Abstract
Background: The fast fashion industry has become a defining feature of modern consumer culture, yet it is one of the most environmentally harmful sectors worldwide, contributing to water pollution, textile waste, and greenhouse gas emissions. As one of the largest textile and garment producers in the Middle East and Africa, Egypt faces serious challenges in reconciling the industry’s economic importance with the urgent need for environmental protection and sustainable development. This article examines the environmental risks associated with fast fashion production and consumption in Egypt and evaluates whether the existing legal regime adequately addresses these challenges.
Method: The article adopts a doctrinal and comparative legal methodology. It analyses Egypt’s Environmental Law No. 4 of 1994 and Waste Management Law No. 202 of 2020, alongside relevant executive regulations, national strategies, and policy instruments. It addresses these laws within broader sustainability frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Strategy: Egypt Vision 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It draws comparative insights from the European Union, Poland, and Bangladesh. The analysis focuses on regulatory mechanisms such as extended producer responsibility (EPR), circular economy policies, and environmental transparency requirements.
Results and Conclusions: The analysis reveals that although Egypt has established a comprehensive environmental legal regime, significant gaps persist in enforcement, industrial compliance, corporate accountability, and consumer awareness. Existing laws do not sufficiently address the environmental impacts of the fast fashion industry, nor do they impose effective obligations on manufacturers regarding waste reduction or sustainable practices. The comparative analysis informs several reform proposals for Egypt’s environmental regulation of the fashion sector. This includes strengthening sector-specific environmental regulation for textile production, enhancing institutional enforcement capacity, introducing extended producer responsibility mechanisms, and expanding international cooperation in sustainable textile production. These measures could significantly reduce the environmental footprint of Egypt’s fashion industry while improving compliance with international environmental sustainability standards.