Planet
The fashion industry as we know it takes a huge toll upon different aspects of society; the four pillars. Sustainability in fashion refers to meeting the need of current consumers, without jeopardizing the resources for future generations. The planet is being destroyed by the fashion industry, with over 80 billion new items of clothing being consumed each year globally, a 400% increase from 20 years ago (Rashmila Maiti, 2022). Currently there is a linear model in place, meaning that garments start their lifecycle in the production phase, but quickly end up in waste. The constant consumption of fast fashion is causing severe environmental strain and is far from sustainable. For example, the planets water supply is being diminished due to production techniques being water intensive. Approximately 700 gallons of water is used to produce a single cotton t-shirt. Textile dying is currently the second largest water polluter, as the waste is being poured back into the earth’s rivers and streams. On top of all of this, most textiles contain microfibres meaning that they are unable to biodegrade (Rashmila Maiti, 2022). However more recently, the idea of a circular economy has been proposed. This refers to the reuse and recyclability of a garment, rather than it being carbonized or thrown into landfill. Using a circular economy model means that an item can renter the economy, maximising both economic and societal benefits. In the 1980’s, ‘eco design’ and vintage shopping became trendy (Gwilt, 2009). There was a surge in second hand retail sales, which has only continued growing year on year, rising by 27.2% in 2021 alone (Statista, 2022). Second hand clothing, alongside slow fashion is arguably the future for sustainable fashion. Sustainable practices should not only be employed by large companies and corporations, but also members of society. In 2015 the United Nations set up 17 sustainable development goals, targeting societal issues from all directions. The 12th goal is ’ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns’. What this means is that as a society, the consumerist lifestyle that has been adopted needs to change. The fast fashion industry is built on excessive materialism and is damaging the resources for future generations. In order to be truly sustainable, the fashion industry needs to accept its harmful effects and adapt a maintainable, circular economy model.
Bibliography:
Ellen MacAuthur Foundation (2017), What is a circular economy. What is a circular economy? | Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Rashmila Maiti (2022), Fast Fashion and Its Environmental impact. Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact | Earth.Org
Statista (2022), Secondhand retail in the UK statistics and facts. Secondhand retail in the UK – Statistics & Facts | Statista
United Nations (2015), 17 sustainable development goals. THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development (un.org)
Qwilt (2009), A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion chapter 1 and 2.