Planet
The fashion industry is one of largest in the world and nearly 100 billion items of clothing are getting produced each year. Fashion affects day to day life. Garments are seen as one of the biggest ways to express yourself in today’s world. Us as a planet have become more educated and have a better understanding of how important it is that we take care of the environment.
Some countries use the 17 goals as a basic guideline to help end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity. Nike, a sportswear brand, makes a conscious effort to really stand by 5 of the 17. They focus on good health, equality,economic growth, responsible consumption, and climate action. Nike is promising a zero carbon waste by 2025. An example brand that doesn’t follow the 17 goals is Primark, they produce almost 6 million tonnes of emissions a year, they have stated that they will be halving this figure by 2030. Companies who have no care are responsible for 8-10% of carbon emissions.
Another system that companies use to help the environment is Triple Bottom Line (TBL). “People.Planet.Profit.”
Profit is a term we frequently hear and refers to the reporting of profit and loss.
In the past, businesses have only considered how to maximise profits while making decisions.
People is another word for social. When a person uses the term “social,” they are referring to a company’s social responsibility, societal influence, and commitment to its employees.
Planet is referred to as the environment. This is to speak to a company’s environmental responsibility. Businesses have historically had a significant detrimental impact on our world, contributing to pollution, the release of tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the demise of wildlife habitats.
A large economic problem that carries over to brands is the divide between rich and poor. Statistically poorer people will buy cheap clothes, helping fuel fast fashion businesses. People with more money will buy more expensive designer pieces to either show off wealth or because they like the look of the garment. The people who are earning less buying cheaper products are buying products which are poorly made and often will not be cherished. Products like this are ones that end up in places like the Atacama desert. Where 59,000 tons of clothes that can’t be sold in Europe are sat. The way we counter this problem is by buying second hand recycled clothing, but recycled clothing is expensive and not as accessible as fast fashion, this is solely down to there not being enough businesss promoting second hand clothing. There are some like depop, vinted and eBay but there needs to be more.
