Planet
Planet, as one of the four pillars of sustainability, is connected subconsciously with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) raised by the United Nations. The goals are advocated to enhance health and education, lessen inequality, and promote economic growth while combating climate change and striving to protect our forests and oceans. (United Nations). To put sustainability into account, the circular economy is now an alternative to the conventional linear economy, which is a regenerative system and minimizes resource input, waste, emissions, and energy leakage by delaying, sealing, and constricting material and energy loops. (Science Direct, 2017)
Being the second largest polluter in the world (Greenmatch,2021), the economic activities of the fashion industry are creating noticeable impacts on the well-being of ecosystems and communities across the world. (Conde Nast Glossary) The fashion business generates 10% of world carbon dioxide emissions every year (The Guardian, 2020); and there is 20% of global water waste and 20-35% of ocean microplastics come from the fashion industry. (Vogue, 2020) The supply chain of the fashion industry is notoriously complicated, and it includes activities that perpetuate child labour, modern slavery, poverty, compromise animal welfare, and are related to human well-being. (Conde Nast Glossary) This phenomenon has urged global citizens to think of the role of sustainability within the fashion industry, that it has become a crucial tool for being present in the fashion industry and consumer society to minimize the negative impact generated by the fashion industry and encourage sustainable development for long term goals to help protect the environment and ensure future generations have access to natural resources. (Bandera, 2022)
The 6th SDG – “clean water and sanitation” has strong relevance and an impact on the fashion industry. The production process of fashion garments requires a huge amount of water and chemicals that will contribute to water pollution. For example, many denim manufacturers use synthetic dyes commonly referred to as mordants that are not biodegradable, so they remain in the water supply long after their use in making jeans has ended. These include Picric acid, Ecosin Y and Basic fuchsin. This issue has led some companies to switch from synthetic dyes to natural ones that break down more easily in nature hence meeting the ultimate goal of not using harmful chemicals (Omotoso, 2018). For example, some companies now use vegetable dye instead of petroleum-based dyes to produce denim products. This indicates that the SDG has successfully encouraged manufacturers to minimize the negative impacts on the environment from industrial processes involved in production.
References
Bandera, G., 2022. How the fashion industry pollutes our water | FairPlanet. [online] FairPlanet. Available at: <https://www.fairplanet.org/story/how-the-fashion-industry-pollutes-our-water/> [Accessed 9 October 2022].
Condenast.com. n.d. Condé Nast – Glossary. [online] Available at: <https://www.condenast.com/glossary/social-cultural-and-economic-impacts-of-fashion> [Accessed 8 October 2022].
Geissdoerfer, M., Savaget, P., M.P. Bocken, N. and Jan Hultink, E., 2016. The Circular Economy – A new sustainability paradigm?. [online] Science Direct. Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652616321023> [Accessed 8 October 2022].
Greenmatch.co.uk. 2016. Fast Fashion: The Second Largest Polluter. [online] Available at: <https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2016/08/fast-fashion-the-second-largest-polluter-in-the-world> [Accessed 8 October 2022].
Omotoso, M., 2018. How Denim Manufacturing Impacts the Environment. [online] Fashion Insiders. Available at: <https://fashioninsiders.co/features/opinion/how-denim-manufacturing-impacts-the-environment/> [Accessed 9 October 2022].
Sdgs.un.org. n.d. THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development. [online] Available at: <https://sdgs.un.org/goals> [Accessed 8 October 2022].
Silvestri, R., 2021. Fast Fashion is Still a Big Threat to Our Environment — Here’s What Needs to Change. [online] Vogue Arabia. Available at: <https://en.vogue.me/fashion/fast-fashion-2021-statistics/> [Accessed 9 October 2022].
the Guardian. 2020. Fast fashion speeding toward environmental disaster, report warns. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/apr/07/fast-fashion-speeding-toward-environmental-disaster-report-warns> [Accessed 9 October 2022].