The Fashion Industry’s Ripple Effect On Our Planet
People, profit, purpose, and planet – the four fundamental pillars that make up one of the world’s most substantial industries, fashion. As we delve into the multifaceted world of fashion, it becomes clear that the planet plays an indispensable role in shaping the industry today. The fashion industry alone is estimated to make up over 4% annually of global carbon emissions (Morgan, G 2022) and is predicted to rise by a substantial amount by 2030 if current practices persist. Henceforth, it is essential any stakeholder engaged within the industry, from consumers to the garment company CEO’s, must ensure they take action to preserve our planet.
The circular economy is a sustainable approach to the fashion industry that encourages durable design, repair, resale, recycling, and responsible consumption while minimising waste and environmental effect, fostering a closed-loop system. One strategy includes resale and the second-hand market where preloved garments are given new life through selling on online platforms, charity, and second-hand shops – extending the products lifecycle. Purchasing second hand clothing is a common practice for many lower income individuals, however, the rise of reselling websites like Depop and Vinted have had a significant inflation effect on the prices of used garments. Potentially outpricing these more sustainable shopping methods, pushing consumers towards ultra-low-priced websites like Shein. Through increased wastage, resource depletion, and carbon pollution, Shein’s fast fashion model – characterised by quick manufacturing and cheap materials, significantly harms the environment.
So, what actually is sustainability in relation to fashion?
Making decisions that respect our earth and the future. It involves re-evaluating shopping practises and rejecting disposable trends. Fast fashion pollutes the environment by wasteful overproduction, whereas sustainable fashion prioritises quality, dependability, and moral behaviour to minimise damage and produce an eco-friendly wardrobe, and world. The sustainable development goal (SDG) of responsible consumption and production is more pertinent than ever before in the current epidemic of social media driven fashion trends on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. “As a society, the obsession for consuming fashion goods has seen an enormous growth in mass-produced fashion, in particular fast fashion” (Gwilt, A 2016). The culture of rapid fashion trends has been fostered by the pressure for clothing to be ‘Insta worthy’ which has resulted in waste and overconsumption. We can shift our attention to conscious buying, promoting ethical products and brands, and minimising the environmental effect of our clothing choices by embracing SDG 12, as making decisions that are beneficial for the environment and its inhabitants is more important than looking good online.
Bibliography
Morgan, G. (2023) Collaborating for change: sustainability report 2022 [online]
https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/drapers-bespoke/collaborating-for-change-sustainability-report-2022[accessed 6th October 2023]
Gwilt, A (2016) A practical guide to sustainable fashion 0-21 [online]
https://www-bloomsburyfashioncentral-com.arts.idm.oclc.org/encyclopedia-chapter?docid=b-9781350067059&tocid=b-9781350067059-chapter1&pdfid=9781350067059.ch-001.pdf [accessed 7th October 2023]