Planet Blog
Sustainability has drastically become one of the supreme areas within the fashion industry where it is defined by the four pillars which include: Planet, People, Profit and Purpose. The public is becoming further aware of the environmental complications that are caused thus, provoking the fashion industry to cut down carbon emissions by at least 50%. The aim of this blog is to reveal exactly how the making of clothing is harming our planet.
To begin, what is circular economy?
It is a system of production and consumption which involves products to be recycled, reused, shared or refurbished. In doing this, the life cycle of a product is extended and results in reducing waste to a minimum. Within the fashion industry, 95% of clothing is recyclable and/or upcycled however, only 1% of those numbers actually is (LCF Lecture, 2/10/23). Currently, there are 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 textiles production annually (Ellen MacArthur Foundation) which is already extremely adverse to the planet. But it doesn’t stop there, those garments/textiles are being thrown away to landfills and rising CO2 emissions even further. Because of this, the soil is unable to adapt, and farmers are forced to use toxic chemicals in order to grow their props.
Looking further into why sustainability is so widely related to fashion, the fashion industry was responsible for 1,715 million of tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2015. Furthermore, it is claimed to be one of the most wasteful on the planet with responsibility of polluting our surroundings. “The Pulse report forecasts fashion emissions to grow by 63% by 2030” (Eionet Report, 2019). The textiles used to make garments are causing a lot of environmental issues such as deforestation, animals’ welfare and loss of biodiversity. For example, cotton – which is one of the most common textiles used – is not only water intensive but also extremely chemical heavy.
So, what are ways that can help to reduce the problems that the fashion industry is causing?The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals are a universal call to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace & prosperity. Overall, there are seventeen sustainable goals and one of which is: responsible production and consumption, that ensures it is settled in a sustainable way to comfort the livelihood of current and future generations. Our future and survival are dependent on us humans and especially businesses. This is why the circular economy could be one of the best possible ways to tackle this current environmental degradation.