Once seen as a niche part of the fashion industry, being eco-conscious has
rapidly become one of the hottest ‘topics’ of our time. From luxury fashion
houses to fast-fashion retailers, and everything in between – more and more
fashion companies are responding to mounting consumer interest and ‘going
green.’ However, in spite of all the efforts being made the fact remains
that the global fashion and textile industry is the second most polluting
and damaging industry in the world after oil.
“The fashion business model is broken and we urgently need to find
alternatives,” proclaimed Safia Minney MBE, founder and CEO of eco-fashion
brand People Tree in the documentary ‘The True Cost’. So we ask, what does
it mean to be sustainable within the fashion industry? In the sixth, and
final episode of a new series looking at
FashionUnited looks at where the industry can be in the future. Should
fashion companies and suppliers waiting for the government to impose rules
and regulations for them to work more sustainably, or should they take it
upon themselves to make the changes now?
“Each year we are using resources from 7 earth’s – We need to only
take from the earth what it can give back”
It is clear that the linear systems currently used by the fashion industry
need to be replaced. In world with an increasing population, an industry
which is focused on creating more and more, and selling more and more is no
longer be justifiable without the proper infrastructure. “Each year we are
using resources from 7 earth’s,” said Rick Ridgeway, Vice President of
Public Engagement at Patagonia during his moving speech at this year “We need to only take
from the earth what it can give back and accommodate business models for
the reduction of global compound production.” which see the industry
“workhorse” resources such as reused time and time
again in never ending product lifecycle are just one of the many
possibilities.
However, in this case this system also needs to go hand in hand with how
fashion is made. Designers need the freedom to rethink design from the very
beginning in a more responsible way, which includes creating garments that
are designed to be easily taken apart and recycled or made from new
materials, such as algae or fungi fabrics. 3D printing is another
alternative which could disrupt the entire fashion industry. But, in order
for circular economies or 3D printed dresses to become a reality,
investments will need to be made in future to make it cheaper and easier to
recycle clothing and footwear or grown new materials in labs.
For example, denim brand Levi’s recently created a pair of its 511 jeans
using new, patent-pending recycling technology. Together with textile
tech-start up Evrnu, the brand was able to convert consumer cotton waste,
equal to 5 unwanted t-shirts into quality, renewable fibres, using 98
percent less water than virgin cotton. But, imagine if they shared this
technology with other brands, like Kings of Indigo, or G-Star and
collectively created a new process for making jeans which use 100 percent
less water and harmful chemicals? One such initiative, the saw Lenzing, Achroma,
Achroma, global colour and specialty chemicals company, Garmon Chemicals,
an R&D platform for fashion innovation and Tejidos Royo, Spanish textile
manufacturer, come together to produce denim garments which are made from
the most efficient use of resources, in particular water, at every single
stage of production, ensuring the finished product is as rationally made as
possible. Such collaborations are key to securing the responsible future of
the fashion industry.
Transparency is also key as fashion companies need to start working hand in
hand with their suppliers, their manufacturers, farmers and each other to
incorporate the best product lifecycle management and corporate social
responsibility policies. Advancements made in cutting down on water,
chemical and waste usage or innovations water treatment and C02 emissions
should be shared among companies whenever and however possible. One recent
“historical” initiative sees over 75 fashion companies, trade
organisations, unions and local government in the Netherlands come together
to sign a covenant for sustainable clothing and textiles. The aims to tackle several
issues within the fashion industry, including sustainability,
animal-cruelty, fair wages, discrimination, child labour, forced labour,
and more. Together, over the next coming years the 55 fashion companies who
signed the binding agreement will take on a list of goals each year and
with support from the government and trade organisations do their best to
achieve them. Although it is the first of many such international corporate
social responsibility agreements formed and signed, some wonder how much
change such a covenant can bring and the dedication of some of the brands
which signed.
“[Brands] need to put sustainability first on their agenda, as being
sustainable does not happen by itself”
“I am strongly in favor of any initiative in the field of sustainability
taken within the fashion industry,” said Tony Tonnaer, founder of Kings of
Indigo, Europe’s number one sustainable denim brand. “But it is a challenge
to keep developing within this area and the brands which signed this
covenant need to be aware of this. They need to put sustainability first on
their agenda, as being sustainable does not happen by itself.” However,
others are positive that the covenant can bring around much needed change.
“I believe it will take time for the textile industry to change,” said Mark
Wijne, child’s right expert from Unicef, the Netherlands. “The chain of
production is so complex and so difficult to check on that it will take a
lot of effort to be cleared. But the effort of the brands and theirs
suppliers is extremely important. There is no mass production of 100
percent fair and sustainable clothes at this moment, however this will only
become available if the factories, and their suppliers, get the message. It
may take up to 5 years to substantially improve the circumstances along the
chain. But we believe there will be already improvements in the first
years.”
Consumers also play a vital role in the future of responsible fashion.
Although the collapse in 2013, which saw
over 1,130 garment workers killed, was an eye opening event, not enough
awareness or change within the industry has happened since then. Fashion
companies, governments and non-profit trade organizations need to come
together to help educate consumers on the importance knowing where their
clothing comes from, how to recycling unwanted clothing and to actively ask
themselves if they really need it.
The Reuse, Repair, Recycle and Reduce are
key concepts the fashion industry can embrace and use to tell this story to
consumers as well as sustainability and ethical fashion will only become
the norm if it accessible and and an appealing concept for all.
“We want to raise consumer awareness so they see all clothing as a resource
and requisition recycled clothing,” pointed out Cecilia Brännsten, H&M’s
Sustainability Expert, during its Conscious Exclusive collection launch.
Initiatives like H&M’s Global Recycling Week and Global Change Award, or
it’s Conscious collections, are all strong concepts on their own, but need
to become the normal way of working and producing fashion, rather than just
one off projects. In addition, by only working sustainably in certain areas
of the company, such initiatives are rapidly labelled as “greenwashing”
marketing tactics to convince consumers that they are more sustainable than
they really are.
Therefore, in order to truly redefine sustainability within the industry,
companies need to think broader than just their business models and
collaboration and look deeper into their understanding of what constitutes
a successful brand. But how? During the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, over 100
students from around the globe came together to discuss their ideas for a
sustainable future and together they wrote their for the fashion industry to reach by
2030. These demands, which are based on the 17 UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) agreed on during the COP21 talks that occurred in Paris last
December.
Their demands included empowering garment workers, paying them living
wages, safe and equal working conditions, the education of consumers,
ensuring the fashion industry is no longer the second most polluting
industry. But most important of all, they demanded that the industry
redefine success as more than monetary value or gain and reverse all
chances of being profitability when unsustainable. Only then can
sustainability become the industry’s new norm. And there is no time like
the present for the industry to start making the changes so desperately
needed to make responsible fashion the standard for all.
Photos source: H&M, G-Star Raw, Filippa K, Fashion Revolution, the True Cost: Facebook.
Materia, Colorette, By DLW Flooring
Photo credit: C-Jason Childs – Jimbaran Bay