"Fast Fashion vs. Sustainability: Navigating Norway’s Consumer Culture and the Path to Greener Fashion"

Sriya Ramesh
Mar 12
2 min read

The fashion industry’s pursuit of fast fashion has inclined a culture of overconsumption especially among teenagers worldwide. Norway is no different. The minimum pay scheme in Norway allows teenagers to earn around 19 USD per hour, and due to the high living standards and fashion consciousness, they relentlessly buy clothing according to the current trends and styles. In a 2022 survey regarding the consumerism of clothes and shoes, it was found that the Norwegians bought over 50% higher number of clothes and shoes than the EU average (Jakobsen, 2023).

Norway doesn't have many textile manufacturing industries therefore there is a higher import of readymade clothes. These imported clothes are not always sourced sustainably or have ethical production practices back at their manufacturing industries abroad. When these imported clothing are not sold, they end up in incinerators along with the massive amounts of textile waste generated from students and homes. The cost of incinerating is much less compared to recycling them, this results in the influx of carbon rate causing global warming and degradation of air quality. (Used but not used up - what do we

know about textile waste?)

Norwegian wool: natural, renewable and innovative. (2025, January 30). Business Norway. — *Norwegian wool: natural, renewable and innovative*. (2025, January 30). Business Norway.

Although Norway has a high consumption rate, it has a growing sustainable fashion movement and is working its way for a greener fashion industry. Recently Norwegian clothing retailer brand Carlings had just launched its first digital collection with zero environmental impact (Fashion and textile design). A few other companies that promote sustainable fashion and ethical production practices are Fretex, Norwegian rain and Sustain Daily (Shokra Paris, 2023). These companies use natural materials such as organic cotton, old clothes and recycled plastic to make sure their clothes are reused, recycled and repurposed by the end of its journey (Shokra Paris, 2023). Other than that Norway has secondhand markets, and thrift shops (loppemarkeder), where people buy branded reused clothes and shoes. In addition to this, there are several donation boxes placed by red cross and Fretex all over Norway, encouraging people to circulate the clothes instead of incinerating them. This prompts us to think, whether the rate of consumerism and recycling are on par? if there is a significant difference between them, what factors contribute to this difference?

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