Currently, the world population stands at 8 billion and annually consumes approximately 62 million tonnes of clothing. Projections indicate that with the expected increase in GDP per Capita (2% in developed economies, 4% in developing economies) and population expanding to 8.6 billion by 2030, the production and consumption of clothing is estimated to reach 102 million tonnes by 2030. It is anticipated that a significant portion of this clothing will eventually be disposed of in landfills within a few years.

Approximately 250 years ago, the invention of the mechanical loom marked a significant milestone in the Industrial Revolution, leading to the emergence of textile mills. Clothing manufacturing towns emerged, for example, in the Midlands, UK, with capitalist factory owners providing housing, education and other amenities for their workforces. Many manufacturing towns flourished well into the twentieth Century. However, the exploitation of cheap labour, unpaid labour, child labour and prison labour became unfortunate consequences of this industrialisation. Consequently, many workers' rights were safeguarded through the formation of Trades Unions and the implementation of protective legislation.
Since the 1980s, international trade agreements have prompted major manufacturing companies to relocate garment production from countries, such as the USA, to nations in Latin America and Asia ('Off-shoring'), where the wages and overall cost of labour is cheaper, significantly boosting profits for owners and shareholders.
Simultaneously, the surge in consumer demand for 'fast-fashion' at lower prices led to the rapid expansion of methods for expediting the global delivery of clothing, not all of which are considered ethical. Today's consumers now expect fashion retailers to offer a wide array of trends with an ever faster turnover of garments.
Offshoring, coupled with the absence of human rights legislation in developing countries, such as Bangladesh, India and China, has resulted in some of the worldwide fashion retailers responsible for workers' extremely low wages, hazardous working conditions, and, in some cases, unmaintained and unsafe buildings in clothing factories.
Following the tragic incidents of the Tazreen building fire in Bangladesh (2010) and the Rana Plaza building collapse (2013), media scrutiny and public outrage have held accountable major fashion brands that engage unregulated suppliers. The establishment of the 'Rana Plaza Arrangement' has somewhat improved the protection of basic rights for Bangladeshi garment workers, albeit they are still poorly compensated.
Even today, the human toll of fast fashion remains largely concealed.