The Planet Pillar
Within the parameters of the fashion industry, the planet pillar refers to the environmental sustainability of the production, consumption and waste practices used within the fashion value chain. Holding ‘Planet’ as a core value within the fashion industry means taking care of the environment, resources and ecosystems whilst continuing to meet the needs of the industry. For fashion, the planet pillar means providing an understanding of the impacts the industry may have, and playing a proactive role in mitigating impacts through shifting towards a circular economy and prioritising sustainable practices.
The concept of a circular economy is a proposed alternative to the current linear model, with circularity being described “as a system where all materials are infinitely recyclable or biodegradable” (Gwilt, 2014, p.10). It aims to reduce the loss of material from the fashion system and increase the lifecycle of products. The last decade has seen an increased interest in fashion practices that support this circular economy, in particular, the approach of adaptability which seeks to increase the use of a garment through modification to slow consumption and production patterns. Fletcher and Grose (2012) proposes the use of repair services as an attempt to adapt clothing and “return garments back to good condition”(p.100) thus allowing garments to begin a new lifecycle and prevent addition to the amassing amount of fashion waste.
Circularity is of interest to the fashion industry as it is a mechanism that sustains fashion resources for future generations. A definition for ‘sustainability’ was first widely attempted by the United Nations Brundtland Commission (1987), which described sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. This is reflected in Condé Nasts’ definition of sustainable fashion which depicts sustainability as a state that can be achieved by changing the methods of thinking, designing, producing and wearing clothes to honour the needs of the future and the present (Condenast, 2020).
In regards to achieving a sustainable planet, the United Nations developed the seventeen sustainable development goals which cover a range of economic, social and environmental sustainability targets. In the case of the fashion industry, the United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion was developed “to lead the fashion industry to become a driver for the implementation of the SDGs” (Gwilt, 2014, p.13). One Sustainable Development Goal that is significant to the function of the fashion industry is Goal 14 ‘Life Below Water’. During machine washing, synthetic fabrics produce microfibers discharged via wastewater into natural water sources, these are then “ingested by fish and molluscs” (Thomas, 2019, p.8) resulting in harm to aquatic life. Therefore for this SDG to be achieved changes need to be made within the processing practices and use of garments by both the producers and consumers. This highlights the impact that changes made to meet the Sustainable Development Goals may have on the fashion industry.
References:
Brundtland, G. (1987) Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. New York: Oxford University Press.
Condé Nast (2020) The Sustainable Fashion Glossary. Available at: https://www.condenast.com/glossary/key-elements-of-fashion-and-sustainability (Accessed: 8 October 2022).
Fletcher, K. & Grose, L. (2012) Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change. London: Laurence King Publishing
Gwilt, A. (2020) A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion. London: Fairchild Books.
Thomas, D. (2019) Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes. New York: Penguin Press.