Author: Cassia Johnson, PhD Candidate, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter

A “fast” approach to business — characterized by overconsumption across supply chains — has become almost ubiqutous in recent years. Fast fashion is one of the most polluting industries globally, often relying on synthetic fibres that have an ultimate origin in fossil fuels. At the same time, the links between corporate fast-food entities and poor health and deteriorating environmental conditions is well established. Likewise, fast technology brands design for obsolescence to boost sales, requiring that more and more mineral wealth is extracted from the ground. Almost all of these activities require mining in some form along the supply chain. Mining…