Planet
Planet is the environmental pillar of sustainability. Environmental sustainability occurs when processes, systems, and activities reduce the environmental impact of an organization’s facilities, products, and operations(FrontStream, 2022). It is well known that today’s fashion industry has a significant impact on the environment. The fashion industry accounts for around 8-10% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of wastewater emissions. To give a specific example, synthetic polymer polyester is the most common fabric used in clothing. Globally, “65% of the clothes we wear are polymer-based”, says circular economy expert Lynn Wilson. Around 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make polyester fibres in clothes, and a polyester shirt has twice the carbon footprint of a cotton shirt. One polyester shirt produces the equivalent of 5.5 kg of CO2(Ro, 2020). The impact of the fashion industry on the environment is thus mainly a matter of pollution and waste.
A start to understanding the circular economy can be made on the basis of the statements made by the circular economy expert mentioned above. The circular economy is a framework for systemic solutions to address global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution(Ellen MacArthur Foundation, n.d.).
The idea of a circular economy is simple: make better use of resources, close the cycle of resource flows by recycling materials sufficiently rather than wasting them, and prevent waste and pollution by designing products and materials better and making them last longer(Velenturf & Purnell, 2020). It can be seen that the circular economy is a contributor to the fashion industry achieving sustainability.
When mentioning sustainability, think of the Sustainable Development Goals. Regarding SDG6: CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION, more than 80% of wastewater from human activities is discharged into rivers or the sea without any pollution treatment. Fashion companies need to understand who else is using their water supplies, what forms of agriculture depend on them, whether they are located in densely populated areas, and which communities depend on them for their daily needs. Fashion brands and retailers must focus on these risks and develop comprehensive water management systems to cover both direct business and supply chains(Humann, 2020).
Reference list
Ellen MacArthur Foundation (n.d.). What Is a Circular Economy? [online] Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Available at: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview [Accessed 9 Oct. 2022].
FrontStream (2022). The three pillars of sustainability. [online] Frontstream.com. Available at: https://www.frontstream.com/blog/the-three-pillars-of-sustainability [Accessed 9 Oct. 2022].
Humann, J. (2020). Fashion’s Future: The Sustainable Development Goals | Luxiders. [online] Sustainable Fashion – Eco Design – Healthy Lifestyle – Luxiders Magazine. Available at: https://luxiders.com/fashions-future-the-sustainable-development-goals/ [Accessed 10 Oct. 2022].
Ro, C. (2020). Can fashion ever be sustainable? [online] BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200310-sustainable-fashion-how-to-buy-clothes-good-for-the-climate [Accessed 9 Oct. 2022].
Velenturf, A. and Purnell, P. (2020). What a sustainable circular economy would look like. [online] The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/what-a-sustainable-circular-economy-would-look-like-133808 [Accessed 10 Oct. 2022].