Planet
Sustainability is defined as “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (Brundtland Report, 1987). ‘Planet’ is one of the four pillars of sustainability that is majorly impacted by the fashion industry. According to the UN Environment Programme, the fashion industry accounts for 2 to 8 per cent of global carbon emissions (2021); however, it shows no signs of slowing down as the industry’s worth promises to reach $2 trillion by 2026 (Statista).
The industry follows a linear system of production wherein it takes natural resources from the earth, and mass produces apparel which then eventually turns into waste at the end of its useful life. Approximately 5.8 million tonnes of textiles are discarded each year by European consumers (European Commission, 2022). It is clear that this system and practices by manufacturers and consumers are not sustainable for the planet.
In 2015, The United Nations adopted The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity (UNDP). There are 17 goals backed up by 169 targets (Fig.1) that apply to every nation and sector and are interconnected. A company’s entire supply chain and the way and rate at which products are consumed have a direct influence on these goals. Goal 12- responsible consumption and production, is especially relevant to the fashion industry and is greatly impacted by its modus operandi.
Adopting circularity in fashion can positively aid in reaching the targets for Goal 12. “It is a system where materials are infinitely recyclable or biodegradable” (Gwilt, 2020). As opposed to the traditional linear model, it follows a closed, circular system as shown in Fig.2 and keeps resources and a garment in use for as long as possible and aims to reduce or end wastage altogether.
This model also relies on the consumer being consciously responsible during a garment’s use phase and end-of-life phase. 90 per cent of clothing is thrown away long before its useful life (Fletcher and Grose, 2012) and by using better laundering practices, re-using garments, repairing them rather than discarding and being more mindful of purchasing decisions to begin with, consumers can aid in realising the visions for a circular economy and work towards being more sustainable.
References
Brundtland Report, 1987- Our common future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (p. 41) https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf
European Commission, 2022- EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52022DC0141#:~:text=About%205.8%20million%20tonnes%20of,is%20landfilled%20or%20incinerated%205%20.
Fletcher, Kate and Grose, Lynda 2012 Fashion & Sustainability, Design for change e-book https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/reader.action?docID=1876120
Gwilt, Alison 2020 A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion e-book https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/reader.action?docID=6234061
Helen Burgess 2020- Circular fashion: the new normal? https://fferal.com/blogs/blog/circular-fashion-the-new-normal
Statista https://www.statista.com/topics/5091/apparel-market-worldwide/#topicHeader__wrapper
UN, 2015- Sustainable Development Goals https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2015/12/sustainable-development-goals-kick-off-with-start-of-new-year/
UNDP- Sustainable Development Goals https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals
UNEP- Putting the Breaks on Fast Fashion https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/putting-brakes-fast-fashion