7 November 2025  The rising cost of cheap fashionEvery year, more than 90 million tons of textiles end up as waste, while less than 15 percent are recycled. The main barrier is not a lack of technology, but the complexity of textile composition: blended fibers — for example cotton mixed with polyester or elastane — make recycling extremely difficult or even impossible.Ultra-fast-fashion platforms such as Temu and Shein add to this crisis. A recent test conducted by Global 2000, Austria's largest environmental organization, together with the Arbeiterkammer Oberösterreich (Chamber of Labour Upper Austria), revealed that cheap online fashion can also pose a health threat. Twenty items — including jackets, shoes, and accessories — were examined by independent laboratories. Seven were classified as not marketable in the EU because they exceeded legal limits for hazardous substances by up to several thousand times. The findings are published in the Temu & Shein Report, which is accessible at global2000.at. One women's jacket from Temu contained perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCA) exceeding the EU threshold by 4,154 times, while another Shein boot showed a lead concentration in the sole and massive amounts of hormone-disrupting plasticizers. These substances are linked to cancer, fertility disorders, and long-term environmental contamination. Consumers, however, cannot detect or test these chemicals themselves — they are invisible and odorless. Invisible tags and the struggle for smarter recyclingResearchers at the University of Michigan are working on a potential game changer for textile identification: invisible fiber codes. Developed in cooperation with the spin-off Fibarcode, these photon-based fibers can store and reveal information such as fiber composition, origin, or washing instructions. The system could make automatic sorting in recycling plants possible and reduce counterfeiting. Despite the promising technology, experts expect that real-world implementation will take years, as the textile industry remains fragmented and cost-sensitive. Until such solutions reach mass production, the global textile waste problem will continue to grow.Chemicals we cannot see — but wearThe Global 2000 and AK Upper Austria study highlights a second problem: besides excessive waste, dangerous chemicals are still common in textile production. Substances such as PFAS ("forever chemicals"), phthalates, and heavy metals are used to make fabrics water-repellent, flexible, or brightly colored. These chemicals do not remain in factories — they enter human bodies through skin contact and the environment through washing wastewater.Even when fiber composition is clearly labeled, consumers remain unprotected from these hidden chemical residues. Such substances are not listed on garment tags and can only be detected through laboratory analysis — making them invisible yet potentially harmful. According to Global 2000, several of the tested items should not be sold in Austria or the EU, since they clearly breach EU chemical regulations. Both organizations demand stricter control of online imports, the closure of legal loopholes for e-commerce, and the introduction of a national anti–fast fashion law modeled on France's initiative. They also call for a ban on advertising ultra-fast fashion and for strengthening the EU's Supply Chain Directive to hold companies accountable for environmental and human rights violations. A message to consumersThe report makes one thing clear: while the market and politics must change, consumers also have a role to play. Buying less and wearing longer remains the simplest protection — for ourselves and the planet. Choosing clothing from transparent producers, local designers, or verified fair-fashion retailers can further reduce risks. The Chamber of Labour Upper Austria, for instance, offers an online directory of such shops at fairfashion-ak.at, which can serve as a useful starting point for making conscious choices.Image: The AI-generated image depicts an industrial weaving hall with fabric rolls, dyeing vats, and textile finishing machines that emit steam and colored mist, symbolizing the complexity of modern textile production. Photo: © Fashion.at — AI-generated with ChatGPT |