MFSS 2024 SS WA2 4EXP(QP)

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2 What impact has the fast fashion industry had on the economy and the environment? BACKGROUND INFORMATION Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions. In the fast fashion industry, clothing is rapidly produced in factories in large quantities. This industry make s use of cheap materials and labour that are available in less developed countries (LDCs). As a result, the economies of many LDCs have benefit ed greatly. Millions of workers have been lifted out of unemployment through the jobs p rovided by these companies. On the other hand, since many of the factories in these LDCs rarely opera te under government regulation, they do not send enough to ensure saf e working conditions. In addition to these dangerous condit ions, the workers are often forced to work long hours for minimal pay. The fas t fashion industry is also considered a major polluter of water at all sta ges of production, from the dyei ng process (which releases a cocktail of toxic chemicals) to the washing of clothes (which releases microplastic). In recent years, however, global brands have started to invest in multimillion -dollar technologies that allows for more efficient recycling of fabrics. Other have also withdrawn their investments from countries like Cambodia and Bangladesh to pressure them to improve the welfare of their factory workers. Study the following sources to consider the impacts this industry has on the economy and the environment. Source A: A cartoon titled “Things You Should Know About Fast Fashion.” Landfill – A landfill site is a place for the disposal of waste materials Landfill

3 Source B: Extracted from a statement made by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh following the collapse of a fast fashion factory at Rana Plaza, published on 3 May 2013. Source C: An extract about the Rana Plaza incident, from an independent global media platform covering world affairs, published on 9 May 2013. Source D: An extract taken from a website that sells sportswear. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, acknowledged that her nation’s garment industry had problems but said her government was working to fix them. “Bangladesh is now a place with good condition for investment,” she said. She made this statement after a building collapsed, killing at least 437 garment workers. “Yes, there are some problems,” she said, “but a committee has been formed to ensure the safety of buildings and workers.” A landfill site, also known as a garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. She was not worried that multinational companies would stop doing business with Bangladesh because of the disaster. “Investors have tapped into the Bangladesh market not just because of its high-quality workers, but also because they get cheap labour, “she said Rana Plaza, which housed several garment factories, was reduced to rubble after it collapsed. The 3.6 million-strong co