circular economy – Year 1-2023 Intro To Buying and Merchandising

PLANET circular economy, ethical, planet, sustainability

The Four Pillars : Planet

Scarlett Cook ⋅ 7th October 2023

The four pillars of sustainability are people, profit, purpose and planet. As fashion brands operate, these pillars ensure that ethical and environmental practices are considered, while profit is still taken into consideration. This blog will shed light on environmental and planet issues within the fashion industry.

As mentioned in the dictionary of fashion, the circular economy is a sustainable approach to help prevent unnecessary waste. The goal of this economic system is to eliminate production waste from finite resources by recycling and reusing textiles instead of disposal. (Keiser, S. 2022).

Many people have some idea of what sustainability means in relation to fashion. Ideas that often come to mind when thinking of this term are overproduction, textile waste, toxic chemical use in clothing and third-world labour in poor conditions. Despite what consumers think they know; the topic of sustainability is also much broader than people may realize. The four pillars summarise the main important aspects of sustainability. (Mitterfellner, O. 2023)

Fashion is one of the most socially exploitative and resource-polluting industries in the world. Many people are still unaware of the damage this industry causes to our environment, as many fashion companies have mastered the art of covering the dark secrets behind their clothing. Statistics around clothing waste are generally shocking: although clothing production has doubled over the past 15 years, people are wearing fewer clothes, either keeping them with tags still on or throwing them away without thinking about the consequences. These actions result in over 75% of the 53 million tonnes of textiles produced worldwide each year being discarded during the production process and after consumer use.

Considering a more positive viewpoint, in the 12th STG it was mentioned that more companies are reporting on their efforts to improve sustainability. Trends towards sustainability reporting have increased, with around 70 percent of monitored companies publishing sustainability reports in 2021 which is triple the percentage from 2016. Companies are becoming increasingly inclined to reveal their policies concerning water and energy, CO2 emissions, occupational health and safety, as well as board diversity. This shift towards better sustainability reporting represents a positive advancement, signalling an expanding recognition of the importance of prioritizing sustainable practices across various industries.