planned-obsolescence

The chapter critiques the fashion industry's wasteful practices, particularly the creation and subsequent incineration of unsold clothing to avoid storage costs, highlighting the unnecessary environmental impact of producing materials like cotton, wool, and leather. It also addresses deceptive marketing tactics that create artificial scarcity and urgency to drive rapid consumption, urging a shift towards producing higher-quality, longer-lasting clothing to reduce resource waste and environmental harm.

The chapter critically examines the hidden costs behind consumer culture, particularly focusing on the false notion of affordability that masks the exploitation of farmers, garment workers, and environmental degradation. It exposes systemic issues such as planned obsolescence and greenwashing in fashion and electronics, revealing how these practices perpetuate cycles of overconsumption and superficial sustainability claims. Additionally, the chapter critiques performative social justice efforts like wokewashing and highlights the exclusion of plus-size bodies in sustainable fashion, linking fatphobia to systemic racism and colonial beauty standards.