Planet
‘Planet,’ is one of the four pillars of sustainability within the fashion business industry. This pillar emphasizes recognizing environmental harm and promoting sustainable activities. Consumers are unaware of the substantial contribution the fashion industry has made to global warming and pollution. Through this blog, the SDGs as well as the consumption of the fashion industry will be explored.
The overwhelming bulk of consumer fashion is caught in a linear model, with most used clothing being discarded at a growing rate since it is believed to be of minimal value. Therefore, it is important for brands to adapt to Circular Economy. A circular economy aims to reduce waste and pollution by emphasizing the continuous flow of materials back into the planet (Armstong, 2021) An example of a fashion brand that follows a circular economy is the Label Orange Culture. The company creates new products or pieces, such as lining, using leftover materials from its manufacturing process. (Hahn, 2022)
In the words of the United Nations, sustainable fashion is “fashion that protects and restores the environment, takes into account human dignity and social equity, and makes a positive contribution to global sustainable development.” (De Castro, 2022)
Aiming for a carbon-neutral fashion industry, producers use the term “sustainability” to refer to techniques utilized to create goods. “According to Oxfam, there are approximately 11 million items of clothing sent to landfill per week in the UK.” (Armstong, 2021)
In order to ensure that the global fashion industry is environmentally sustainable, it is important to take a look at how fashion and the environment intersect with each other. Sustainable Development Goal 15, or “life on land”, encompasses a wide range of goals, including halting biodiversity loss, halting the poaching and trafficking of species, restoring degraded land, and ensuring sustainable production and consumption patterns. There are a variety of ways that the global fashion industry can work towards sustainability. Many fashion brands are striving to create a more sustainable product, from designing with sustainability in mind to using materials that are environmentally friendly. There are also many initiatives that focus on sustainable production practices, such as reducing water usage or using renewable energy sources. An example of such a brand is “Bodgar,” which employs cutting-edge methods “to obtain cotton that does not consume so much water, implementing viscose that does not require cutting down trees, and promoting circular fashion techniques that use recycled fibers.” (Franco, Ericka Gallego, 2022)
Therefore, to conclude, fashion sustainability is necessary and demanded on the globe today. The economy must think about conducting research and creating strategies that can result in a sustainable future in order to thrive and grow.
References
Armstong, W., 2021. Consumerism & circular economy in the fashion industry. [online] Circular Online. Available at: <https://www.circularonline.co.uk/opinions/consumerism-circular-economy-in-the-fashion-industry/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4omaBhDqARIsADXULuWLZ27YnTrKt3YDRigqRxdxnNYv1PpV9nCsCYAzScQjBUf8xUEfaQYaAoFoEALw_wcB> [Accessed 12 October 2022].
De Castro, O., 2022. Taking action on fashion and the climate crisis : Fashion Revolution. [online] Fashionrevolution.org. Available at: <https://www.fashionrevolution.org/climatecrisis/> [Accessed 12 October 2022].
Franco, Ericka Gallego, C., 2022. 9 Fashion Brands Committed to Environmental Impact That You Should Know — Earth Day 2022. [online] L’Officiel USA. Available at: <https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/sustainable-fashion-brands-to-shop> [Accessed 12 October 2022].
Hahn, J., 2022. Six fashion brands pushing circular design beyond recycling. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2022/01/14/circular-design-for-fashion-ellen-macarthur-book/#:~:text=%22Orange%20Culture%20uses%20the%20offcuts,beyond%20being%20a%20repair%20service.> [Accessed 12 October 2022].