Planet
Within the fashion industry there are four economic cycle pillars of people, planet, purpose, and profit. The planet sector is concerned with preserving the environment and reducing the detrimental effects of human activity on the planet’s natural systems. Throughout this blog, I will demonstrate about how important it is to safeguard the resources, ecosystems, and biodiversity of our planet for coming generations.
An economic strategy known as the “circular economy” aims to reduce waste and advance resource efficiency. It entails creating systems, materials, and products with the goals of recovery, recycling, and reuse in mind. Keeping resources in use for as long as feasible, getting the most value out of them, and ultimately recovering and regenerating goods and materials at the end of their life cycles are the main goals of a circular economy. By encouraging innovation and resource productivity, this strategy seeks to reduce the extraction of scarce resources, lessen environmental pollution, and generate economic opportunities.
In the fashion industry, sustainability refers to the use of ethical and responsible practises across the whole lifecycle of a garment. It includes a variety of ideas, including planning for lifespan, obtaining materials sustainably, reducing waste production, providing fair and secure working conditions, and encouraging mindful consumption. Sustainable fashion aims to address the negative impacts of the fashion industry, such as excessive resource consumption, pollution, exploitation of labour, and the production of textile waste. It aims to develop a more equitable and sustainable fashion industry that respects the environment and the rights of workers.
One of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the UN that has relevance to and a significant impact on the fashion industry is SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. In order to fulfil SDG 12’s goal of sustainable consumption and production patterns, waste output must be decreased, resource use must be optimised, and responsible consumer behaviour must be promoted. SDG 12 asks for tackling the social and environmental effects of garment manufacturing and consumption in the context of the fashion sector. The fashion industry is known for its significant contribution to waste generation and pollution. Approximately 85% of textiles are thought to be disposed of or burned. The unsustainable use of clothes and its disposal have an adverse effect on the environment, including the release of greenhouse gases and the usage of water resources. With the aim to reduce waste and increase the lifespan of clothing, SDG 12 calls on the fashion industry to implement circular economy principles, such as recycling and upcycling. In addition, SDG 12 highlights the significance of encouraging sustainable practises all along the fashion supply chain. This entails providing respectable working conditions, fair wages, and the defence of workers’ rights. For the purpose of improving social sustainability, SDG 12 calls for increasing transparency and accountability in the fashion industry’s complex and often exploitative supply networks.