeted by oppressive heat, a foul odor from sweat and dye fumes, and a sense of the relentless pressure on every stitch. In this crowded and claustrophobic hall, productivity trumped comfort; extra hours are worked without question and basic breaks are rare. This is what it really costs to make a US$5 “fast fashion” t-shirt. The price is effectively subsidised by the exploitation of Cambodian rivers, air, and workers. I learned that similar oppressive conditions are prevalent in other developing Southeast Asian nations. Cambodia’s garment exports alone soared 23% to nearly $14 billion in 2024 and are expected to grow. This means more than 700,000 workers, mostly young women, are sewing clothing in oppressive conditions for well known brands we buy at the Chestnut Hill Mall and wear everyday.
New factories are popping up every year, built rapidly without much regulation to capture the demand, and leading to a dirty process underneath. The garment sector now generates an estimated 69 percent of Cambodia’s toxic industrial discharges; many plants still pipe chemically-charged water straight into the Mekong and Tonle Sap basins. (That’s the equivalent of dumping all of our waste into the Mississippi river.) Altogether, fast fashion is literally consuming our planet—93 billion m³ of freshwater a year.
It’s not just the water, it’s also the air we breathe. The world’s garment industry already produces roughly 4-8 percent of humanity’s greenhouse-gas emissions, more than aviation and shipping combined. As the planet heats up, developing countries are hit the hardest. In Cambodia alone,; it is not uncommon to see workers faint on the factory lines that often hit 100°F. All this for a minimum pay of $204 a month (2024).
These environmental and human crises are connected by the same problem: fast fashion. Wafer-thin profit margins drive factories to skimp on wastewater treatment and air pollution control, shedding micro-plastics into the rivers that feed workers’ families and spewing nasty gases and chemicals into the air they breathe. Consumers’ relentless demand for ever cheaper tees keeps wages just above the legal minimum and encourages long hours.
Why should Newton care? Because our closets created this system. Massachusetts, like the rest of the massive U.S. consumer market, buys a slice of the 14 billion dollar Cambodian supply chain every time we checkout at the store. When trends change so fast and we buy so much clothing, it signals companies to chase volume instead of value, bringing in more pollution and climate destruction to the other side of the world. This in turn results in stronger heat waves and higher sea levels for everyone.
So what can we do now as consumers? We must treat clothes like votes: choose wisely! Buy fewer, better pieces; choose certified-green garments or quality second-hand; and wear everything longer. Stay away from fast fashion brands–Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, Shein, Forever 21 are examples. Learn how to repair items. Support policy that ties market access to living wages and lower discharge production. Our wallets and choices control the demand curve. If we reward transparency and durability, we can stop the damage to our planet before it’s too late.
Charles He is a rising senior at Milton Academy and an intern for Green Newton. Born in Shanghai and raised in California, he researches Asian sustainability and governance. He’s an activist for environmental wellbeing and hopes to study environmental engineering and policy in college. Read Charles’ full report on the Cambodian garment industry, Stitch & Soil: How Cambodia’s Garment Clusters Externalise Environmental and Human Costs for Global Fast Fashion.
Headline Photo: One of the official factories within Phnom Penh, Cambodia. who, like many, are owned & managed by Chinese Companies. Photo by Charles He.