Assessing the global environmental impacts of fast fashion through a bibliometric and systematic review from 2007 to 2025

Fast fashion has become a major contributor to global environmental degradation, yet evidence remains fragmented across diverse research themes and methodologies. This bibliometric and systematic review analysed 117 Scopus-indexed publications from 2007 to 2025 to evaluate research development, environmental impacts, mitigation strategies, reliability, and evidence gaps. Publication output increased markedly, reaching 32 articles in 2024. An exponential Poisson model fitted to complete years from 2007 to 2024 indicated an estimated annual increase of 42.6% (p < 0.001); the incomplete 2025 count was excluded from model estimation. Only 17 studies (14.5%) reported eligible numerical environmental outcomes. Methodological appraisal classified 56 studies (47.9%) as high reliability, 57 (48.7%) as moderate reliability, and four (3.4%) as low reliability. Life-cycle assessment was the principal quantitative framework, but variation in functional units, system boundaries, allocation procedures, and data sources restricted comparison. Fibre production, wet processing, and garment manufacturing emerged as major upstream pressure points, while accelerated consumption and short garment lifetimes intensified waste. Circular strategies offered potential benefits, but outcomes depended on displacement of new purchases, energy sources, logistics, and recovery efficiency. A Sankey analysis identified 48 confirmed pathways across 30 studies; recycling, material recovery, reuse, and second-hand systems dominated the interventions, and SDG 12 dominated primary SDG alignment. Overall, effective mitigation requires integrated action across cleaner production, longer garment use, circular infrastructure, supply-chain accountability, demand reduction, and evidence-based regulation. Future research should prioritise harmonised assessment methods, independently verified data, consistent Scope 3 accounting, and industrial-scale evaluation of interventions.