Planet
The Fashion industry is one of the leading polluters with about 8-10% of global carbon emissions being produced by the fashion industry alone (Ro, 2020). The production of clothes as well as the manufacturing of fabrics requires more energy than both the aviation and shipping industries combined with the EU causing the third-highest pressure on water and land use and the fifth-highest in raw material use (Ro, 2020 & EEA, 2023). And about 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases are being released into the atmosphere (Beall, 2020). The significance of those facts is a good indicator of how impactful the fashion industry is on the planet. With new trends on TikTok Tok people in the UK alone have spent on average 56 million tonnes of clothes, and over 60 percent of people buying more clothes than 15 years ago (Beall, 2020). The fashion epidemic has caused many governments and organizations namely the United Nations to create and commit to sustainability development goals, one of which is “Responsible consumption and production”. This alongside another SDG, “Industry, innovation, and Infrastructure”, is crucial for the plant in regard to fashion. Changing consumer behavior to be more responsible with the way products are consumed, especially those made of harmful materials, is important to creating a sustainable industry. This is alongside Industries innovating production methods and revolutionizing new technologies that can benefit the planet. A circular economy is the most optimal because, with the growth of cotton requiring 22’500 liters to produce 1 kilogram of cotton, better methods including recycling old fabrics and clothes for new products like clothes or mattress stuffing can help in the fight against climate change as well as create a self-sustaining industry (Leahy, 2015). But while the circular economy in fashion is a leap forward, the energy and water required to wash, shred and respinning are significant, but recycling and reusing fundamentally is a better solution. An example of innovation is Patagonia. The family of Chouinard sold all their shares to a designated trust and a non-profit organization (Gelles, 2022). Patagonia has set up as many systems to regulate its sourcing and manufacturing to make sure it is as responsible as it can be. This has included sourcing organically grown cotton or wool, supply chain environmental responsibility programs, and bio-based polyester (Patagonia, 2023). The key to creating an eco-friendly fashion industry is ensuring longevity and responsibility not only from the producers but also the consumers, and as the planet passes the tipping point change is required with decisive action.
Beall, A. (2022) Why clothes are so hard to recycle, BBC Future. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200710-why-clothes-are-so-hard-to-recycle (Accessed: 09 October 2023).
EEA (2023) What are the environmental impacts of the textile industry?, European Environment Agency’s home page. Available at: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/about/contact-us/faqs/what-are-the-environmental-impacts-of-textiles#:~:text=Clothes%2C%20footwear%20and%20household%20textiles,materials%20and%20greenhouse%20gas%20emissions (Accessed: 09 October 2023).
Gelles, D. (2022) ‘Billionaire No More: Patagonia Founder Gives Away the Company’, The New York Times, 14 September. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/climate/patagonia-climate-philanthropy-chouinard.html#:~:text=Rather%20than%20selling%20the%20company,trust%20and%20a%20nonprofit%20organization (Accessed: 09 October 2023).
Leahy, S. (2015) ‘World Water Day: the cost of cotton in water-challenged India’, The Guardian, 20 March. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/mar/20/cost-cotton-water-challenged-india-world-water-day (Accessed: 09 October 2023).
Patagonia (2023) Environmental responsibility, Patagonia. Available at: https://www.patagonia.com/environmental-responsibility-materials/ (Accessed: 09 October 2023).
Ro, C. (2022) Can fashion ever be sustainable?, BBC Future. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200310-sustainable-fashion-how-to-buy-clothes-good-for-the-climate (Accessed: 09 October 2023).