B2 Reading – Fast Fashion and Sustainable Choices

Read the text below and answer the multiple-choice questions.

Fast fashion offers trendy clothes at low prices and changes styles every few weeks. The model encourages quick purchases and quick disposal: many items are worn only a handful of times before ending up in landfills. The true cost is hidden—intensive water use for cotton, synthetic fibers that shed microplastics, and factory schedules so tight that safety and fair wages are hard to monitor.
Consumers who want to reduce harm don’t have to quit fashion altogether. One approach is to buy fewer, better pieces and calculate cost per wear—dividing the price by the number of times you expect to wear the item. A well-made jacket worn 100 times may be cheaper per use than a bargain one that loses shape after five washes.
Materials and care matter, too. Choosing durable fabrics, repairing small tears, washing on cold, and air-drying can extend a garment’s life. Second-hand platforms and clothing swaps keep items in circulation longer, and rental services make sense for special occasions. Certifications (for example, fair-labor or organic labels) are useful, but they don’t replace common sense: if a brand releases thousands of new styles each season, a few “green” tags won’t change the overall impact.
Finally, watch for greenwashing—marketing that sounds eco-friendly without measurable results. Look for transparent reports on supply chains, factory conditions, and emissions. Individual choices won’t fix the system alone, but when buyers reward better practices—and policymakers set stronger standards—the industry has reasons to change.