PLANET
The fashion industry plays a key role in the planet’s lifecycle and is a major contributor to pollution and climate change, on average, textile produces 1.2 billion tonnes of c02 annually with 120 billion garments every year which is an excessive amount considering the world population consists of 7 billion individuals. This garment production technique is using up fertile land which instead could be used to grow crops. The Brundtland report (1987) describes sustainability as meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. A circular economy is an alternative in which items are reused for as long as possible and to repair, reuse and adapt materials. A circular economy also tackles issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution for products to be reused. At this point in time, the economy is only 8.6% circular. By promoting a circular economy there is a $4.5 trillion opportunity to minimising waste, create employment and reusing and repair which offer innovation opportunities. In relation to fashion, a circular economy contributes to creating better products for customers which also regenerates the environment.
Sustainability is a prominent factor within the fashion industry, it is not a new concept and has been part of the repertoire since the 60’s. Societies and cultures are connected through fashion on a global scale, the pulse of the fashion industry survey has identified 75% of customers in Brazil, the USA, China, and the UK depict sustainability as a key factor of a product they purchase and are more likely to pay a premium price for. Sustainable fashion has had a major uprise in recent years with new technologies developing to create more sustainable materials for garments. The United Nations have established seventeen sustainable development goals to implement peace and prosperity for people and the planet. One of these goals includes ‘life on land’ which aims to ‘protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, manage forests, reserve land degradation and stop biodiversity loss’. A fashion brand that relates to this goal is Stella McCartney, she helps the planet by never using leather, fur, feathers, or skin. Their offices and stores in the UK are powered by renewable energy sources, their collections also use as much organic cotton as possible. Overall, by individuals trying to be more sustainable along with the fashion industry, this can aid in reaching the end goal of the planet returning to its true form and decrease the amount of damaged caused by both individuals and the fashion industry.
References
David B Mcginty, (February 3, 2021), 5 opportunities of a circular economy, https://www.wri.org/insights/5-opportunities-circular-economy#:~:text=Research%20shows%20that%20the%20circular,models%20offer%20significant%20innovation%20opportunities.
Department of Economic and Social Affairs, (2022), goal 15, https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal15
Ellen macarthur foundation, redesigning the future of fashion, https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/fashion/overview#:~:text=Our%20vision%20for%20a%20circular,industry%2C%20and%20regenerates%20the%20environment.
European parliament, (26-04-2022 – 14:41),circular economy, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/economy/20151201STO05603/circular-economy-definition-importance-and-benefits
Giorgia Marino, (21 JAN 2022 17:47), Circularity gap report, https://www.renewablematter.eu/articles/article/circularity-gap-report-2022-only-8-6-of-the-global-economy-is-circular
Wearme fashion, (2021), sustainable fashion