Fashions impact on our planet: 

The ‘Planet’ Pillar is the concept of sustainability in the fashion industry. The 1.7 trillion dollar industry (Ariella, 2023) is responsible for one of the largest negative impacts on global pollution and climate change.  This applies in all stages of the development of fashion from raw materials to distribution and eventually consumption. It is no secret to society that many conventional norms and traditions in the fashion industry are widely harmful to our planet. 

Circular economy : 

The concept of the circular economy in fashion is where our clothing is produced with a heightened level of consideration to our planet. This system “emphasizes the value of using a product right to the end”, and then repurposing it.  (Hill, 2022) One brand that actively and  positively does this is Patrick McDowell, creating ready to wear garments which clients can send back to the brand to be reworked into something new – regenerating nature and circulating products. This focuses on the longevity of garments. A wide, contemporary example of this is the boom of second hand websites such as depop and vinted. Many people are reworking and reselling clothes which in turn is eliminating waste and pollution. This is a market that is rapidly growing and trending in younger generations but the biggest barrier to growth is the taboo many people hold that surrounds rewearing new clothing. (Cook,2023)

Sustainability & STG’s :

The book ‘Why fashion matters’ places heavy emphasis on the fact that society’s focus is predominantly on the ‘carbon footprint’ when discussing the negative effects on the fashion industry. (Corner, 2014) However, it is imperative that we look into more contributions of why the fashion industry is harming our planet. Fashion contributes to 20% of global water waste and The UN is consequently aiming to work with the industry to ‘maximize action impact’ and enhance water conservation. The United Nations Water Development report states staggering 2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water and therefore it is crucial brands implement measures that promote more efficient utilization of water. Companies such as H&M have recognised their role in water pollution and have enforced solutions to reduce their water use in their manufacturing process. However, some individuals hold the belief that this is a greenwashing campaign to appease customers. (Bandera, 2022). As well as the industry being the second largest consumer of water, it also has a huge impact on water pollution. Meanwhile, this water pollution causes a significant challenge to human health in many countries, an issue which must be tackled. (United Nations). 

Bibliography :

Ariella, S. (2022). 28 Dazzling Fashion Industry Statistics [2022] – Zippia. [online] 

Zippia.com. Available at: https://www.zippia.com/advice/fashion-industry-statistics/.

Bandera, G. (2022). How the fashion industry pollutes our water. [online] FairPlanet. Available at: https://www.fairplanet.org/story/how-the-fashion-industry-pollutes-our-water/.

Cook, J. (2023). Second-Hand Fashion: On The Rise But Will It Save The Environment? – Business Leader News. [online] Business Leader. Available at: https://www.businessleader.co.uk/second-hand-fashion-on-the-rise-but-will-it-save-environment/.

Corner, F. (2014). Why fashion matters. London: Thames & Hudson.

‌‌Hill, M. (2022). What is Circular Fashion? [online] Good On You. Available at: https://goodonyou.eco/what-is-circular-fashion/.

United Nations (2020). Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all. [online] United Nations Sustainable Development. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-and-sanitation/.