Imagine your child being forced to work in treacherous conditions for extensive amounts of time, earning little to no pay. Well, for the over 100 million children that work in so-called “fast fashion” factories, this is a reality.

Fast fashion relies on child labor to provide inexpensive clothes on a large scale and, despite this harsh reality, is one of the highest-grossing industries in the world today. Teens throughout Marin buy from stores like Shein, Edikted and Pacsun, which are often considered fast-fashion purveyors.

As a teen myself, I will admit, I have shopped there too. But, as buyers, we are able to make a large-scale change. We are part of the problem, but can become part of the solution.

The first step is to understand the problem. Fast fashion is the mass production of clothes that are created in astonishingly short periods of time and sold at low prices.

This industry began in the 1990s when high consumption rates became noticeable and has continued to thrive since. In order for the clothes to be priced unrealistically low, subcontractors cut spending on many steps of manufacturing, including low wages.

Most of the manufacturing occurs in China, Bangladesh, India and Indonesia, where the poverty rate is high and the regulations are lenient. Children in these places are in need of jobs, and the clothing industry needs cheap labor making it the “perfect” solution and therefore they are attractive locations for fast-fashion manufacturing.

According to Humanium, an organization that works against child labor, “As of 2021, 160 million children are still engaged in activities that deprive them of their right to education, proper care, nutrition, and overall, their right to be children.”

That means approximately 160 million kids are being deprived of a healthy, loving childhood. That is double the total number of kids in the United States today. Many of these children, some as young as 5 years old, work up to 16 hours a day, earning an average of $1.58 an hour in places with poor ventilation, dangerous machinery and harsh chemicals.

This leads to many health conditions.

In addition to the dangerous environment many do not have the time to go to school. They are missing out on critical educational and developmental opportunities.

This dangerous level of labor was shown in 2013, when a fashion factory in Bangladesh collapsed, leading to the deaths of 1,134 workers. Out of the 1,436 survivors, 202 people were under 18 working for brands like Primark, Matalan, Benetton and Mango, companies that are often named in fast-fashion discussions.

According to The Telegraph news website, a 13-year-old girl named Aanna Khatun was lucky to survive the tragedy. Her hand was trapped under a heavy machine in a dark tunnel of fragmented concrete when a machine operator at a neighboring garment factory saved her by amputating her hand. Due to her minimum pay, she is unable to purchase a bionic hand, leading her to be unable to complete many tasks.

“One year ago I had both hands, but now I have only one and I cannot work,” Khatun was quoted as saying. “I can simply hold a glass of water. Others can work, cook, wear dresses and play, but I can’t.”

She is one of the many kids whose life has been drastically changed because of the hazardous environment these factories have created.

Next, we need to find solutions. There are many ways we can contribute to making a positive change. For example, getting informed and starting to make more conscious and ethical choices when buying clothing. Be aware of where the companies are based and where most of the clothing is made. There are also many organizations you can follow and donate to, to help children, including Humanium. You can also use the internet to find websites like GoodOnYou.eco, which helps determine whether brands are ethical or not.

KK Swaps, a local organization that sells second-hand clothes, is a way to buy fashionable clothes at low prices without buying from fast-fashion factories and brands.

Child labor has tragically been around for centuries in countless different industries, but you can help the ongoing fight to end it. It is my hope that Marin teens will take these steps together so we can all make change one purchase at a time.

Esme Weinsheimer, of Sausalito, is a student at Tamalpais High School.