Planet
‘Planet’ refers to one of the four pillars that is discussed within the fashion business; it focuses on the environmental impact that fashion has on the earth and people.
Sustainability is a topic that is often brought up when talking about ‘planet.’ Sustainability refers to “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (The United Nations Brundtland Commission, 1987) which includes both social and economic resources. One way that businesses are becoming more sustainable is by changing from the traditional linear economy that focuses on producing goods that consumers use until they throw the item away, to a circular economy that focuses on reducing waste and pollution with methods such as reselling, reusing material and developing recycled fibres and materials; this can be seen in figure 1, where the goods produced will be used and recycled to be made into a different good, whilst raw materials and waste will eventually be able to phase out of the economy.
(Fig 1 – A circular fashion economy (Common Objective, 2019)
The lifecycle of a piece of clothing usually goes through 5 phases: the design process, the production process, the distribution process, when the consumer can use the clothing and the end of the clothes life. However, what is overlooked is how the consumer is using, washing and discarding clothes as the ‘microfibres that are released during washing range from 124 to 308 mg for kg of washed fabric corresponds to several microfibres ranging from 640,000 to 1,500,000.’ (De Falco, Di Pace, Cocca and Avella, 2019) and therefore it is important for the designers to understand how the clothing will be used by the consumers so they can improve the clothes lifecycle.
Fig.2 – (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, 2015)
In 2015, the United Nations set up 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that they are hoping to be achieved by 2030. An example of one SDG is decent work and economic growth. This goal aims to achieve full employment of men, women, younger people and those with disabilities where they get equal pay in good working conditions; it also aims for economic growth through methods such as innovation, diversification and technological upgrading. The fashion industry can have an impact on this goal as they can create jobs in underdeveloped countries by setting up factories in those countries, whilst also paying their workers with a fair wage in good working conditions.