PLANET
Whilst the word ‘planet’ was previously a place globally described as home, currently the word is likely to be followed by the terms climate change, global warming and crisis – all of which the fast fashion landscape has majorly contributed to. The global fashion industry is inherently unsustainable, with the conventional ‘supply chain’ prioritising output to supply and often exceed demand to maximise profit, resulting in overproduction and waste (Gwilt, 2020). Between 2000 and 2015, clothing production doubled, whilst simultaneously period utilisation decreased by 36%; this trend resulted in the global fashion industry producing around 2.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 – 4% of the grand total (MacArthur, 2021).
Therefore, a system that is constitutionally unsustainable cannot be sustained, and so it is essential that the entire structure of the global fashion industry is reshaped, such as through adopting the principles of the circular economy. This innovative model is a direct response to the traditional linear economy – make, use, dispose – through the alternate advocation for increasing resource use by repairing, reusing and adapting. A pioneer of the circular economy, Ellen MacArthur (2017) defines the ideology as ‘a systemic shift that builds long-term resilience, generates business and economic opportunities, and provides environmental and societal benefits’.
According to the Brundtland Report (1987), sustainability is described as ‘meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs’. Aligning with this idea, in 2015 the United Nations adopted a set of 17 goals as a part of a new sustainability agenda aiming to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Comprising 169 targets, the Sustainability Goals are intended to be achievable by 2030 in order to ensure the world’s future (Gwilt, 2020). Whilst fashion affects all the Sustainability Goals, ‘responsible consumption and production’ is a critical issue within the industry, especially as McKinsey and Company report that ‘tackling overproduction could reduce carbon emissions by 158 million tonnes a year’ (Drapers, 2022).
Fashion brands such as Patrick McDowell have adhered to this goal by creating garments from reclaimed fabrics and ethically produced materials, along with providing an ‘aftercare’ service where garments can be repaired, altered in size so they can be passed on or completely transformed into a different product. Thus, this service increases the life cycle of a garment, complying with the idea of the circular fashion economy and by extension reducing negative environmental impacts.
Ultimately, the conventional fashion model is fundamentally unsustainable and so to guarantee our planet’s future, brands must collectively adopt circularity within their processes as we move towards ‘slow fashion’, but also recognise there is a lot of change and progress to be made.
Bibliography:
Gwilt, A. 2020. A practical guide to sustainable fashion. pp. 10-29.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. 2021. Circular business models: redefining growth for a thriving fashion industry