Sustainable Fashion – Truth or Dare?
Sustainability in fashion is a pretty difficult subject to handle. For that matter I am still not sure if the terms are compatible. I am not even sure if I am entitled to approach this subject. It is something that I want to read more about and apply it on my personal choices.
Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. It is not the first nor the second, but using the resources from the most polluting ones as electricity, heat and agriculture makes it a top offender. Starting with the production of the raw materials, continuing with manufacturing and shipping and ending with the disposal of the clothing item, the fashion’s industry end to end process can have a big impact on the environment.
What the fashion companies need to do: ‘Innovate or die’. This might sound tough but as the climate issue is one of the most hyped subjects of the moment, consumers start to be more aware of the impact that this industry has on the planet. In 2017, the Copenhagen Fashion Summit together with the Boston Consulting Group created The Pulse of the Fashion Industry Report. The highlights of the report, as presented on their website and inside the pages are the below:
As of today, the sustainability ``pulse`` of the industry is weak – scoring only 32 out of 100. Company size, far more than price positioning, correlates with a higher Pulse Score: most large fashion brands show progress, but the great mass of small to midsize firms representing around half of the market—a blind spot in the industry—have done little to improve their impact.
Apparel consumption is projected to rise by 63%, to 102 million tons in 2030, increasing the need for the fashion industry to address its environmental and social footprint. If the global population rises as expected to 8.5 billion people by 2030, the overall apparel consumption will rise by 63%, an equivalent of more than 500 billion T-shirts.
Today, humankind produces 2.1 billion tons of waste per year. In terms of annual ecological footprint, the world’s population already produces more than 1.6 times what the earth can absorb in the same timeframe. Assuming today’s current solid waste during production and at end-of-use, the industry’s waste will increase by about 60% between 2015 and 2030. The vast majority of clothing waste ends up in landfills or is incinerated; globally, only 20% of clothing is collected for reuse or recycling.
In many Asian nations, the sector’s minimum wages are less than half of what can be considered a living wage. The gaps between minimum wages and living wages are equally staggering in Eastern Europe and Turkey. This issue is heightened with the many factories that fail to comply with their countries’ minimum wage laws.
For example, in major textile manufacturing countries like India, the level of noncompliance reaches 51%. If there is no systematic, concerted push to respond to those realities, more than one-third of workers in the sector globally are projected to be paid less than the minimum wage by 2030.
Did you know that cotton, even organic cotton, is not that environmentally friendly as you might think? The “thirsty, little plant”, consumes more than its share of water, therefore has a great impact on water consumption. What is happening with the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan, the 6th cotton producer in the world, is an extreme example of the impact that excessive cotton farming has on the environment.
During the 60’s two of its main rivers, Amu Darya and Syr Darya, were diverted from their main course in order to transform the arid soil into a fertile one for agricultural purposes (cotton farming being one of them). The result was the drying of the Aral Sea, which affected not only the fishing communities from the area, but also the weather by making the region’s winters much colder and summers hotter and drier. Excessive cotton farming is also affecting Pakistan (Indus river), China, India, USA and Australia.
Some companies are interpreting the eco-friendly trend in a wrong way. Due to the fact that the demand for clothing is higher, they are buying unused plastic bottles, which they can recycle into polyester, a ‘greener option’ when compared to nylon or polyester made from petrochemicals. Let’s stick to recycling used plastic, guys. 🙂
Cool websites where I have found useful information concerning the subject: Ecocult, Ecowatch, Copenhagen Fashion Summit
What we can do:
Invest in quality garments that have a clean background and that last longer;
Try sticking to the shapes and colours that fit you best. Do not order something that you are not sure of. e.g. not sure if the colour suits you, or the shape is good for your body type. I support changes in styling, but it’s best to try the new product in stores;
Support the fashion companies that are going eco-friendly, by investing in their pieces, even if they are more expensive.
The good news is that some companies are taking action concerning sustainability: high-end brands such as Ralph Lauren and Stella McCartney, fast fashion retailers Zara, H&M – Conscious Division, Mango – Committed Division, or the Jeans Guru – Levi’s. The annual Global Change Award, initiated by the non-profit H&M Foundation, wants to protect the planet and living conditions by helping start-up companies that offer eco friendly textile alternatives. This year the 1 million prize went to five different companies:
Crop-A-Porter/Agraloop €300,000 -> Making sustainable bio-textiles by using left-overs from food crop harvests.
The Regenerator/Swerea €250,000Separating cotton and polyester blends, turning them into new textile fiber.
Algae Apparel/Algalife €150,000 -> Turning algae into bio-fiber and eco-friendly dye that is also good for the skin.
Smart Stitch/Resortecs €150,000 -> A dissolvable thread that makes repairing and recycling a breeze.
Fungi Fashion/MycoTEX €150,000 -> Custom-made clothes made from decomposable mushroom roots.
What I can do:
More research on eco-friendly materials and fashion companies;
Invest in high quality pieces that can be re-worn in different situations and seasons;
Discover, highlight and invest in companies with environmentally friendly actions and charitable campaigns.
As much as I enjoy discovering seasonal trends in fashion, I do not want to be just a consumer. I also enjoy spending time outdoors, I love nature and appreciate everything that she’s constantly sharing with us. I want to be able to make smart choices. I know that it’s difficult to resist temptations, but step by step we can change the consumer behaviour. The companies will have no choice than to listen to us.
To end with, I want to highlight some brands that are having such initiatives, by sharing their vision, as stated in their about section.
Reformation – Fabric is the magic. We make our pieces from super sustainable materials, rescued deadstock fabrics, and repurposed vintage clothing. As we grow, our goal is to push harder to create more sustainable fabric options.
Re/Done– RE/DONE is a movement – a movement to restore individuality to the luxury fashion space, a movement to keep heritage brands relevant, and a movement to create sustainable fashion. We take the vintage denim apart at the seams, repurposing it as the fabric of our new jeans. We are proud to manufacture our jeans in Downtown Los Angeles using water conserving methods and no harsh chemicals. Quantities will always be limited since each pair is handpicked, hand cut, and distinctly one of a kind.
Amur – A clothing collection created in New York City that was born from the concept that great style does not have to come at the expense of our environment—and that design can strike a balance between beauty and good intentions. It’s an approach that’s woven into our very name: A Mindful Use of Resources.
Edun – Sustainability is the crux of our values; a reason to exist that is both ethical and responsible. The majority of our collections are sourced from mills that minimise their impact on the environment, with organic, recyclable or biodegradable qualities but also with water conservation, usage of solar energy or less pesticides. This aids in having a less harmful impact on the planet. Being a sustainable-forward company means working with new and evolving materials, challenging traditional ideas but also investing in quality.
Bonus: Sezane, for the ‘Demain action’ – The call to action arrived in 2017 with the T-shirt La Femme, which helped us raise over 150 000 euros for UN Women. And then my encounter with Martine Brousse, President of La Voix de L’Enfant. More than ever, I choose to keep Sézane on this path and to carry the commitment personally: with our daily program for children DEMAIN, which aims to raise 1 000 000 euros per year to improve access to culture and education.
Ecological sustainability is very important when it comes to eco-friendly living. Without a stable ecosystem, things start to fall apart. Making sure that we’re planting more native trees to replace those that have been felled to make room for developments is something that more people and businesses need to do to protect the environment and improve air quality.