Planet
Amidst the glitz and glamour of the fashion industry, planet, one of the three pillars of sustainability, has made its long overdue ascend into the spotlight.
Clothing has evolved since preindustrial times, when specialized techniques and scarce fabrics made the process artisanal. With industrialization came the mass production of clothing, the rise of synthetic dyes, and manufactured fabrics. In the post-modern world, where lower-priced products designed for shorter lifecycles (Saha & LeHew, 2018) are having destructive consequences on the planet, the concept of a circular economy emerges as a promising path for a more sustainable future in fashion.
The circular economy, sartorially, refers to keeping resources in use for as long as possible. Resources include materials, textiles, labor, machinery, and the garments themselves. There are 3 main parts to a circular economy as written by Alison Gwilt in “A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion”; designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. To sustain the perpetuation of a circular economy within the fashion industry, not only is an understanding of the “product lifecycle” (Heim & Hopper, 2022) required, but it is also vital to accept the challenges this industry brings.
The fashion industry is far more damaging than many realize. According to the UNEP, the fashion industry was responsible for 8-10% of humanity’s carbon emissions in 2018, which is more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined, and in 2019, consumed more energy than the aviation and shipping industry combined (Rimarcikova, 2023). The ramifications of garment production are not just a matter of simple environmental concern, but instead, hold significance to broader sustainability objectives.
For example, a Sustainable Development Goal that holds clear relevance to fashion and the planet is Goal 12; responsible consumption and production. Tying together not only a company’s supply chain but the consumers as well, Goal 12 successfully puts into perspective all perpetrators of the cycle, where overproduction has become an inevitability. 120 billion garments are produced annually, producing 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 from textile production (Rimarcikova, 2023). Overconsumption is equally destructive, with approximately 300,000 tonnes of clothing thrown away each year, despite 95% of discarded garments being able to be recycled or upcycled (Lench, 2020). Surprisingly, to support Goal 12, countermeasures prove to be quite straightforward. In 2017, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation reported that “if the number of times a garment is worn was doubled, the greenhouse gas emissions over its lifetime would be 44% lower”. Other suggestions include functional designs, such as trans-seasonal or modular garments that could increase the wear of each clothing and bring sustainability in consumption. (Saha & LeHew, 2018).
Citations:
Gwilt, A. (2020) Practical guide to sustainable fashion. London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts.
Heim, H. and Hopper, C. (2022) ‘Dress code: The Digital Transformation of the circular fashion supply chain’, International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 15(2), pp. 233–244. doi:10.1080/17543266.2021.2013956.
Hethorn, J. and Ulasewicz, C. (2015) Sustainable fashion: What’s next?: A conversation about issues, practices and possibilities. New York i pozostałe: Bloomsbury, Fairchild Books, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Inc.
Lench, A. (2020) Intro to Fashion Sustainability & the Sustainable Development Goals. Available at: https://ual.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=effd1f14- 22ac-4415-8b35-ac5800fa26d9 (Accessed: 30 September 2023).
Rimarcikova, K. (2023) Planet Earth & Fashion. (Accessed: 02 October 2023).
Saha, K. and LeHew20, M.L.A. (2018) Durable fashion apparel: A potential sustainability solution? Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328517777_Durable_Fashion_Apparel_A_Potential_Sustainability_Solution (Accessed: 05 October 2023).