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Unethical behavior by enterprises poses a serious threat to individual rights, social equity and the global sustainable development goals. The fast fashion industry is a typical example of this. The excessive consumption and environmental pollution caused by this industry on a global scale, especially in the coastal areas of developing countries, have become prominent ecological and social issues.

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This section will apply two ethical theoretical frameworks to systematically analyze the pollution problems caused by the fast fashion industry on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, and focus on delving into the perspective of Utilitarianism.

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The ethics of responsibility emphasizes that the moral value of an act depends on whether moral obligations are followed rather than its consequences (Shaw et al., 2020). It requires regarding human beings as the purpose itself. The fast fashion industry tools the natural environment as a waste dump and makes remote communities bear the environmental consequences. This deprives local residents of their basic right to a clean environment and regards it as a tool for realizing profits. Therefore, it fundamentally violates the principle of responsibility ethics.

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Utilitarianism takes "the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people" as the moral standard (Shaw et al., 2020). The cheap clothing and commercial profits brought by fast fashion are far from offsetting the long-term environmental and social damage it causes, resulting in a negative net benefit. Therefore, it is morally unacceptable.

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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is a global initiative adopted in 2015, aiming to balance social, economic and environmental sustainability (United Nations, 2015).

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SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

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SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

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This objective aims to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. The core includes achieving efficient management of natural resources and significantly reducing waste through prevention, reduction and recycling (United Nations, 2015).

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SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

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Fashion waste pollution along the coast of Colombia directly conflicts with SDG 12. The linear business model of fast fashion and the accumulation of waste it generates fundamentally violate the core of this goal (Rangel-Buitrago & C, 2023). The data of an average of 0.93 pieces of waste per square meter on the beach materializes unsustainable consumption as an environmental crisis.

Its implementation faces challenges from commercial interests and consumption habits. A feasible approach is to establish multi-party collaboration, promote extended producer responsibility, investment cycle business models and enhance public awareness, which is crucial for the coordinated advancement of SDG 12.

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Rangel-Buitrago and C (2023) systematically document the ethical issue of fashion waste pollution on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Their survey of 27 beaches found that exposed, rural, and remote beaches accumulate significantly more waste than urban ones, highlighting an unfair transfer of environmental burdens to vulnerable areas.

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In conclusion, fast fashion pollution is wrong in terms of deontological Ethics, inefficient in terms of utilitarianism.

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Diverse Perspectives and Cutting-edge Research on Fast Fashion Pollution

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Diverse Perspectives and Cutting-edge Research on Fast Fashion Pollution

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A deep understanding of the pollution caused by fast fashion requires an examination from multiple cutting-edge perspectives, including pollution mechanisms, consumer behaviors, and systematic solutions.

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The ecological impact of microscopic pollutants

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The ecological impact of microscopic pollutants

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Note: The research of Das et al. (2024) indicates that synthetic microfibers are one of the most widely distributed and persistent pollutants in the environment, accounting for 85% of global coastal pollution. These fibers, mainly from textile manufacturing and household washing, will disrupt the population levels of aquatic organisms after being ingested.

Contact: This review highlights the more concealed and widespread aspects of the ethical issue of fast fashion pollution beyond macro waste. It provides micro-evidence for SDG 12's emphasis on "significantly reducing waste generation" and supports the assertion that pollution has profound ecological impacts.

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The psychological factors driving sustainable consumption

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The psychological factors driving sustainable consumption

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Note: The research of Nicolau et al. (2024) provides a new psychological perspective for understanding consumer behavior. They innovatively introduced the concept of "ecological shame". Stimulating consumers' inherent negative emotions towards non-environmentally friendly behaviors can enable them to make more responsible choices.

Connection: This document directly links consumers' sense of shame with ecological and environmental protection. It provides a theoretical basis for behavioral change to achieve the "sustainable lifestyle" advocated by SDG 12, responding to the need to enhance consumer awareness.

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Digital business models that empower the circular economy

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Digital business models that empower the circular economy

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Note: Huynh's (2021) research explored fundamental solutions from a systemic perspective. This study identified three circular business models empowered by digital technology, indicating that reconstructing business logic through digital innovation is the key to reducing resource consumption.

Contact: This study proposes a systematic solution to the ethical flaws of the linear model we analyzed. The digital circular business model it demonstrates is precisely the concrete path to practicing SDG 12 and achieving the "transformation of industries to a circular economy".

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This Padlet reveals the ethical issue of fashion waste pollution caused by the fast fashion industry on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The research of Rangel-Buitrago and C (2023) provides evidence, while deontological Ethics and utilitarianism demonstrate its moral corruption from a philosophical perspective. All these analyses point to its fundamental conflict with SDG 12.

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This ethical issue has a global impact: for local communities, the health of residents on Colombia's remote coast has been affected; for the world, fast fashion pollution has a profound ecological impact, and microplastic pollution directly hinders SDG12.

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Therefore, it is of great significance to promote the transformation of industries towards a circular economy. Only by enhancing producer responsibility and consumer awareness can economic development and ecological protection be coordinated, and a truly sustainable future in line with the vision of SDG 12 be moved towards.

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This distribution reflects a core ethical dilemma: the fast fashion industry profits from mass production while externalizing waste disposal costs into public ecosystems (Aponte et al., 2024). The pollution occurs through multiple pathways. Driftwood traps and retains waste, amplifying local accumulation (Rangel-Buitrago & C, 2023), while degrading synthetic fibers release microplastics and chemicals that enter the food chain, ultimately threatening human health (Aponte et al., 2024).

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This model, which trades environmental and community well-being for low-cost commercial profit, directly conflicts with UN SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production. The case clearly demonstrates how unsustainable consumption patterns create moral failures, disproportionately impacting remote communities lacking resources, and underscores the urgent need for a transition to a circular business model.

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This Padlet aims to systematically analyze the business ethics issue of fashion waste pollution caused by the fast fashion industry on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, establish meaningful connections with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), and integrate insights from relevant journal research and key ethical theories. The analysis will be based on three core elements: the empirical study "From the closet to the shore:" published by Rangel-Buitrago and C (2023) in Marine Pollution Bulletin Fashion waste pollution on Colombian Central Caribbean beaches; Relevant ethical theories; And its connection with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. By analyzing the impact of fast fashion waste on the coastal environment, this article aims to reveal the moral and ecological crises throughout the entire chain and provide a basis for promoting corporate responsibility and sustainable transformation.

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Aponte, N. O., Gómez, J. H., Argüelles, V. T., & Smith, E. D. (2024). Fast fashion consumption and its environmental impact: a literature review. Sustainability Science Practice and Policy, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2024.2381871

Das, A., Dey, S., & Das, A. P. (2024). Ecotoxicological impacts of synthetic microfiber pollutants and development of sustainable mitigation strategies. Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enceco.2024.12.003

Huynh, P. H. (2021). “Enabling circular business models in the fashion industry: the role of digital innovation.” International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 71(3), 870–895. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijppm-12-2020-0683

Nicolau, L. G. F., Christino, J. M. M., Cardozo, É. a. A., & Ferreira, F. L. (2024). The role of Eco-shame in shaping Behavioural Purchase Intentions toward sustainable fashion consumption. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/jfmm-01-2023-0005

Rangel-Buitrago, N., & C, A. G. (2023). From the closet to the shore: Fashion waste pollution on Colombian Central Caribbean beaches. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 199, 115976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115976

Shaw, W. H., Barry, V., Muntean, D., Issa, T., Rodrigs, M., & Catley, B. (2020). Moral issues in business.

United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda