Planet Pillar: How the environment impacts fashion.
The importance of the Planet pillar has become an increasing concern in the fashion industry. This is not only due to increasing consumer awareness but it is also due to the UNs expectations of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals being fulfilled by 2030. This has put pressure on the industry to look to change its long used linear system model ,which has been used since the industrial revolution, and re-evaluate the design of the system and how the consumption and creation of clothes impacts the environment.
The Circular Economy
In recent decades there has been the introduction of the circular economy, which “aims to reduce waste and pollution by keeping materials, products and resources in use for as long as possible.” (Conde Nast,2020) This contrasts to the linear system model which does not utilise the waste that is made and provides no regeneration of resources. An example of brands adapting to a circular economy is ASOS as they have had ASOS Market place since its launch in 2010 which allows vintage clothing to be redistributed. Another example is Mulberry as they have the pre-loved, the Mulberry exchange system and offer repairs. These are important as they prevent products ending up in landfills and raising CO2 emissions, as three fifths of all garments end up in a landfill within year of production. (Denisova, 2019)
Sustainability in the context of fashion.
Sustainability can mean many things, but what do we mean by it in the fashion industry? It can be broken down into three types: social, economic and environmental. Environmental sustainability links to how the products are made, how consumers use them and what happens to the products after use. The demand for retailers to become more sustainable has not only come from consumers wanting more transparency but also from incoming legislation such as the UN’s 2015 Paris agreement on climate change. (Drapers 2022) However, even though there is a pressure from consumers, brands such as H&M have been called out for greenwashing which has become an expanding problem. To avoid this brands must be transparent about making credible changes while abiding by regulations. (McKinsey 2023)
Why are SDG’s important to the industry?
A major example of legislation that has impacted the fashion industry are the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the twelfth one, Responsible consumption and production. The goal aims to promote the creation of long term consumption patterns. This impacts the fashion industry as it is causing the industry to look at redesigning the supply chain in production, possibly looking at radical collaboration between sectors, to ensure that clothes are made to last and have longevity in the cycle. By making fashion last for consumers, it can make the planet live.
Bibliography
Condenast.com. 2020. Conde Nast launches the Sustainable Fashion Glossary
https://www.condenast.com/news/conde-nast-launches-sustainable-fashion-glossary
(Accessed 4th October)
Denisova, A., 2021. Fashion Media and Sustainability: Encouraging Ethical Consumption via Journalism and Influencers. London: University of Westminster Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.16997/book50
(Accessed 5th October)
Moran, G. (2022) Drapers, Collaborating for Change: Sustainability Report 2022
(Accessed 5th October)
The state of fashion 2023: Holding onto growth as global clouds gather (2022) McKinsey & Company.
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion
(Accessed 5th October)