The fashion industry is the world’s second-largest environmental polluter. The industry accounts for an estimated 10% of global pollution, higher than air travel. When including all factors of the fashion industry, the number of carbon emissions released comes to a staggering 1.2 billion tonnes every year. Furthermore, it is known that the fashion industry alone is responsible for an approximated 20% of global wastewater. (BBC,2020)
A circular economy is an economic system that is based on reusing and regenerating materials, mainly put in place as a means of continuing production in a sustainable way. Within fashion, the system is described as the process of when the same piece of clothing is multi-purposed, maximizing the value of each piece to its potential. Once clothes reach the end of their lifespan, projected to be 2-10 years the clothing would then finally be repurposed. Facilities would use the recycled clothes in order to be utilized in different products such as pillows or blankets. However, while a circular economy may be a better option than producing new clothes, it has its own flaws. Energy consumption and Wastewater production. Both needed in order to re-washing and un-spinning clothing. (TheGuardian, 2019)
There are 2 SDGs which have a great relevance and impact on the fashion industry: SDG 9, based on Industry, Innovation and infrastructure; SDG 12, responsible consumption and production. SDG 9, the main SDG surrounding fashion as the issues of fashion are deep-seated in its industry and the system itself. The industry was systematically designed to be an industrial machine to produce more for less by sacrificing the lives of many people and the health of our surrounding planet. The goal is to create a path that shows the industry the possibility to untangle its inequality and improve the lack of sustainable infrastructure. SDG 12 conveys that high-income countries leave larger CO2 footprints than low. The material footprint of clothing is 10 times that of a low-income country. It is vital to mention that the average water footprint for 1 kg of cotton, or a pair of jeans and a shirt consumes between 10,000-20,000 liters. While Pakistan and Uzbekistan are suffering from water scarcity, they supply the fashion industry with cotton. (ThreadingChange, 2022)
Threading Change (2022a) SDG 9: Building Resilient Infrastructure, Inclusivity, Sustainable Industrialization and Innovation, Threading Change.
The Five: Ways that fashion threatens the planet (2019) The Guardian.
Goal 12 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2023) United Nations.Fashion and the circular economy (no date) How to Build a Circular Economy.