Planet
Planet in relation to fashion has become of increasing relevance, especially in recent years, with a rise in businesses taking Corporate social responsibility more seriously and a larger part of the way that they operate especially in the production, distribution, and end life of their garments. This is primarily due to the significant impacts that the life cycle of garments has on the planet, for example through over consumption, which leads to more than a million tonnes of textiles waste to be generated each year (Gwilt, 2020) causing an increase going into landfills. One reason for the rise in over consumption is due to social media, which has led to people moving on from trends faster and follow whats new, causing consumers to dispose of clothing at an increased rate. As technology is developing and more consumers are influenced by social media this issue could worsen, which poses a great threat to the planet.
Increased textiles in landfills affects the planet through its enhanced greenhouse gas emissions ultimately contributing to climate change, a major issue that the planet is currently facing. A focus on mitigating and adapting to climate change is the 13th sustainable development goal created by the UN. SDGs reflect the ongoing work of the United Nations, endorsed in 2015 and adopted by 193 member states (Gwilt, 2020). One of the main aims of SDGs is to tackle social and environmental issues, which the fashion industry evidently contributes towards. Through textiles waste, as previously mentioned, and other processes in the life cycle of garments, the fashion industry has become a prominent contributor towards enhanced greenhouse gas emissions that is resulting in climate change. The industry is responsible for almost 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions (Fleischmann, 2019) which is primarily due to overconsumption and disposal.
Through circular fashion the detrimental impacts on the planet could be lessened, ‘circular fashion combines the principles of both sustainability and circularity’ according to Dr Anna Brismar who came up with this term in 2014 (Alexander, 2019) It focuses on making sure that we elongate the life of garments through ways other than disposal, such as employing chemical and mechanical recycling to develop recycled fibres and materials (Gwilt, 2020) that enable us to use textiles for longer periods of time. Embracing a circular economy allows for individuals and businesses to become more sustainable and make fashion less negatively impact on the planet.
Alexander, E. (2019). Introducing circular fashion: the shopping concept that could save the planet. [online] Harper’s BAZAAR. Available at: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/a27189370/circular-fashion-definition/.
Fleischmann, M. (2019). How Much Do Our Wardrobes Cost to the Environment? [online] The World Bank. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/09/23/costo-moda-medio-ambiente.
Gwilt, A. (2020). Practical Guide To Sustainable Fashion. S.L.: Ava Academia, p.6-27