Planet

Our planet is largely affected by the fashion industry and is an important pillar of sustainability. Fashion would be non-existent without the environment as it sources all the materials needed for production. Although the fashion production needs the environment to strive, the industry destroys the planet more and more every day.

Circular economy is a model that was created with the intentions to reduce the waste accumulated during the production of materials/clothing etc. This model has been heavily promoted by The Ellen MacArthur foundation and identifies three key principles for circular economy:

1. To eliminate waste and pollution.

2. To circulate products and materials

3. To regenerate nature.

The CE model encourages people to utilise and renew their products instead of discarding them. Upcycling is a clear example of circular economy. You take an old product and transform it into something new rather than purchasing more and increasing unnecessary consumption. 

The future of the fashion industry must be sustainable as it has contributed to a large amount of environmental damage and is a key contributor to the world’s pollution and climate change. Fashion accounts for an estimated 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (Quantis 2018) and factors such as fibre production accelerates the destruction of the planet. Sustainability within fashion will increase the chances of transforming the planet. It will enable the reduction of waste and can extend the life cycle of existing products. Creating a sustainable future is hard, especially with the rise of fast fashion. Fast fashion is damaging as it has a negative effect on the world’s agriculture, especially in low-income countries. However, taking steps such as making use of existing fibres instead of farming more, could possibly begin to minimise the environmental harm caused due to the production and consumption of fashion.

Brands and organisations that focus on sustainability and the circular economy, often incorporate the United Nations’ 17 SDGs into their research. SDGs are sustainable development goals that should create a sustainable future by 2030. These goals help brands make conscious efforts to be sustainable within their business/productions.

SDG #12: responsible consumption and production, is relevant in turning around the substantial amount of waste gathered on the planet. Brands must recognise that it is important for them to source materials responsibly, ensuring that they limit waste and carbon emissions when producing their products. If consumers also become more intentional with their purchases, the overconsumption of useless products will reduce as well. 

references:

https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview

Gwilt, A. (2020). A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion. London: Fairchild Books. (e-book) (page 10-11)

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

https://quantis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/measuringfashion_globalimpactstudy_quantis_2018.pdf (page 2)