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Utilitarianism evaluates actions based on their consequences, seeking the greatest good. A utilitarian analysis of fast fashion reveals that its short-term benefits are vastly outweighed by the long-term harms of pollution and resource scarcity imposed globally. Halibas et al. (2025) identify the "attitude-behavior gap" (p. 5), where consumer knowledge fails to alter behavior, suggesting the system fails to maximize overall happiness.

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Started in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations form a worldwide agenda aimed at eradicating poverty, safeguarding the planet, and fostering peaceful and prosperous societies globally. Within this framework, SDG 12 focuses on responsible consumption and production (United Nations, 2023).

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In conclusion, the fast fashion industry's linear model, while economically profitable, is ethically untenable and directly obstructs SDG 12. Achieving a sustainable future necessitates a collective shift to a circular economy. This requires producers to adopt ethical practices, consumers to make informed choices, and governments to enforce supportive policies, ensuring the industry aligns with long-term environmental and social justice.

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Kantian ethics emphasizes duty and treating humanity as an end in itself. The fast fashion industry’s principle of action—“encourage excessive consumption to maximize profit”—could not be universalized and treats workers and consumers as mere means to an end. This violates the core Kantian principle of respect for persons. Halibas et al. (2025) note the importance of "authenticity" and "transparency" for Gen Z (p. 20), which aligns with Kant's demand for good will and honest dealings.

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Fast fashion provides trendy, affordable clothing but creates serious ethical problems, including pollution and waste due to its low-quality, seasonal nature.

This paper delves into this pressing business ethics issue by leveraging the insights from "Unveiling the future of responsible, sustainable, and ethical consumption" by Halibas et al. (2025) and analyzes how fast fashion hinders the accomplishment of SDG12. Additionally, the paper is going to combine with a basic ethics framework aiming to critically examine the disadvantages to the earth caused by fast fashion. Understanding these connections is crucial, as it not only highlights the consequences of unsustainable business models but also underscores the growing influence of ethically-conscious young consumers, mentioned in Halibas et al.'s journal, in driving corporate change towards a more sustainable future.

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The study by Halibas et al. (2025), which analyzed numbers of publications, provides a macroscopic view of the evolving research landscape surrounding Generation Z and young consumers' engagement with responsible, sustainable, and ethical consumption.

A key finding relevant to the fast fashion issue is the identified tension between Gen Z's expressed ethical values and materialistic tendencies, a conflict that often results in an intention-behavior gap (Halibas et al., 2025, p. 5). This directly explains the paradox wherein consumers criticize fast fashion's environmental impact yet continue to purchase from these brands.

Furthermore, the study highlights the academic response to the unsustainability of the linear "take-make-dispose" model epitomized by fast fashion. The research also underscores the critical influence of Corporate Social Responsibility and authentic green marketing on Gen Z's purchasing decisions (Halibas et al., 2025, pp. 12, 20). Besides, the consumer and corporate behaviour inherently connects to SDG 12.

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The fast fashion industry presents a direct and significant challenge to the achievement of SDG 12

Target 12.2: Sustainable Management and Use of Natural Resources: The industry's reliance on resource-intensive materials, coupled with high water consumption and chemical use in dyeing, is fundamentally unsustainable.

Target 12.5: Substantial Reduction of Waste Generation: The fast fashion cycle, characterized by rapid trend turnover and low garment quality, generates an enormous volume of textile waste that ends up in landfills or is incinerated.

Target 12.6: Encourage Companies to Adopt Sustainable Practices: There is a widespread lack of transparency in supply chains and the prevalence of greenwashing.

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A New Textiles Economy Redesigning fashions future

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Further Reading1

A New Textiles Economy: Designing fashion's future

published in 2017, An authoritative report

Abstract:

This report comprehensively depicts for the first time the roadmap for the fashion industry's transformation towards a circular economy. It systematically analyzes the drawbacks of the linear model and proposes specific solutions, such as designing recyclable clothing and developing rental and resale models.

Association with the topic:

Association with SDG 12 and the solution: It directly provides a "circular economy" framework to address fast fashion pollution and waste, offering a blueprint for the "systemic transformation" in the conclusion.

Associated theory: It demonstrates how enterprises can go beyond traditional CSR and achieve fundamental ethical and business model transformation.

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Fast fashion: Les dessous de la mode à bas prix

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Further reading 2

Fast fashion: Les dessous de la mode à bas prix

Published in 2021, The French documentary "Fast Fashion Les dessous de la mode à bas prix watch online"

Abstract:

It reveals the unfair treatment of labor and irresponsible behavior towards the environment and other bad practices behind the fast fashion brands such as Zara in order to achieve rapid innovation and low production costs.

Associated theory:

It aligns with the ethics of care. It concretely presents the real dilemmas of workers and communities affected by the fast fashion industry, thus stimulating empathy.

Associated SDG:

It also shows that the development of the fast fashion industry goes against the goals of SDG12.

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丑陋快时尚Fast Fashion（2021)共计2条视频，包括：丑陋快时尚、你该衣柜断舍离吗？等，UP主更多精彩视频，请关注UP账号。

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The sustainable fashion communication playbook

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Further Reading 3

The sustainable fashion communication playbook

Published in 2023, United Nation environment programme

Abstract:

This Playbook provides a framework for aligning fashion communication with global sustainability targets. It guides communicators to counter greenwashing, reduce overconsumption messages, promote sustainable lifestyles, and empower consumers, supporting the 1.5°C climate goal and the SDGs.

Associated SDG:

The Playbook directly supports SDG 12 by urging fashion communicators to promote circular models, reduce waste, and encourage mindful consumption, aligning industry practices with global sustainability targets.

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Bovon, G. (Director), & Perrin, É. (Director). (2021). Fast fashion: Les dessous de la mode à bas prix [Documentary]. France Télévisions. https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV13N411z7Ng/

Bray, J., Johns, N., & Kilburn, D. (2011). An exploratory study into the factors impeding ethical consumption. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(4), 597–608. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0640-9

Carroll, A. B. (1991). The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders. Business Horizons, 34(4), 39–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/0007-6813(91)90005-G

Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2017). A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/A-New-Textiles-Economy_Full-Report.pdf

Halibas, A., Akram, U., Hoang, A.-P., & Hoang, M. D. T. (2025). Unveiling the future of responsible, sustainable, and ethical consumption: A bibliometric study on Gen Z and young consumers. Young Consumers, 26(7), 142–171. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-11-2024-2327

Nyilasy, G., Gangadharbatla, H., & Paladino, A. (2014). Perceived greenwashing: The interactive effects of green advertising and corporate environmental performance on consumer reactions. Journal of Business Ethics, 125(4), 693–707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1944-3

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-consumption-production/

United Nations. (2015, September 25). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda

United Nations Environment Programme. (2023, June 19). The sustainable fashion communication playbook. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/sustainable-fashion-communication-playbook

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The "intention-behaviour gap" mentioned in Halibas et al.'s article from the perspective of consumer psychology illustrates that real factors like price and convenience often override abstract ethical values (Bray et al. 2011), which shows the Gen Z phenomenon of knowing but not acting. On the corporate side, the research by Nyilasy et al. (2014) emphasizes that vague and lack-of-transparency green marketing not only fails to effectively guide consumption but also exacerbates consumers' distrust - this directly points to the lack and insincerity of fast fashion brands in sustainable practices, which is a key part of this ethical dilemma.