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Reflection - The meaning of the concept of overconsumption is when the rate of consumption of resources overtakes the means to regrow and regenerate these resources. The current rate of overconsumption has risen, with the global statistic being that we are "consuming the planet’s resources 1.7 times faster than they can regenerate.” Overconsumption rates are much higher in affluent, more developed countries rather than less developed countries. As overconsumption is linked to the need for natural resources our environment has been negatively impacted with air quality becoming dangerously low, damaging the ecosystem and impacting the health of workers and communities surrounding the areas of extraction.

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Explainer

You likely contribute to overconsumption in ways you might not realize.

Of all the human practices that are gradually destroying the environment, overconsumption is one of the most significant and least discussed. We are using up our planet's resources faster than they can regenerate, and a look at how overconsumption affects the environment and global health makes it abundantly clear that if we want to continue living on planet Earth, we need to make some serious changes, and fast.

What Is Overconsumption?

Simply put, overconsumption is when humans consume more resources than we produce. At the smallest scale, this occurs at the individual level, but overconsumption is more commonly measured on a country-wide, continent-wide or planet-wide basis. No matter how you look at it, the upshot is the same: if we use resources at a faster rate than we can regrow or extract them, we'll eventually run out of resources.

Sadly, this is exactly what we're doing.

Is Overconsumption Getting Worse?

Consumption rates differ wildly from region to region, but on the whole, we're consuming the planet's resources 1.7 times faster than they can regenerate, according to the Guardian. This means that in the long run, we'd need 1.7 Earths to sustain our current levels of consumption, which is obviously unsustainable. It wasn't always like this: back in 1961, humanity only needed 0.74 Earths to support its consumption levels.

This shift is partially attributable to population growth; the worldwide population has more than doubled since 1961, and our use of resources has closely tracked that growth. Between 1985 and 2005, worldwide resource extraction increased by around 50 percent, according to a report by the environmental nonprofit Friends of the Earth, in large part to support the growing population.

But this change isn't solely the result of population growth, as per-capita consumption has steadily risen over the decades as well.

For instance, between 1970 and 2021, U.S. consumer spending has increased by an astounding 400 percent. However, the population has only grown by 60 percent, meaning individuals themselves are consuming more than they used to.

How Food Contributes to Overconsumption

Meat consumption in particular has risen dramatically over the decades. In 1961, the average person in a high-income country ate around 123 pounds of meat per year, but by 2020, they were consuming 199 pounds of meat per year. This same trend holds in upper-middle-income and lower-middle-income countries as well.

Perhaps the most frustrating element of the consumption equation, though, is the astonishing amount of food that is extracted but not eaten. A staggering one-third of all food on the planet is wasted every year, and around one-fourth of all animals killed for food are never actually eaten. Some of this is due to businesses and individuals throwing away leftovers, but a much bigger share of food - almost 50 percent - is lost during the production process itself. Whether it's crop pests, livestock diseases or animals dying in transit, our current system of food production results in around 1.3 billion tons of wasted food annually, which is also an enormous contributor to overconsumption.

Who's Most Responsible for Overconsumption

Although consumption has steadily increased around the world, it would be unfair to suggest that everybody - or every country - is equally responsible for pulling humanity across the threshold into unsustainability.

A mere 20 percent of the population consumes 80 percent of the world's resources, and unsurprisingly, it's the richer, more developed countries that do most of the consuming. In North America, the average person consumes nine times as many natural resources as the average person in Africa.

The Consequences of Overconsumption

Many researchers and organizations have attempted to predict the long-term future impacts of overconsumption, and - spoiler alert - the predictions are pretty grim. The grimmest would probably be the World Wildlife Fund's 2002 declaration that, absent a stark change in consumption rates, Earth "will expire by 2050." More recent predictions haven't been quite as bleak, but they're still not good.

The Organisation For Economic Cooperation and Development predicts that by 2050, polluted air will kill three times as many people as it already has. Plastic in the ocean is expected to quadruple over that same period, according to the WWF, while the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and Biosphere warns that global oil reserves could be entirely depleted by 2052.

It makes sense that much of the discussion about overconsumption focuses on long-term projections; if we continue to use our planet's resources faster than they can be generated, we'll eventually run out of resources, which would quite literally threaten humanity's existence.

But we don't need to theorize about the future to understand the impact of overconsumption, as it's already had many observable and regrettable consequences. These consequences take many different forms, depending on the resource and the region.

Overconsumption's Impact on the Environment and Health

Overconsumption is inextricably linked to natural resource extraction. Brazilian rainforests are razed to produce lumber, or to clear the way for mining and agricultural development. Copper is used to make everything from kitchen sinks and jewelry to electrical wires and cell phones. And of course, oil is mined to fuel the many vehicles humans use to travel the world.

One stark example of how the over-extraction of resources affects the environment and health is the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta is one of the world's largest wetlands, and was once a rich and fertile ecosystem with thriving farmlands and fisheries. However, nearly a century of oil extraction has wrought havoc on the region's ecosystem and inhabitants. Thanks to the harmful chemicals that are released into the air during the oil extraction process, it now rains acid in the Niger Delta, which corrodes roofs and building structures, destroys crops and pollutes water sources across the delta.

But the human toll of this resource extraction is even more horrifying. Many residents of the delta suffer from breathing problems and chronic bronchitis, and a 2021 study found that cancer rates are much higher in the delta than in non-oil-producing parts of Nigeria. Tragically, as a result of these and other adverse health effects of oil extraction, the life expectancy in the Niger Delta is just 40 years.

This is just one region and one resource, but there are similar cases around the world. In Peru, copper mining and smelting has created water shortages and polluted the air so much that in one town, a study found that 99 percent of children had lead poisoning.

In Brazil, almost 20 percent of the entire Amazon has been deforested, according to the Council For Foreign Relations, largely for logging and cattle farming. As a result of this widespread destruction, there has been mass soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and increased CO2 emissions in the Amazon. Deforestation has also killed scores of animals who live in the Amazon and endangered the livelihoods of local indigenous people.

Overfishing and Its Impact on Overconsumption

Meanwhile, oceans around the world have been overfished to produce seafood, which poses a serious threat to fish populations. Overfishing occurs when people catch fish and other sea creatures at a higher rate than they can reproduce. The practice has put over one-third of all sharks, rays and chimeras at risk of going extinct, according to the WWF, and around one-third of all fisheries are now at risk of depopulation thanks to overfishing, according to the Sierra Club.

It's also cost people jobs: When Canada's Grand Banks cod fishery collapsed in 1992 due to overfishing, over 35,000 people who worked in the local seafood industry were put out of work.

Given how widespread overfishing is, it's no surprise that the seafood industry is also one of the biggest offenders when it comes to food waste. As previously mentioned, around a quarter of all animals farmed for food are never eaten - but that number rises to almost 50 percent when it comes to seafood, according to the Sierra Club.

All of this resource extraction can be linked back to overconsumption. Oceans are overfished to feed global demand for seafood, which is expected to double by 2050.

How to Limit Your Own Overconsumption

So, how can we go about reversing these trends? At the most fundamental level, the answer is obvious: By consuming less. But how do we do that?

There are plenty of practical steps individuals can take to reduce their consumption. Using reusable containers and products as opposed to disposable ones is a great place to start; for instance, you might get a reusable coffee filter instead of paper filters, or start taking your own grocery bag to the supermarket. Switching to paperless billing, buying food in glass containers instead of plastic ones, and using a hybrid or electric vehicle are also good opportunities to use fewer natural resources in your day-to-day life.

Another way of fighting overconsumption is to reduce your meat and dairy consumption. Meat production is terrible for the planet, and those of us in the global north already eat much more meat than we need to. Adopting a plant-based diet is another excellent way to bring your individual consumption down to more sustainable levels.

However, some activists have argued that the best way for individuals to consume fewer resources is to simply to spend less money across the board, regardless of what that money is spent on.

JB MacKinnon, a Canadian journalist and author of the book " The Day The World Stopped Shopping," is one such person. He has written and spoken at length about the dangers of overconsumption, and argues that the adoption of green technology - well-intentioned as it may be - is ultimately less effective in protecting the environment than reducing consumption of all products, green or not, across the board.

"If you want a rule of thumb for how much impact you're having as a consumer, the best one is: how much money are you spending?," MacKinnon told the Guardian. "If it's increasing, you're probably increasing your impact; if it's lowering, you're probably lowering your impact."

As an example, MacKinnon points to cars. Pushing for more energy-friendly cars on the roads is fine, but the better long-term approach would be to create a society where there are fewer cars on the road in total.

"When people buy less stuff, you get immediate drops in emissions, resource consumption and pollution, unlike anything we've achieved with green technology," MacKinnon said. "Many people would like to see the world consume fewer resources, yet we constantly avoid the most obvious means of achieving that."

At the end of the day, these two strategies for lowering consumption aren't mutually exclusive. It's entirely possible to prioritize using green technology while also buying fewer things across the board - and that's exactly what anyone who wants to reduce their consumption should do.

Overconsumption can be a tricky issue to conceptualize because on the most basic level, we all need to consume in order to survive. It's also not fair to solely blame individuals for this problem, as modern society is structured in a way that encourages overconsumption. But the wide-reaching environmental and global health consequences of our current practices make it abundantly clear that we're consuming a lot more than we need to. Unless we make a change, overconsumption will destroy our ecosystems - and possibly humanity's ability to live within them.

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How Overconsumption Affects the Environment and Health, Explained

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You likely contribute to overconsumption in ways you might not realize.

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Overconsumption in the context of the fashion industry

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Overconsumption in the context of the fashion industry

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Reflection - This article outlines the effects the fashion industry is having on our planet. The statistic that the amount of clothes a consumer purchases on average increased 60% in the years between 2000 and 2014. The rise of consumption is linked to low prices for low quality ‘trending’ clothes made from synthetic fibres, all factors that impact the planet negatively. Polyester is a fibre commonly used in fast fashion clothing. The use of polyester in the fashion industry has prioritised the environment and human health for corporations to create profit.  Due to low prices and low production time needed to create these garments it is more likely for consumers to purchase garments due to the instant gratification, but this mindset also makes the clothes purchased viewed as disposable leading to synthetic fibres being left in landfills secreting greenhouse gases into our ecosystem and toxins into the soil. Because overconsumption is a problem on a global scale individual consumers have a mindset that they solely cannot create a change. This mindset needs to be broken in order to stop detrimental effects caused due to overconsumption.

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This is a guest blog post by Richard Vasquez Jr, a graduate student at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monteray. Richard participated in a project with Women Forward International and Fashion Revolution; as part of this he did some background research on overconsumption which informed this blog post.
Every day we get up and choose what to wear, but how many options are too much and what are the global impacts of the fashion industry? The number of clothes the average consumer purchases has increased 60 percent between 2000 and 2014 , and the clothes are kept about only half as long. The fashion industry entices customers to buy volumes of on-trend clothing, usually of cheap quality at low prices. The rapid growth of the fashion industry can be traced to the advent of cheap clothing made from inexpensive synthetic materials derived from fossil fuels. Excessive production, poor quality textiles, low rates of use, reuse, and repair, and limited recycling mechanisms have turned the fashion industry into an environmentally and socially problematic industry.

The problem with polyester

The fashion industry owes much of their success to the abundance of cheap synthetic fossil fuel-based fibres such as polyester, which is now ubiquitous in the fashion industry. Polyester production has increased from 20 million tonnes in 2000 to 60 million tonnes in 2018 and is expected to exceed 90 million tonnes by 2030 . It's estimated that in 2015 polyester production alone was responsible for over 700 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent , about the same annual greenhouse gas emissions of 180 coal-fired power plants. However, the true scale of emissions is unknown considering that the Fashion Transparency Index 2022 (which ranks 250 of the world's largest brands and retailers according to the level of information they disclose about their human rights and environmental policies, procedures, outcomes and impacts) finds that just 34% of brands disclose their carbon footprint at raw material level. Synthetic fibres combined account for 69% of all materials used in textiles and are projected to reach 75% by 2030 . The 2022 Index also finds that just 27% of brands disclose the breakdown of fibres sourced annually, which means that it is unclear which brands are the biggest culprits of synthetic material use - and relatedly, those most responsible for the human rights and environmental impacts of synthetic materials.

Synthetic materials have changed the fashion industry into one which prioritises increased profits and consumption at the expense of the environment and human health. The effects of overconsumption and reliance on synthetic fibres has long lasting environmental and social impacts worldwide. , with no industry wide solution, at present, for the disposal or recycling of discarded textiles. Textile consumption in the EU, of which most of which are imported, accounts for Although studies estimate about A recent report shows the consumption of clothing and footwear is expected to increase by 63% by 2030 the fourth highest negative impact on the environment and on climate change, and third highest for land and water use from a global life cycle perspective . 11kg per person 5.8 million tonnes of textiles are discarded each year in the EU, the equivalent of , the true picture of clothing waste is not clear considering that the 2022 Index finds just 8% of brands disclose the quantity of post-production waste generated annually. Fibre-to-fibre recycling has only been able to capture 0.1% of textiles produced , while the rest end up landfills or incinerated - and according to the Index, just 12% disclose the tonnes of textiles or number of items destroyed or incinerated each year.

Fashion's Emissions

World Resources Institute (WRI) has estimated the 2019 GHG emissions from the apparel sector to be 1.025 Gt of CO2e, about 2% of the 49.4 Gt of global emissions. WRI also indicated that the emissions will grow to 1.588 Gt by 30 under a business-as-usual scenario. Of those, WRI calculated, based on 30 apparel and footwear brands approved SBTi targets, that approximately 96% represent scope 3 emissions. WRI has also indicated the use of coal makes up about 75% of the energy profile of textile mills globally. The lack of transparency and traceability of supply chain facilities in the fashion industry makes it extremely difficult to fully comprehend the scope of emissions and coal use globally. WRI notes that in order to stay within a 1.5°C trajectory the fashion sector must reduce emissions by over 1Gt by 2030, making it urgent to understand and track the disproportionately high scope 3 emissions and energy use of the fashion industry globally. Yet, a critical first step in addressing this issue is tackling the lack of transparency across major brands and retailers when it comes to their scope 3 emissions, of which just 34% are disclosing according to the 2022 Index.

What needs to be done?

To address these issues, the fashion industry needs to acknowledge the issue of fossil fuel-based textiles and shift towards a circular textile ecosystem that encourages reduction of virgin fibre production, increased energy efficiency across the value chain, elimination of coal fired plants, accelerated development of innovative materials, reuse of discarded fabrics, and recycling of textiles. Mistra Future Fashion finds that doubling the lifespan of a garment, even just from 30 to 60 uses, reduces a garment's greenhouse gas emissions footprint by almost half. Similarly, a study by Ellen McArthur Foundation concludes that doubling the average number of times a garment is worn reduces emissions by 44%.

Indeed, mending and caring for our clothes can truly be a revolutionary act in the face of an industry which has indoctrinated continuous and needless consumption. As ever, the most sustainable garment is the one we already have in our closets. However, major brands and retailers must be more transparent about their business operations and its impacts - and cease producing items they know are not ethical nor sustainable. Continuing to take more than we need (whilst in a climate crisis no less) serves to underline the reason we are in the situation we are today. Greater transparency and accountability are needed to mitigate the human rights and environmental impacts we are facing globally and truly achieve a more clean, safe and fair fashion industry.

Further Reading
Slow down and scale back: Degrowth in the fashion industry Can fast fashion break its plastic habit? What's In My Clothes? The truth behind the label Overconsumption: Why is it a thing and can we solve this problem? The radical act of curbing consumption

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We love fashion, but we don't want our clothes to come at the cost of people or our planet.

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'Fast fashion' and its impact on overconsumption

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'Fast fashion' and its impact on overconsumption

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Reflection - Fast fashion is the term referring to garments that are cheaply produced with low prices, with production time being so low that big clothing retailers can sell garments that are in style at that moment in time. Micro trend is the term used for when a certain type of garment is trending for a short period of time, meaning that the garments can ‘go out of style’ very quickly, leading to many garments being disposed of very quickly. Fast fashion production causes the earths amount of natural resources to dramatically decline, produces greenhouse gases and uses very large amounts of water and energy. The use synthetic materials in fast fashion garments contaminates water ways and oceans with micro plastics released through the washing process. Fast fashion also compromises workers rights and human rights. Many of the factories creating these clothes are in developing countries where the population need jobs making it easy for corporations to exploit these workers.

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Clothing retailers like Zara, Forever 21, and H&M make cheap and fashionable clothing to satisfy the needs of young consumers. Yet, fast fashion has a significant environmental impact. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions - more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Unfortunately, fast fashion problems are often overlooked by consumers.
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What Is Fast Fashion?

The term ' fast fashion ' has become more prominent in conversations surrounding fashion, sustainability, and environmental consciousness. The term refers to 'cheaply produced and priced garments that copy the latest catwalk styles and get pumped quickly through stores in order to maximise on current trends'.

The fast fashion model is so-called because it involves the rapid design, production, distribution, and marketing of clothing, which means that retailers are able to pull large quantities of greater product variety and allow consumers to get more fashion and product differentiation at a low price.

The term was first used at the beginning of the 1990s, when when Zara landed in New York. "Fast fashion" was coined by the New York Times to describe Zara's mission to take only 15 days for a garment to go from the design stage to being sold in stores. The biggest players in the fast fashion world include Zara, UNIQLO, Forever 21 and H&M.

The Dark Side of Fast Fashion

According to an analysis by Business Insider, fashion production comprises 10% of total global carbon emissions, as much as the European Union. It dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year. Even washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.

The Quantis International 2018 report found that the three main drivers of the industry's global pollution impacts are dyeing and finishing (36%), yarn preparation (28%) and fibre production (15%). The report also established that fibre production has the largest impact on freshwater withdrawal (water diverted or withdrawn from a surface water or groundwater source) and ecosystem quality due to cotton cultivation, while the dyeing and finishing, yarn preparation and fibre production stages have the highest impacts on resource depletion, due to the energy-intensive processes based on fossil fuel energy.

According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, emissions from textile manufacturing alone are projected to skyrocket by 60% by 2030.

The time it takes for a product to go through the supply chain, from design to purchase, is called a ' lead time '. In 2012, Zara was able to design, produce and deliver a new garment in two weeks; Forever 21 in six weeks and H&M in eight weeks. This results in the fashion industry producing obscene amounts of waste.

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You Might Also Like: The 9 Essential Fast Fashion Statistics
Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact

1. Water

The environmental impact of fast fashion comprises the depletion of non-renewable sources, emission of greenhouse gases and the use of massive amounts of water and energy. The fashion industry is the second largest consumer industry of water, requiring about 700 gallons to produce one cotton shirt and 2 000 gallons of water to produce a pair of jeans. Business Insider also cautions that textile dyeing is the world's second-largest polluter of water, since the water leftover from the dyeing process is often dumped into ditches, streams or rivers.

2. Microplastics

Furthermore, brands use synthetic fibres like polyester, nylon and acrylic which take hundreds of years to biodegrade. A 2017 report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimated that 35% of all microplastics - tiny pieces of non-biodegradable plastic - in the ocean come from the laundering of synthetic textiles like polyester.

According to the documentary released in 2015, The True Cost, the world consumes around 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year, 400% more than the consumption twenty years ago. The average American now generates 82 pounds of textile waste each year. The production of leather requires large amounts of feed, land, water and fossil fuels to raise livestock, while the tanning process is among the most toxic in all of the fashion supply chain because the chemicals used to tan leather- including mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives and various oils and dyes- is not biodegradable and contaminates water sources.

3. Energy

The production of making plastic fibres into textiles is an energy-intensive process that requires large amounts of petroleum and releases volatile particulate matter and acids like hydrogen chloride. Additionally, cotton, which is in a large amount of fast fashion products, is also not environmentally friendly to manufacture. Pesticides deemed necessary for the growth of cotton presents health risks to farmers.

To counter this waste caused by fast fashion, more sustainable fabrics that can be used in clothing include wild silk, organic cotton, linen, hemp and lyocell.
You might Also Like: How to Recognise Fast Fashion Brands and Which Ones to Avoid
The Social Impacts of Fast Fashion

Fast fashion does not only have a huge environmental impact. In fact, the industry also poses societal problems, especially in developing economies. According to non-profit Remake, 80% of apparel is made by young women between the ages of 18 and 24. A 2018 US Department of Labor report found evidence of forced and child labour in the fashion industry in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam and others. Rapid production means that sales and profits supersede human welfare.

In 2013, an eight-floor factory building that housed several garment factories collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 1,134 workers and injuring more than 2,500. In her project An Analysis of the Fast Fashion Industry, Annie Radner Linden suggests that 'the garment industry has always been a low-capital and labour intensive industry'.

In her book No Logo, Naomi Klein argues that developing nations are viable for garment industries due to 'cheap labour, vast tax breaks, and lenient laws and regulations'. According to The True Cost, one in six people work in some part of the global fashion industry, making it the most labour-dependent industry. These developing nations also rarely follow environmental regulations; China, for example, is a major producer of fast fashion but is notorious for land degradation and air and water pollution.
You might also like: The Danger of Sweatshops
Is Slow Fashion the Solution?

Slow fashion is the widespread reaction to fast fashion and its environmental impact, the argument for hitting the brakes on excessive production, overcomplicated supply chains, and mindless consumption. It advocates for manufacturing that respects people, the environment and animals.

The World Resources Institute suggests that companies need to design, test and invest in business models that reuse clothes and maximise their useful life. The UN has launched the Alliance for Sustainable Fashion to address the damages caused by fast fashion. It is seeking to 'halt the environmentally and socially destructive practices of fashion'.
You might also like: What Is Slow Fashion and How Can You Join the Movement?
One way that shoppers are reducing their consumption of fast fashion is by buying from secondhand sellers like ThredUp Inc. and Poshmark, both based in California, USA; shoppers send their unwanted clothes to these websites and people buy those clothes at a lower price than the original. Another solution is renting clothes, like the US-based Rent the Runway and Gwynnie Bee, the UK based Girl Meets Dress, and the Dutch firm Mud Jeans that leases organic jeans which can be kept, swapped or returned.

Other retailers like Adidas are experimenting with personalised gear to cut down on returns, increase customer satisfaction and reduce inventory. Ralph Lauren has announced that it will use 100% sustainably-sourced key materials by 2025.

Governments need to be more actively involved in the fashion industry's damaging effects. UK ministers rejected a report by members of parliament to address the environmental effects of fast fashion. On the other hand, French president, Emmanuel Macron has made a pact with 150 brands to make the fashion industry more sustainable.
Featured image by EO Photographer Chin Leong Teo
The best advice on reducing the environmental impact of fast fashion comes from Patsy Perry, senior lecturer in fashion marketing at the University of Manchester, who says, "Less is always more."

This story is funded by readers like you

Our non-profit newsroom provides climate coverage free of charge and advertising. Your one-off or monthly donations play a crucial role in supporting our operations, expanding our reach, and maintaining our editorial independence.

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Fast Fashion: Its Detrimental Effect on the Environment

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Fast fashion has a massive environmental impact, it is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for nearly 10% of global carbon emissions.

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Fast fashion is both an economic and sociological phenomenon that has grown to epic proportions. What we cut in costs for garments is borne twice over by the planet, and it is absolutely crucial that we change our regulations and behaviours. We believe in empowering people with knowledge, so here is our list of the 10 most essential fast fashion statistics that will help you understand the detrimental impact of this industry on the environment.
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1 - 2. Clothing production has doubled - Garment usage lifetime has decreased

These two statistics are the embodiment of fast fashion. Clothing sales doubled from 100 to 200 billion units a year, while the average number of times an item was worn decreased by 36% overall.

3. Fast fashion generated more CO2 than aviation and shipping combined

The fashion industry is the second-largest industrial polluter, accounting for about 10% of global pollution, ranking higher than emissions from air travel and maritime transport combined.

4. More than $500 billion are lost every year due to lack of recycling and clothing utilisation

Garments given up early and thrown out instead of recycled combine to produce massive wastage, estimated at around $500 billion every year. A large portion occurs on the consumer's side, but retail stores are just as guilty, often spotted tossing or burning unsold stock.
You might also like: How Can the Fast Fashion Industry Reduce Textile Waste?
5. Fashion habits around the world vary

The previous statistics gave a global snapshot of the situation, but fast fashion is more or less prominent depending on where you live.

6. 20% of global wastewater comes from textile dyeing

The fashion industry consumes a monstrous amount of water, around 93 billion cubic metres, leaving much of it contaminated by toxic chemicals. According to the UN Environment Programme , 20% of global wastewater comes from textile dyeing. Because the bulk of the production is in countries with less regulation, the wastewater often finds its way to rivers and seas where it can wreak havoc.

7. We discard 92 million tons of clothes-related waste each year

This next figure on our list of fast fashion statistics can be difficult to grasp, so let us reframe it.

8. Produces half a million tons of microplastics

You've surely heard of the plague of microplastics, now seemingly ubiquitous on Earth. They are found everywhere, from the top of Mount Everest, to within the very air we breathe. The oceans are riddled with them, routinely ingested by fish, which are then eaten in turn as the plastic works its way up the food chain.

Garments are a huge source of microplastics because so many are now made of nylon or polyester, both durable and cheap. Each wash and dry cycle, especially the latter, sheds microfilaments that move through our sewage systems and end up in waterways. We estimate that half a million tons of these contaminants reach the ocean each year.
You might also like: Are Microplastics Harmful And How Can We Avoid Them?
9. Returns of items bought online exceed the amount of all purchased goods

As more and more online retailers, big and small, offer the option to send back goods easily and often for free, return rates, especially of fashion items, have skyrocketed, exceeding 30% of all purchased goods.

10. You can easily help cut consumer emissions by more than half

It has been shown that by:

skipping one in six washing loads,

washing half loads at below 30 degrees,

and substituting every sixth dryer usage with open-air drying,

We would reduce consumer emissions by more than half.
You might also like: Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact
That may seem like a complicated set of instructions, but the message is that small cuts or changes of behaviour here and there make a big difference. You can be part of that.

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The 10 Essential Fast Fashion Statistics | Earth.Org

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Fast fashion is both an economical and sociological phenomenon that has grown to epic proportions. We believe in empowering the people with knowledge, so here is our list of the 9 biggest fast fashion statistics.

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Textile waste and the impact of garments ending up in landfills

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Textile waste and the impact of garments ending up in landfills

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Reflection - Textile waste is a major factor in how overconsumption impacts the ecosystem. Each year the United States population creates over 34 billion pounds of textile waste. 66% of these  textiles disposed of by consumers end up in landfills in the United States. The rate of decomposition varies depending on the fibres used to create these garments, but as most fast fashion companies use synthetic fibres most garments will sit in landfills of hundreds of years. The health of people living around these landfills is negatively affected, with most landfills being located in places that minority groups live around. A large amount of the textile waste the world creates is sent to countries in the global south. Due to the cheap production of clothes, a great amount of the clothes sent abroad are damaged or too low quality to reuse meaning the clothing ends up in landfill creating detrimental environmental and social impacts in these developing countries.

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Textile waste and environmental racism is a public health issue. And art may play a powerful role in advancing our advocacy.
Every year, people in the United States throw out more than 34 billion pounds of used textiles. Divided across the population, that's more than 100 pounds of textile waste per person each year.

However, textile waste generation does not occur equally. People with higher incomes generate on average 76% more clothing waste than people with lower incomes.

Once textiles are discarded, 66% of them are sent to landfills in the U.S. where they decompose - some quickly and others over hundreds of years. While landfills in the U.S. are designed in theory to capture and contain landfill gasses and polluted waters that emerge during the decomposition process, numerous health concerns have been reported by people living near landfill sites. Landfills are also not located equitably. Landfills are 2.8 times more likely to be located in areas with a higher percentage of BIPOC residents.

Ultimately, only 15% of used textiles are theoretically 'recycled,' and of those, up to half are simply shipped abroad to other countries, largely in the Global South where they land in landfills there. These countries often have less advanced municipal waste systems, meaning that the environmental damage and health impacts of decomposing textiles will be much greater there than they would be in the United States.

As Matilda Lartey, an environmental activist and artisan in Ghana, explained in a recent panel discussion, textile waste from the United States has multiple impacts on countries like Ghana:

1. Much of the clothing sent from abroad is of too low quality to use, meaning it goes directly into landfills or open-air dumps. From there, the gas and chemical leachates that emerge during the decomposition process pollute the air, soil, and groundwater and negatively impact the environment and health of humans and other species.

2. Unwanted used clothing often clogs the gutters, preventing water from flowing properly. This exacerbates flooding and leads to water-borne disease. This is particularly problematic as climate change has increased the incidence of flooding in many parts of the Global South.

3. Due to limited space, people will burn unwanted clothing, resulting in significant air pollution impacting respiratory and cardiovascular health.

Many people in the Global North (primarily the US and Europe) assume when they donate clothes to organizations like Salvation Army, Goodwill, or Planet Aid that they will be reused locally, but this is typically not the case. The amount of used clothing that thrift stores in the United States receive greatly exceeds the amount that they are able to sell here. Thus their solution is to ship the excess clothing abroad.

But this system of shipping unwanted used clothing to other countries relies on a major assumption - that these countries 'want' it. Increasingly, that is simply not to be the case. Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Burundi have all either banned or attempted to ban used clothing imports.

While the issue of shipping clothing abroad often spurs a polarized debate between those concerned about its environmental and health impacts and those convinced that it benefits the countries who receive it, the real issue, at the end of the day, isn't the fact that clothing is being shipped abroad but rather that the amount of clothing being shipped is far too great and the quality of the textiles sent is too low.

That's where Aftermath comes in!

Aftermath, an environmental and public health sculpture is a large-scale art advocacy installation that explores the serious impacts of textile waste. As part of its upcoming national tour, the sculpture is on display at the Boston University School of Public Health from September 19 to October 7, 2022, in the lobby of the Talbot Building.

Created by developmental psychologist and social activist Julia DeVoy (associate dean of undergraduates at Boston College. LSEHD) and her long-time collaborator Dielle Lundberg (research fellow at BUSPH, public health data analyst, and multimedia artist), alongside premier artist Mark Cooper (professor at Boston College), the Aftermath sculpture brings together textiles, a landfill simulating reactor, and technology to ask: "What do we do with the mountain of used clothing that is being generated every single year in the United States?"

While the Aftermath sculpture is designed to invite more questions than answers, for those left yearning for solutions, the sculpture provides several entry points for learning. Embedded within the sculpture is activist 'protest' signs in the shape of everyday T-shirts that contain QR codes that link to Textile Waste Facts - a free and public 30-minute crash course on textile waste and environmental justice developed in tandem with the Aftermath sculpture. The multimedia learning modules include firsthand accounts from environmental activists and people affected by fashion pollution in the Global South, interactive data visualizations, and an opportunity to create your own personal action plan for contributing to individual and policy-level changes.

Ultimately, Aftermath challenges its audience to reframe fashion textile pollution as an issue of global public health and environmental justice that can only be solved through sustained, transdisciplinary and collective efforts to achieve real political and applied action changes.

While it does serve as a warning, it points to many generative possibilities too - most importantly the power of interdisciplinary, collaborative, and global dialogue to intervene in a climate crisis and create shared value for real people, planet, and purpose.

The Activist Lab at the School of Public Health is partnering with Dielle Lundberg to bring "Aftermath" to the Boston University Medical Campus. The sculpture will be on display in the lobby of the Talbot Building from September 19 through October 7. The Activist Lab is also hosting a panel discussion on October 6 that explores the public health consequences of textile waste and environmental racism and the role that art can play in advancing public health.

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Textile waste and environmental racism is a public health issue. And art may play a powerful role in advancing our advocacy.Every year, people in the United States throw out more than 34 billion pounds of used textiles. Divided across the population, that's more than 100 pounds of textile waste per person each year.

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Textile wastes impact on our environment

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Textile wastes impact on our environment

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Fashion Waste: A Global Concern with Local Impact

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New Zealand Fashion Week is about to kick off Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. The week-long event highlights the creativity and craftsmanship of our local designers, but organisers acknowledge the fashion industry’s heavy environmental footprint on our planet.

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Textile waste in New Zealand's landfills

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Textile waste in New Zealand's landfills

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Like other consumers around the world, New Zealanders are buying so-called fast fashion in droves.
By SUNDAY's Mava Moayyed
Promising to deliver the latest trends rapidly from catwalk to consumer at knock-down prices has seen a new wave of global clothing brands like Spain's Zara, Sweden's H & M and China's Shein experience phenomenal growth to dominate the world clothing industry in just a few decades.

The owners of those companies, like Zara's Armando Ortega, have amassed vast wealth to become some of the richest individuals on the planet.

Shein, started by 30-year-old Chinese engineer Chris Xu, has an estimated value of $105 billion and is planning to list on the US stock market this year in what is expected to be one of the biggest IPO's of 2023.

But behind the spreadsheets lies another story.

Seething sweatshops staffed by underpaid workers with few, if any, labour protections and supply chains outside the oversight of environmental agencies.

There is growing controversy over the impacts of the millions of tonnes of discarded fast fashion clothing that ends up in the world's landfills.

Waste Management NZ's Ingrid Cronin says in the last eight years she has seen the amount of clothing waste taken in by Auckland's landfills double, and that's largely down to our consumption of fast fashion

Around 70 truckloads of discarded clothing arrives at Waste Management's Redvale landfill every week, but it is not just the volume that has Cronin concerned, it is what the new tide of clothing is made up of.

"What you see is the reduction in natural fibres going into the fashion and the increase in synthetics going into it," she says. "We really have just a buy new and throw it away kind of culture."

It is those synthetic fibres that make fast fashion so cheap and attractive to consumers that Cronin sees as its biggest problem.

"If you think about a plastic bottle, it is easy to wash and then palletise it and turn it back into plastic. With clothing it's really complex and hard to turn back into another piece of clothing."

And that's the rub, while various initiatives are underway to come up with ways to recycle fashion textiles, in Cronin's view they are of limited promise.

"It is great that we are actually innovating and recycling, you know fabrics and plastics, but ultimately you will not be able to necessarily recycle that. In the end you are just delaying disposal. It is just half as bad and its still going to ultimately end up in a landfill."

Its estimated around 180,000 tonnes of clothing and textile waste is dumped in New Zealand landfills every year.

Associate Fashion Professor Jennifer Whitty of Victoria University estimates that the Shein website alone produced a staggering 49 billion garments last year alone, that is six outfits for every person on the planet.

"It is just beyond comprehension. It's just mind boggling. We've been taught that fashion is not important. It's a bit of fluff. It is disguising how impactful it can be. It is a wolf in sheep's clothing."

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NZ landfill boss sees alarming rise in clothing waste

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Like other consumers around the world, New Zealanders are buying so-called fast fashion in droves. By SUNDAY's Mava Moayyed Promising to deliver the latest trends rapidly from catwalk to consumer at knock-down prices has seen a new wave of global clothing brands like Spain's Zara, Sweden's H & M and China's Shein experience phenomenal growth to dominate the world clothing industry in just a few decades.

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Reflection - 92 million tonnes of textile waste is discarded in landfills each year. The synthetic materials take centuries to decompose and due to being plastic based fibres they release microfibres into the environment, causing air and plastic pollution rates to spike.

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Fashioning a sustainable future - Greenpeace Southeast Asia

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Fast fashion, the darling of the high street, is turning out to be a faux pas. While it democratizes fashion, it also weaves a problem that is comparable to oil and gas in terms of global pollution: the waste that it generates.

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The Rana Plaza disaster and the treatment of garment workers

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The Rana Plaza disaster and the treatment of garment workers

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Reflection - On the 24th of April 2013, Rana Plaza, a eight story commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh that housed a garment factory collapsed killing 1,134 people with thousands more injured. This event brought to light the horrific conditions that many garment workers in developing countries have to work in. On the 23rd of April 2013 workers in the building noticed large cracks throughout the building. The other businesses in the building all closed due to the cracks but the garment workers were forced to continue by owners. Hours after the workers were made to go in the next day the building collapsed. This tragedy speaks to the treatment many garment workers receive, the demand for overconsumption allows for workers to be exploited and have their human rights compromised.

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What did we do?

Immediately after the collapse we helped realize the creation of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh in May 2013 and campaigned for brands to sign on. It was subsequently signed by over 200 companies. The Rana Plaza Arrangement was created afterwards to coordinate compensation for the affected families.

No amount of money can make up for the loss of a loved one or the resulting physical and emotional scars inflicted on those who survived such a tragedy. But what is also true is that the survivors and victims' families should be compensated for the financial and medical losses they sustained as a direct result of the disaster.

With our partners in Bangladesh we identified at least 29 global brands that had recent or current orders with at least one of the five garment factories in the Rana Plaza building, including Benetton (Italy), Bonmarche (UK), Cato Fashions (USA), The Children's Place (USA), El Corte Ingles (Spain), Joe Fresh (Loblaws, Canada), Kik (Germany), Mango (Spain), Matalan (UK), Primark (UK/Ireland) and Texman (Denmark).

Each of these brands was a complicit participant in the creation of an environment that ultimately led to the deaths and maiming of thousands of individuals. Calculations based on International Labour Organisation convention 121 showed that the families of those affected by the Rana Plaza collapse are owed $30 million in compensation.

We campaigned hard to convince all brands in who sourced from Rana Plaza, and essentially all brands in Bangladesh should contribute according to their ability to pay, the size of their relationship with Bangladesh and their relationship with Rana Plaza.

We campaigned for over two years to make brands take their responsibility and pay into the trust fund or increase their contribution if their first payment was insufficient.

We collected over 1 million signatures to make Benetton pay up an appropriate amount. There was irrefutable evidence exposing their direct link to Rana Plaza - photographs of the Benetton labels in the building rubble, and documentation of order forms from the New Wave Factory in the Rana Plaza building.

Following initial denials from the company in regard to their link to Rana Plaza, they later publicly acknowledged that New Wave Style was a supplier for Benetton. The fact that brands like Benetton kept dragging their feet only prolonged the suffering of the workers impacted by Rana Plaza. Some brands linked to the disaster even never paid up.

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The collapse of the Rana Plaza factory building in Bangladesh was the worst ever industrial incident to hit the garment industry. It was followed by a struggle for justice for the Rana Plaza workers and safe factories for all.

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The treatment of garment workers in regards to human rights

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The treatment of garment workers in regards to human rights

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Reflection - this article outlines the horrible conditions many garment workers have to work in. Some of the major issues garment workers are subjected to are; long work days with forced overtime, injuries with many being undiagnosed, lack of ventilation, no access to clean water, and exposure to hazardous chemicals which lead to serious health conditions. The fashion industry is liable to abusing the human rights of workers, with this being fuelled by overconsumption and fast fashion.

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Garment worker health and safety concerns

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Garment worker health and safety concerns

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The independent safety inspections and enforceable safeguards of the Accord have been immense importance to ensure workers do not have to risk their lives going to work, but many workers across the world continue to risk their lives in unsafe buildings, because the brands sourcing from their factories have not signed the Accord, or the Accord does not cover their factories. It is time to ensure safe factories are no privilege, but that every worker can be sure the building they work in is safe. This is what needs to happen to make that a reality.

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We want everyone working in the garment industry to be paid a wage they can live on. The UN recognizes a living wage as a human right, yet the current reality means millions of garment workers are systematically exploited as a source of cheap labour.

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Consumers play a very big role when it comes to combating the issue of overconsumption. A technical cycle is a earth-centred regenerative model that can be followed by a consumer after production and purchase. A technical cycle model can also help to combat the issue of garments made from polyester and other synthetic fibres as this model helps to minimise the damage caused to our environment by these fibres that cannot decompose quickly. Technical cycles focus on cycling fibres and garments through a closed loop system. This system looks at reusing, repairing, remanufacturing, and recycling.  Mindful consumption means that the consumer is making choices to be sustainable in both environmental and social ways when purchasing clothing. Choosing to use textiles made from natural fibres that can fit in a biological cycle is also an important choice in combatting textile waste that ends up in landfill as these fibres can biodegrade and help to regenerate the ecosystem by nourishing the soil.

It is also important for consumers to take responsibility in doing helping the environment to regenerate. Consumer stakeholders should make decisions about consumption with the past, present, and future in mind. Helping to raise awareness and share knowledge with other consumers helps to create a big difference in social and environmental sustainability caused by overconsumption in the fashion industry. As many people might not have access to knowledge around it is good to help people to understand in easy and digestible ways.

Although fashion labels and their production practices are responsible for a large percentage of the negative impact the fashion industry has had to our planet, consumers can do their part in helping to reverse some of this damage and slow down consumption to help the earth regenerate.

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The role consumer stakeholders have in the issue of overconsumption in the fashion industry

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The role consumer stakeholders have in the issue of overconsumption in the fashion industry

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HEJSupport published a new report about the sustainability of fashion and the role consumers can play.

Olga Speranskaya, Alexandra Caterbow, HEJSupport

Vito A. Buonsante, McMaster University

Cotton research: Halima Adan, Maite Mutsaers, Richa Karkee, Amy Ciu, Danielle Denwood

Synthetic fibers research: Moreen Gorial, Alex Geerts, Sanne Allers, Ruth Bles, Danya Deepsee Malhotra
Introduction
The textiles industry is one of the largest industries in the world. Its supply-chain includes agriculture, manufacturing, processing, fabric care, use, recycling and disposal. Nearly all countries are involved in the textile industry though the actual involvement can vary from textile and product design and development of manufacturing technologies, to actual production and shipping to numerous locations. However all countries face the growing problem of textile waste management directly linked to unsustainable textile production and use.

Being among the most polluting industries, textile industry has to explore ways of becoming sustainable to minimize resource use and pollution, improve the safety of workers, eliminate sexual abuse, and ensure the right of consumers to make an informed choice. The future of sustainable textile largely depends on its ability to reduce the use of resources, such as land, water and oil, ensure reuse and recycle of products to minimize waste. In addition, there are other aspects of sustainability that textile industry should focus on, including protection of the environment and human health, occupational safety, gender equity and women's empowerment, as well as meeting the demand of consumers for eco-friendly textile products.

This paper touches upon non-sustainable character of textile industry with the aim to suggest recommendations to address associated environmental, health and social problems and make consumers a driving force able to shape the future of sustainable textile. It includes data of a Global Health & Environment Synthetic and Cotton Fibers Survey conducted by students at McMaster University as part of their research project on consumer knowledge surrounding synthetics and cotton in the textile industry. The survey is an attempt to explore some of the global cultural beliefs and social understandings of fast fashion, cotton and synthetic garments and environmental impacts. It concludes that textile industry has a tremendous impact on the global environment, health and human rights which requires governments, private sector and consumers to put in greater efforts to make it truly sustainable.
Dirty secrets of textile industry Environmental consequences
The impact of the textiles industry on our Planet is huge and it involves the whole product life cycle from the raw material supply, textile manufacture, shipping, retail and disposal at the end of life. This includes the use of pesticides in cotton farming[1], intensive water and energy use during the production of textile, the application of toxic chemicals in dyeing, as well as waste management.

Not everyone is aware that 2,700 liters of water are needed to produce a single cotton t-shirt and 1,800 gallons of water are used to produce a single pair of jeans . Manufacturing of synthetic fiber requires less water, though dyeing both cotton and synthetic fabric requires 1.3 trillion gallons of water each year[2].

In addition dyeing processes usually involve more than 1600 different chemicals, including formaldehyde, chlorine, lead, and mercury. Treatment and dyeing of textile is accountable for 20% of global industrial water pollution. The effluent from textile industries carries a large number of dyes and other additives which are added during the colouring process[3]. Water in rivers and other water sources in countries with developed textile industry, such as China, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Ecuador, Brazil is contaminated with numerous harmful chemicals which are difficult to remove in conventional water treatment procedures. Contaminated wastewaters are discharged into our surface and groundwater, while the color of the water discloses the colors in fashion. Dyes and additives may also undergo degradation to form products that are highly toxic and carcinogenic[4]. In fact, the textile industry is the #1 industrial polluter of fresh water on the planet.

Besides water contamination with toxic chemicals, textiles are one of the main sources of microplastics in the world's rivers and oceans that match synthetic fibers, including polyester, acrylic, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyamide fibres, used in clothing. More microfibres is detected in densely populated areas that have sewage outfalls contaminated by fibers from washing clothes, noting that around 1,900 individual fibers can be rinsed off a single synthetic garment. According to a 2017 IUCN report, 35% of all microplastics in the oceans come from the laundry of synthetic textiles, making it the first source of microplastics before car tyres.[5]

Unsafe working conditions
Environmental pollution is not the only threat that textile industry is accountable for. There are serious negative social consequences associated with textile industry where 80% of the world's garment workers are women. Cases of gender discrimination, sexual harassment and abuse have been detected in all countries where clothes are produced. Women of child bearing age are at a particular risk of developing breast cancer after the menopause due to their exposure to man-made fibres, as well as miscarriages or birth defects linked to long hours of work, shifts requiring standing instead of sitting or exposure to toxic chemicals[6][7] . Suppliers to big chains fail to ensure safe working conditions for factory employees putting workers health at risk[8].

Besides unsafe working conditions, garment workers are paid well below the amount required for a decent standard of living[9] . According to the new research by Deloitte Access Economics New research by Deloitte Access Economics for Oxfam Australia reveals that  living wages are higher than estimated garment factory wages in Bangladesh (76%), India (41%), Indonesia (29%), and Vietnam (8%). The report states that on average only between 2% and 4% of the price of a piece of clothing sold in Australia goes toward workers' wages in factories.

Sad picture of the environmental and social consequences of textile production, use and disposal will not be complete if the health impacts are not considered. For example the major safety and health issues in the textile industry include exposure to cotton dust[10]. According to the literature review, as early as the 1950's doctors knew that inhaling cotton dust cause breathing problems in mill workers[11] . It is now well understood that cotton dust contains toxin producing bacteria and that long-term exposure often results in chronic wheezing and other severe, and at times fatal respiratory problems[12]. After years of research, byssinosis or brown lung disease was found in many mill workers. Fortunately, committed efforts by the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU) and the Brown Lung Association (BLA) resulted in the 1978 cotton dust standard[13]. However, this is one type of exposure and only in the U.S. Many developing countries do not have the regulatory or labour union capacities to mitigate health risks. Many suffer from acute or short-term health effects of cotton manufacturing including chest tightness, coughing, wheezing, phlegm, weakness fever, chills and breathing difficulty (Silpasuwan et al., 2016)[14].

Wearing synthetic clothing is one more important health hazard directly linked to fashion industry. Reproduction disorders, allergies, skin irritation, respiratory problems is an incomplete list of diseases associated with toxic chemicals that may be found in synthetic clothes, including formaldehyde, brominated flame retardants, perfluorinated chemicals. Formaldehyde[15], for example, can be found in fabrics that are labeled as:

Anti-cling, anti-static, anti-shrink

Waterproof

Perspiration-proof

Moth-proof and mildew resistant

Chorine resistant.

Because clothing comes into prolonged contact with skin, toxic chemicals may be absorbed through the skin, especially when the human body is warm and skin pores have opened to permit perspiration (Mirghani et al., 2008)[16]. Once absorbed by humans, toxic chemicals tend to accumulate in the liver, kidney, bones, heart, and brain. The effects on health can be significant when high levels of accumulation are reached. The effect is particularly serious in children because chemicals in toxic dyes may negatively affect their growth and development (Mirghani et al. 2008)[17].

Organic cotton as the way out of toxic textile
The adverse environmental, health and social outcomes of textile industry highlighted above make the production and use of both cotton and synthetic fibres highly unsustainable. That includes the use of non-renewable resources, consumption of huge amounts of water and energy, the leakage of chemicals and plastics into ecosystem, dangerous working conditions, loss land and decreased varieties of crops due to cotton production, serious health effects from inhaling cotton dust, exposure to toxic chemicals during textile production and dyeing as well as health impacts of wearing synthetic clothing.

As a reaction to the growing concerns regarding the environmental and health effects of the textile industry, the production of organic cotton started to grow. This development has benefited from increasing market demand for organic cotton fiber, with several large textile brands and retailers expanding their sales of organic garments (Ton, 2004). The production of certified organic cotton fiber is estimated at 31,000 tons for 2006, with retails of organic cotton products reaching a turnover of 583 million US$ (Klein, 2006). Furthermore, achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3; to ensure healthy lives and to promote well-being for all ages requires practices in organic cotton. The SDGs support the organic cotton movement in relation to cotton farmers not being exposed to toxic chemicals, as well as the increased value of crop rotation for crop variety (AOC, 2018)[18]. Crop variety helps to meet nutritional needs through growing food crops such as grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits.

What makes organic farming different from conventional cotton farming, are the methods and standards for growing (See pic. 1). To be organic, a cotton field needs to be pesticide and herbicide free for at least three years and the crop must not be from a genetically modified strain. By using manure instead of synthetic fertilizers, biological pest controls instead of pesticides, avoiding fuel-based fossils during farming, and more efficient weeding strategies, organic cotton can be cultivated (Textile Exchange, 2010)[19]. Crop rotation is often also used to rest the land between plantings, and to restore fertility to the soil (Goldbach, Seuring & Back, 2003). Compared to non-organic cotton, organic cotton cultivation produces much less adverse impacts on the environment. During the production of organic cotton, soil fertility is maintained through the expansion of biologically diverse agriculture (Gaite, 2009). The application of toxic and harmful pesticides and fertilizers are prohibited; genetically engineered seeds are also impermissible in the production process. The demand for organic cotton is dependent on the attitude of brands and manufacturers who recognize their responsibility in preserving the environment.
Pic. 1 Organic cotton versus Conventional cotton Is synthetic fiber becoming a global leader in clothing industry?
Despite clear evidences that organic cotton can play a crucial role in moving towards sustainable textile, cotton is no longer the number one fiber in textile industry. Rather, synthetics are taking the lead globally due to their affordability while cotton industry faces many challenges in terms of competition with polyester[20]. For example, the USA imports their polyester at half the cost of cotton from China. Moreover, man-made fibers are flexible, an essential new feature of contemporary clothes. Additionally, synthetic fibres are wrinkle and moisture resistant, strong, durable, which is in the interest of athletes and travelers, needs little or no ironing[21]. With the life cycle of synthetics, combined with the use of various toxic chemicals and their negative health and environmental effects, it is clear that reassessment is required.

Nevertheless the past five decades have seen an immense shift from natural fibers to synthetic materials. The main reason for this shift constitutes from the fact that synthetics are cheaper and easier to produce in large quantities, ideal for the rise of fast fashion when new clothing items are quickly and cheaply produced to provide consumers with a constantly changing revolving-door of new fashions[22]. Marketing is a key driver of fast fashion since the continuous release of new products motivates customers to keep up with ever-changing trends[23].

However, as depicted in this paper, many known and unknown health and environmental impacts are related to the use of synthetics. The sustainability of synthetic fashion is in question though some ideas are presented in Table 1.

Ways to increase the sustainability of fashion
In early 2018 a group of graduate students at McMaster University developed a questionnaire and conducted surveys to get an understanding of the consumer perspective of the future and sustainability of textile industry. Detailed description of the survey results is presented in Annex 1, 2 which identifies multiple pathways that one may choose to increase the sustainability of both cotton and synthetic based fashions. Here are some recommendations to move towards sustainability in textile industry which were developed based on the results of the survey.

Raise Awareness
First, one must focus on increasing consumers' awareness of consumerism and the associated health risk. Consumers play a key role in the sustainability of the fashion industry, even though they are often not aware of this. For consumers to make informed decisions regarding their clothing, they must be aware of the issue at hand. Awareness involves not only having the information, but also ensuring it is easily understood and accessible by all. Adopting an environmentally friendly laundry regime is an example of how better knowledge could change people's habits; washing full-loads, using the correct washing-cycle, switching to an energy-efficient washing machine, washing in cold water, drying clothes on a line, and using biodegradable detergents all add to sustainability. For more information see Pic 2.
Pic 2. Raising consumer awareness on the role they can do to improve the sustainability of fashion Using this knowledge: what can you do as a consumer?

Check the labels - buy ethical clothing (do your research)

Labels tell us a lot about where the clothing comes from, and what is in it! If you choose to buy organic cotton, check for certification. Some manufacturers have also been making a move towards sustainable eco-fashion, with a low impact on the environment throughout the garment life-cycle; and companies are taking notice. Wal-Mart, for example, has been selling organic cotton women's T-shirt since 2004 (Cloudio, 2007). Companies like Patagonia are participating in eco-fashion by using postconsumer plastic bottles into clothing. A little research online will tell us a lot more about eco-fashion - and turn the tide of fast fashion to a slow one!

Buy second-hand - because vintage is in!

Fast fashion means buying a lot more clothes; and having more clothes means a lot of waste. According to the Environmental Protection Act, the average American throws away 68 pounds of clothing and textiles annually (Cloudio, 2007). Buying second hand and reusing clothing is a great way to reduce waste, reduce the impact on the environment - and to save some money. Demand for fast fashion is what fuels the industry; the less we buy, the less we put the stress on the global supply chain ... and it does not hurt that 90s fashion is in again!

While buying locally exclusively would have a negative impact on the life-sustaining production chain of cotton in various parts of the world, it may help change the way the global clothing chain functions. According to author Pietra Rivoli, about 1 billion garments purchased in America are made in China (Cloudio, 2007). If we buy part of our clothing locally, it will help reduce the carbon footprints of clothing travelling all the way here. Research suggests women buy seven times more than men, and women's clothing supply and waste reflects that. Despite massive donations to the second hand market, about 85 per cent of unwanted textiles in North America end up in landfills - which amounts to more than 11 billion kilograms a year.[24]

Other natural fabric: Hemp and Bamboo

Worried about the human and environmental impacts of the garment industry? Choose sustainably grown cotton, hemp, bamboo which uses less pesticides and is better for the environment. Other eco-friendly materials include Ingeo which is made out of fermented corn-by product, and has been used by well-known clothing designers (Cloudio, 2007)

Did you know that most of the energy use in the life cycle of cotton happens post-purchase? Also the laundry of synthetic textiles represents 35% of all microplastics in oceans.[25] Try to wash less and whenever possible, air dry your clothes on a sunny day. It's more vitamin for your clothes - and better for the planet.

Radical Rethinking
Radical rethinking requires changing the mentality of both consumers and the industry. As such, after the issue has been defined and understood by all, a desire and urge for change is needed, where the quality of clothing available to consumers is valued and accessible over the quantity, where profits are not longer of the utmost importance, but rather the health of the environment and citizens worldwide. Radical rethinking includes, inter alia changes that can also be made in the number of clothes people buy and the number of times these are worn before thrown away. However, these habits are strongly related to the fast fashion addiction and require changes in the entire industry[26] [27].

Increase corporate and consumer responsibility
Intergenerational Responsibility: stakeholders must act with the past, present, and future in mind. Global governance must implement policy solutions that recognize the socio-cultural role of fast fashion and promote corporate social responsibility by incentivizing companies to adopt sustainable textile production. Moreover, policies must also hold industries accountable. Government policies must also incentivize consumers to purchase more sustainable clothing through educating consumers and providing subsidies to make sustainable clothing alternatives affordable

Push for alterntives
Alternative, sustainable materials exist in the clothing industry and have a lesser impact on consumer health and the environment. The push for other options should be both on the production and consumption side of the life cycle so that it impacts both consumers and the industry.
Introducing effective policy
"STOPLIGHT" LABELLING: The current method of labeling clothing requires significant adjustments to ensure that it is easy to understand and use. Based on the composition of the article of clothing (and its associated risk), a colour will be placed on the label.

RED: This article of clothing is not safe nor sustainable as it is made primarily of synthetic materials. High Risk.

YELLOW: This article of clothing is not ideal for safety not for sustainability as it contains synthetic materials. Medium Risk.

GREEN: This article of clothing is ideal for safety and sustainability as it contains no synthetic materials. Low Risk.

QR CODE: Stoplight labelling is intentionally simplistic so that it is easily understood by all. However, for those who wish to access a detailed report about their article must be able to easily access the information. Thus, a QR code must also be placed on the label. Thus, by scanning the QR code, all relevant information wil be in the palm of the consumer's hand.

The second option, related to more sustainable material choices, is the usage of recycled synthetics. Recycled polyester, for example, provides a green, sustainable alternative for virgin polyester [28]. By using PET as the raw material, it reduces plastic waste and decreases dependence on petrolatum, thus, creating less pollution. Furthermore, no agricultural land is required, no animals get hurt and it does not require gallons of water for production. Moreover, the recycling process can continue to use old fibers as raw material. Econyl is another sustainable example of recycled nylon plastic waste[29]. However, these recycled materials are still a form of synthetic fibres and therefore pose serious health concerns to consumers.

Completely switching over to natural fibres might present the most sustainable pathway for environment and health. Cotton, wool, silk, linen, leather and hemp are all examples of natural fibers with their own advantages and disadvantages. In general, they are a sustainable resource as they are renewable, biodegradable and carbon-neutral. Moreover, natural materials seem to have a significantly less damaging impact on human health, for example, a reduction in allergies and rashes. However, opting for the organic production of these materials is essential, since traditional processes use significant quantities of chemicals and pesticides. The problem with many of these materials is that they use a lot of water to produce (cotton uses one thousand times as much as polyester), may harm animals (silk and leather), or are less readily available and more expensive. These natural fibres could provide a sustainable option in the future, but developments must be made in improving the characteristics of natural materials and the increase in production and availability.
Annex 1 A nalysis of the consumer perspective on the future of cotton textile What did they find important?
To get an understanding of the consumer perspective on the future of cotton textile, 10 consumers were consulted, 8 of whom consider themselves to be environmentally conscious. The age range was 15 to 47, with 9 females and one male. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, including questions covering shopping behavior, knowledge regarding the environmental, health, and human rights concerns of the cotton industry, and where they got their information from.
What did they know?

Organic is seen as a better option for health/ fair trade but often associated with higher costs. Alternative materials are not readily available

More challenging to be eco-friendly when it comes to children's clothing as they grow out of it fast

For some shoppers, environmental and human rights impact alone does not shifts their consumer behavior

Style and brand-name (designer) can be at odds with choosing certain material

Many consumers hold companies/ industries accountable - profitability appears to trump ecological well-being/ human rights

What is unknown?

Fast fashion is related to garment industry but not necessarily to cotton per se; although some people are aware of cotton's impact on human rights/ environment

Environment:
- Environmental impact is less visible: 60% of interviewees identified environmental concerns in the cotton industry. Conscious shoppers are more aware of environmental impact of cotton industry while others are less aware/ unaware

Human rights:
- Sweatshops": 100% of interviewees referred to "sweatshop" like conditions in the garment factories, while 30% were aware of human rights concerns in the cotton production/ farming
- Historical and current connection of cotton production to "slavery"

Human health:
- Aware of health effects for farmers and factory workers (inhalation of dust/chemicals, working circumstances in factories)
- Less knowledge about effect on consumer: environmentally conscious people did have suggestions, but most of them couldn't mention clear effects for the consumers
- Quote: 'I don't know what kind of health impacts can be there if you just wear it'
- People appeared to associate negative health impact with synthetic fibre and not cotton
- Some conscious shoppers did speculate health effects from dyes and potential toxins such as pesticides while others did not think of health impacts

Need to have more awareness around the impact of non-organic cotton on various aspects of our lives (environment, health, human rights)
Analysis of the consumer perspective on the future of synthetic textile

Most interviewees felt that knowing direct health impacts would impact consumer behaviour; this is needed to shift the demand to lessen the supply of non-organic cotton

As an indication of the consumer's knowledge surrounding synthetics in the textile industry, a 10 question survey was distributed. This survey is an attempt to explore some of the global cultural beliefs and social understandings of fast fashion, synthetic garments and environmental impacts.

Approximately 166 people from 15 countries responded to the survey and completed the questionnaire. Respondents reside in the following countries: Luxembourg, Netherlands, United States of America, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Austria, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Pakistan, Indonesia, South Korea, and Australia. However, a majority of respondents were from Canada and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. To begin, respondents were provided with a description of the purpose of the survey and a definition for synthetic fibres. Respondents were also made aware that they would remain anonymous and that they may quit the survey at any point in time.

The survey consisted of the following questions:

1. What is your gender? Potential answers: Man, woman, other, prefer not to specify.

2. What is your age and occupation?

3. What is your country of residence?

4. Do you check the labels on your clothing? (Where it is made, what it is made of, etc.) Potential answers: Always, Never, Sometimes

5. Are you aware of any adverse health impacts caused by synthetic fibres in clothing? Potential answers: No, Yes (Please Specify)

6. How interested are you in better understanding the sustainability of the clothing you buy? (0-5, 0 being not at all, 3 being neutral, 5 being very interested)

7. What information would you like to be provided with when you purchase your clothing? Potential answers: Country of production, chemical content (materials used), means of disposal (recycling, etc.), environmental impacts, associated health impacts (for consumers...A.K.A YOU), who made the article/their working conditions, none of the above and other (please specify).

8. How would you prefer to be provided with information about your clothing? Check all that apply. Potential answers: the label, in stores (through signs), store websites, television (campaigns, documentaries, commercials, etc.), none of the above, I do not care, other (please specify).

9. Do you think that there are better alternative clothing materials? (E.g., cotton, hemp, silk, etc.) Please consider this in terms of human and environmental impact. If your answer is yes, please specify which alternative you believe is the best. Potential answers: No, not sure, yes (please specify/provide an example).

10. How likely are you to buy clothing made of more sustainably-sourced and sustainable materials (e.g., wool, hemp, silk, etc.) which are more expensive and less available, if you were aware of the considerable health and environmental impacts of synthetics? (0-5, 0 being not at all, 3 being neutral, 5 being very likely).

The survey was distributed in both English and Dutch. Each question was asked for a specific purpose. As such, the justification is as follows:

1. Gender is relevant as there is a potential difference in the opinions/level of knowledge between men, women and others.

2. Similarly, age and occupation may be an indication of a generational variation between opinion and level of knowledge.

3. Country of residence is an indicator of a potential difference in opinion and expertise due to geo-cultural variation

4. Checking their labels is an indication of their habits and level of awareness about what they are wearing

5. Indication of the level of knowledge about the impacts of synthetics in clothing

6. Is there a potential desire in consumers to learn more about the clothes they buy?

7. What is it that consumers care about most?

8. What is the method that is the most desired and easiest to use?

9. What do consumers know about alternatives?

10. Are consumers willing to pay more for better, and healthier products?

Approximately 166 people from 15 countries responded to the survey and completed the questionnaire.

To begin, respondents were provided with a description of the purpose of the survey and a definition for synthetic fibres. Respondents were also made aware that they would remain anonymous and that they may quit the survey at any point in time.

In total, 59 men responded and 107 women responded. Respondents reside in the following countries: Luxembourg, Netherlands, United States of America, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Austria, New Zealand, Holland, Canada, Ireland, Pakistan, Indonesia, South Korea, and Australia.

Results
Based on the answers, one is given the indication that on average, approximately 20.74% of consumers check their label always, 69.55% checked their label sometimes and 9.72% never check their label. This is critical as a majority of consumers are unaware of the materials that they are exposing their body to and the potential toxicity of that material. Furthermore, 88.55% of consumers are unaware of any adverse health impacts associated with the use of synthetic fibres in the textile industry. For the remaining 11.45% who believed that they were aware of adverse health effects, nearly all of the responses were ignorant and misinformed. Rather than knowing about direct health impacts, the responses were mainly about the adverse impacts of clothing in general. For example, discomfort and associated smell. Thus, one can assume that nearly all consumers are completely unaware about how their clothing can impact their health and well-being.

When asked what information they felt that they should be provided with upon purchasing their clothing, the number one answer was the chemical content of the clothing with 69.35%. The remaining results are as follows: country of production (68.62%), who made the article/their working conditions (68.52%), the associated health impact on consumers (63.44%), environmental impacts (59.36%), means of disposal (42.96%), and none of the above (5.11%). Furthermore, a vast majority of consumers prefer that the information is provided via the label.

In addition, upon questioning whether there are better alternative materials, approximately 69.75% were unsure. Those that were sure indicated that wool, hemp, silk, bamboo, linen, and fur (but, they were uncomfortable with that idea because of animal cruelty). Some also stated that recycled synthetics are a good alternative. However, a majority indicated that cotton is the best alternative.

On average, consumers were neutral when it came to wanting to better understand the sustainability of the clothes that they bought. Similarly, they were neutral about paying more for better, more sustainable clothing. Consumers who indicated that they were more interested in learning more about their clothing also indicated that they would be willing to pay more for their clothing. However, some respondents indicated that although they would like to wear more sustainable-sourced, healthier materials, they simply could not afford them.

G aps in Data
There are some potential knowledge gaps, for example, more men are needed for a proper gender comparison. There is also an uneven age distribution as a majority of respondents were 34 years old and younger. Similarly, the initial survey response count was 176 respondents. However, 10 survey responses were inaccessible. Furthermore, more respondents from each country are necessary to get a better geo-cultural understanding.

Conclusion
Synthetic fibres are cheap and offer a wide range of utility that other natural fibres cannot offer. They are nearly ubiquitous among clothing and textiles, worldwide. The production, distribution and consumption of synthetic fibres is increasing exponentially with the global advent of fast fashion. However, the use of synthetic fibres comes with significant environmental and health costs. Textiles, as a result, are a major global polluter, contributing to increasing greenhouse emissions, environmental degradation, water pollution and hazardous health impacts.

Finding sustainable alternatives is essential to reduce the damaging environmental effects of synthetic textiles. However, issues we identified that exist currently - both through perusing the existing scientific literature and through collecting original global data - include a lack of awareness regarding the issue of synthetic textile pollution, the affordability of sustainable alternatives, and lack of political will to change.

Solutions to consider include increasing consumer awareness, changing behavioural habits (clothing purchases, clothes washing, etc) and adding synthetic textile pollution to the global policy and governance agenda.
Ideas of fashion sustainability Ideas of fashion sustainability
Annex 2

[1] Cotton accounts for 8-10% of pesticides and up to 50% of all pesticides used in developing countries (WWF, 2013).

[2] It's estimated that a single textile factory can use 200 tons of fresh water per ton of dyed fabric.

[3] http://www.ipublishing.co.in/ijesarticles/twelve/articles/volthree/EIJES31094.pdf

[5] https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2017-002.pdf

[6] http://www.osha.mddsz.gov.si/resources/files/pdf/E-fact_30_-_Occupational_safety_and_health_in_the_textiles_sector.pdf

[7] https://www.girlsglobe.org/2014/06/19/womens-rights-in-the-textile-industry/

[8] https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/bangladesh-another-major-factory-fire-shows-"industry-safeguards"-are-failing

[9] https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/report-alleges-ms-hm-of-paying-asian-workers-less-than-living-wage-brands-respond

[10] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6145397_Natural_History_and_Risk_Factors_of_Early_Respiratory_Responses_to_Exposure_to_Cotton_Dust_in_Newly_Exposed_Workers?ev=auth_pub

[11] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ajim.4700170108

[12] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263279378_Health_effects_of_cotton_dust_and_byssinosis

[13] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ajim.4700170108

[14] Silpasuwan, P., Prayomyong, S., Sujitrat, D & Suwan-Ampai, P (2016). Cotton Dust Exposure and Resulting Respiratory Disorders Among Home-Based Garment Workers, Workplace health and safety, 64(3), 95-103. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26558684

[15] http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/toxic-clothing-synthetic-fibers-hazard-to-health/

[16] file:///C:/Users/olgas/AppData/Local/Packages/Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe/TempState/Downloads/98-Article%20Text-295-1-10-20100929.pdf

[18] About Organic Cotton (AOC). (2018). Achieving Sustainable Development Goals through Organic Cotton. Retrieved from: http://aboutorganiccotton.org/sdgs/

[19] Textile Exchange. (2010). Cotton for the 21st Century: An Introduction to Organic Cotton. Retrieved from: http://farmhub.textileexchange.org/upload/learning%20zone/Cotton%20Briefings%20separate/Organic%20Cotton_An%20Introduction.pdf

[20] http://www.cotton.org/news/meetings/2013annual/ecout.cfm

[21] http://drrajivdesaimd.com/2012/11/01/clothing/

[22] https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/environment-costs-fast-fashion-pollution-waste-sustainability-a8139386.html

[23] https://www.uni-kassel.de/fb07/fileadmin/datas/fb07/5-Institute/IBWL/Wagner/EMBS/Correas_Silvia_expose_EMBS.pdf

[24] http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/clothes-recycling-marketplace-1.4493490

[25] https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2017-002.pdf (page 21, figure 4)

[26] http://digitalcommons.bard.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&context=senproj_f2016

[27] http://edepot.wur.nl/440067

[28] https://theswatchbook.offsetwarehouse.com/2015/01/29/what-is-recycled-polyester/

[29] https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/may/18/recycling-nylon-bureo-patagonia-sustainable-clothing

[30] http://www.naturalfibres2009.org/en/fibres/

[31] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/synthetic-fiber

[32] https://www.barnhardtcotton.net/sustainability/

[34] https://sustainabilityinstyle.com/synthetic-and-natural-whats-the-diff/

[35] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-dietz/organic-cotton-sustainable-fashion_b_3562788.html

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The Sustainability of Fashion: what role can consumers play?

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Read our new article about sustainable textiles and the demand of consumers. The textiles industry is one of the largest industries in the world. Its supply-chain includes agriculture, manufacturing, processing, fabric care, use, recycling and disposal.

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Consumer mindsets in regards to consumption habits

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Consumer mindsets in regards to consumption habits

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Sustainable fashion: Exploring emerging consumer trends

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Discover why sustainable fashion is transforming the industry and how rising consumer demand for ethical clothing is driving change.

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Consumer mindsets and the change that needs to happen

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Consumer mindsets and the change that needs to happen

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The Psychology of Sustainable Fashion: Changing Consumer Mindsets

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In recent years, there has been a notable shift in the fashion industry. Traditional attitudes toward clothing and consumption are evolving, giving rise to a new trend: sustainable fashion. Beyond just being a fashion statement, sustainable fashion represents a significant change in mindset, one that focuses on the environment, ethical production, and conscious consumerism. This shift is not just a trend; it’s a psychological transformation in how consumers perceive and interact with the fashion world. In this article, we will delve into the psychology of sustainable fashion, exploring the factors driving this change in consumer mindsets and the profound impact it has on the industry.
The Rise of Eco-consciousnessIncreasing awareness about climate change, environmental degradation, and thedetrimental effects of fast fashion have led to a surge in eco-consciousness. Consumers are becoming more mindful of their carbon footprint and the environmental consequences of their choices. Sustainable fashion aligns with these concerns, offering eco-friendly alternatives that reduce the overall environmental impact. By choosing sustainable fashion, consumers feel a sense of responsibility and contribution toward environmental preservation, a factor deeply rooted in their psychological shift.
The Appeal of Ethical ConsumerismSustainable fashion embodies the principles of ethical consumerism. Ethical consumerism is the idea that individuals make purchasing decisions based not only on their personal needs but also on the ethical implications of their choices. Sustainable fashion ensures fair wages, safe working conditions, and humane treatment of workers. Consumers are increasingly valuing the people behind their clothes, understanding that their choices can uplift communities and contribute to social welfare. This sense of ethical responsibility deeply influences their purchasing decisions.
The Desire for AuthenticityIn a world saturated with mass-produced, identical items, there is a growing craving for authenticity and uniqueness. Sustainable fashion offers precisely this – unique, handcrafted pieces that tell a story. Each sustainable garment is often made with care and precision, incorporating traditional craftsmanship and artisanal skills. When consumers wear sustainable fashion, they are not just wearing clothes; they are wearing artistry and authenticity. This unique connection to their garments enhances their sense of self, fostering a more profound and genuine relationship with their wardrobe.
Empowerment Through Conscious Choices
Choosing sustainable fashion empowers consumers. It gives them a sense of control and agency over their purchasing decisions. By opting for eco-friendly materials, supporting local artisans, or endorsing ethical fashion brands, consumers actively contribute to positive change. This empowerment is not just a fleeting feeling; it becomes a part of their identity, shaping their self-perception and enhancing their self-esteem. The knowledge that their choices matter, both for the environment and society, strengthens their resolve to continue making conscious decisions.
Fostering Emotional Connection
Sustainable fashion often tells a compelling story. Whether it’s about the skilled artisans who crafted the garment or the journey of eco-friendly materials, each piece has a narrative. This storytelling aspect fosters an emotional connection between the consumer and the item. When consumers wear sustainable fashion, they are not just wearing clothes; they are expressing their values, beliefs, and emotions. This emotional connection enhances their overall satisfaction and fulfilment, reinforcing their commitment to sustainable choices.
Building a Circular Wardrobe
The concept of a circular wardrobe is gaining momentum in sustainable fashion. Instead of the linear model of ‘take-make-dispose,’ where clothes are discarded after use, a circular wardrobe emphasizes the reuse, recycling, and upcycling of garments. This shift in perspective challenges the notion of constant consumption and promotes the idea of llongevity and durability. Consumers are increasingly valuing versatile, timeless pieces that can be styled in various ways and last for years. The concept of a circular wardrobe transforms the mindset from fleeting trends to enduring style, emphasizing the value of well-made, enduring pieces over fast, disposable fashion.Social Influence and Community
The rise of social media and online communities has played a significant role in changing consumer mindsets. Sustainable fashion influencers, eco-conscious bloggers, and online communities dedicated to ethical living provide consumers with valuable information and inspiration. Seeing others make sustainable choices, share their experiences, and champion eco-friendly brands creates a sense of belonging and shared purpose. This social influencereinforces the idea that sustainable fashion is not just an individual choice but a collective movement, amplifying its impact on consumer mindsets.
Conclusion: A Paradigm Shift in Fashion The psychology of sustainable fashion represents a profound shift in consumer mindsets. It embodies a new way of thinking, where the environment, ethical values, authenticity, empowerment, emotional connection, circularity, and community are at the core of fashion choices. This shift is not just about what people wear; it’s about who they are and what they stand for. Sustainable fashion has become a symbol of conscious living, reflecting the values and beliefs of a growing segment of society. As this mindset continues to evolve, it is reshaping the fashion industry as a whole. Brandsare now recognizing the importance of sustainability, not just as a marketing strategy but as a fundamental principle guiding their practices. The psychology of sustainable fashion is not merely a trend; it’s a transformative force that is redefining the very essence of fashion, emphasizing mindfulness, responsibility, and authenticity. As consumers continue to embrace these values, the fashion industry is set to undergo a lasting, positive change, fostering a more sustainable and ethical future for fashion and the planet.

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Statistics from the Drapers Bespoke Sustainability and the Consumer 2022 Report.

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Statistics from the Drapers Bespoke Sustainability and the Consumer 2022 Report.

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Statistics from the Drapers Bespoke Sustainability and the Consumer 2022 Report.

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Statistics from the Drapers Bespoke Sustainability and the Consumer 2022 Report.

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Statistics from the Drapers Bespoke Sustainability and the Consumer 2022 Report.

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Reflection - Slow fashion was a term first coined by Kate Fletcher in 2007, this term is used to describe a movement that promotes environmental and social sustainability in the fashion industry. Slow fashion is about encouraging conscious consumption and consumers taking awareness of the impact of a garment before purchase. Every solution that I speak on in this visual board fits into the slow fashion movement as they help to combat sustainability issues in th fashion industry.

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Fast fashion retailers, with their need to constantly meet growing sales goals and investor expectations, give little recognition to climate change and workers' interests. The slow fashion movement asks companies to hit the brakes on excessive production and unethical practices that plague the industry, inviting consumers to rethink their relationship with clothes and shopping. What is slow fashion, how does it differs from the unsustainable fast fashion market, and why should we do more to support this movement?
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You might also like: Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact
As fashion takes steps towards sustainability, you have probably heard a slew of new terms and movements such as circular fashion, eco-fashion, or sustainable fashion. They are overlapping terms with slight differences, but all of them have the same goal: to reduce the environmental footprint of the fashion industry.

What Is Slow Fashion?

Slow fashion is a movement that advocates for environmental and social justice in the fashion industry. Its defining point is that it zeroes in on the problem of overproduction and overconsumption.

She described fast fashion as being not much about speed but rather greed, about "selling more" and "making more money." Instead, slow fashion "is about designing, producing, consuming, and living better". "Slow" - she added - "is not the opposite of fast - there is no dualism - but a different approach in which designers, buyers, retailers, and consumers are more aware of the impacts of products on workers, communities, and ecosystems".
You might also like: How to Recognise Fast Fashion Brands and Which Ones to Avoid
Some of slow fashion's key philosophies include:

A shift from quantity to quality, both in production and consumption. It's not hell-bent on constant growth or accumulating more.

Manufacturing that respects the environment by using low-waste processes and avoiding harmful chemicals.

Providing workers a living wage and healthy working conditions.

Producing collections in small batches or on a pre-order basis to avoid unsold inventory.

An uncomplicated supply chain where raw materials and labour aren't scattered across the globe. It uses local materials and employs local workers as much as possible.

Transparency and honesty in its supply chain and practices. A great example is ethical jeans brand , which has a " Hall of Fail " page that showcases its challenges and failures.

Using natural fibres, deadstock fabrics, or old textiles for upcycling.

Fashion's Sustainability Problem
You might also like: 7 Fast Fashion Companies Responsible for Environmental Pollution
How Fashion Picked Up Speed

Fashion wasn't always like this. Before the 19th century, people took the time to make their own clothes or had them made at a tailor's if they could afford it. It was a hands-on, personalised process that involved communication between the wearer and creator. Waiting a week or so for a dress to be finished made people value their clothing more. Splurging on new clothes and trends was something that only aristocrats indulged in; so regular folk without a royal budget invested in fabrics that were made to last.

All that changed in the 90s when high street retailers like Zara and H&M disrupted the industry, compressing trend cycles and purging out thousands of new items in stores weekly. If we thought that was as revolutionary as it gets, along comes new challengers like Shein or Pretty Little Thing - online-only stores that upended the fast fashion giants with an ultra-fast fashion model. Relying heavily on big data and an influencer worship culture, these new brands successfully conquered social media feeds and shoppers' wallets. Bloomberg's David Fickling calls Shein's 2022 valuation of $100 billion a "win for fast fashion" . This year, the company is set to make $20 billion in revenue .

How Can You Join the Slow Fashion Movement?

It can be difficult to veer away from the status quo and completely flip your shopping habits. The good news is that supporting the slow fashion movement is extremely easy, and you don't even have to buy anything new to get started!

Here's how you can make the shift to slow fashion:

1. Repair and Take Care of Your Clothes

2. Wear Second-hand Clothing

We have finally bid good riddance to the stigma of wearing second-hand clothes. Today, thrifting is so widespread that it is even covered on the pages of glossy high-fashion magazines, something unimaginable until not even two decades ago.

There are many options for getting second-hand clothes. You can borrow from your family or friends' closets for one-off events. You can also do clothing swaps or offer your own unused clothing to someone you know will love it.

Freecycling groups are also a goldmine for "new" old clothes. These are online sharing groups where people can donate or request free items. It facilitates gift-giving and communication among members of a local community because the exchange is often done in person. It has become increasingly popular as people are looking for ways to donate their stuff without having to go to charity centres. Unfortunately, statistics show that up to 80% of donations end up either incinerated, in landfills, or sent overseas to be sold. Search for a Facebook freecycling group in your area or check out websites like FreeCycle.org or Trash Nothing .

Looking for the thrill of the hunt? There are always one-of-a-kind and stylish pieces from thrift and vintage stores. Online thrifting is easier today thanks to platforms like , , , or Vestiaire Collective ; there is something for everyone's tastes and price points.

3. Shop Mindfully
Featured image by cottonbro from Pexels
In Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, somewhere between of people's wardrobes are unused. A closet bursting with clothes you only semi-love or never wear is also a sign of constant impulse shopping. The next time you feel the itch to shop, check your closet first. Do you really a fifth new dress/pair of pants/crop top in your closet? Chances are you don't. Your overfull closet will thank you, and so will the planet.

Shopping mindfully also means being aware of companies' greenwashing tactics. Slapping an "eco-friendly" tag isn't proof that an item is sustainable. Do some background research on a brand by Googling or checking on the app. For unbiased and educational sustainable fashion content, websites like Fashion Revolution and Fashion Takes Action are great sources.

Conclusion

Fast fashion has industrialised the making of clothes to the point where we think of them as throwaway commodities. Slow fashion is more than just a way of shopping. It's a lifestyle and a philosophy that acknowledges the real value of clothing and the entire process involved - from materials, the planet, and the people.

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What Is Slow Fashion and How Can You Join the Movement? | Earth.Org

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It is no news that the fast fashion industry has a detrimental impact on the environment. What is slow fashion and can it be a more sustainable solution?

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The concept of up cycling and the certification UPMADE®

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The concept of up cycling and the certification UPMADE®

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Reflection - Up cycling is a method that revolves around taking a already existing garment and turning it into something new, wether that new garment is for personal use or sale. This method helps to combat overconsumption as it helps to give textiles a longer use life rather than the original garment ending up in landfill. Many designers have started to use existing textiles and garments to create something new rather than using fabric bought from a store. This practice helps to lower the negative environmental impact that overconsumption causes as it fits into the technical cycle, a earth-centred regenerative model that encourages repurposing textiles to extend the amount of time used by a consumer. Reet Aus is a fashion designer and environmental activist who utilises up cycling in many of the collections their label creates. Reet has also set up a certification named UPMADE® that helps other fashion labels to apply up cycling methods to their work and receive a certification for doing so. Not only does this certification help to increase the use of up cycling to other designer, it helps consumers to recognise brands that are using methods that promote sustainability making it easier to recognise these products and shop consciously.

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UPMADE® - your unique circular step
UPMADE® enables brands and manufacturers to apply our industrial upcycling method and obtain certification. A circular economy produces zero waste and pollution, by design. It is an ideal that the UPMADE® method supports in a real and practical way. Traditional clothing manufacturing creates an average of 18% textile leftovers. Our method closes the loop by applying upcycling on an industrial scale and reducing the amount of textile leftovers. Thanks to this, that 18% can now be turned from cost into value.

The UPMADE® Certification process is the outcome of a solid partnership between comprehensive field research and thorough scientific analysis to meet the most far-reaching aspirations in upcycling. It strives for a smaller environmental footprint and maximised resource efficiency in the textile industry through a broader use of upcycling in industrial production.

If you are interested in implementing the UPMADE® system, please read more here.

Our UPMADE-certified partners

BEXIMCO Group certification number: UP-2022-001-03, valid until 01.05.2026.

Mirafo SP.J certification number: UP-2021-005-01, valid until 01.01.2025.

Denhaus Tekstil certification process in progress.

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UPMADE® - your unique circular step UPMADE® enables brands and manufacturers to apply our industrial upcycling method and obtain certification. A circular economy produces zero waste and pollution, by design. It is an ideal that the UPMADE® method supports in a real and practical way. Traditional clothing manufacturing

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I'm always looking for new ways to add flair to my outfits. Between microtrends and Pinterest pages filled with fashion inspiration, it can be challenging to curate a wardrobe that feels like a true expression of myself. It can be even more difficult to do so while maintaining variety and being mindful of overconsumption. When my vacation rolled around this spring, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to try renting clothes for my trip to the beach.

"Between microtrends and Pinterest pages filled with fashion inspiration, it can be challenging to curate a wardrobe that feels like a true expression of myself."

But first, a bit more about clothing rental companies and how they work. Now a $1.57 billion industry, the clothing rental market is booming with a growing range of options, from luxury selections to more accessible subscriptions. The model was first designed in 2009 by Rent The Runway co-founders Jennifer Hyman and Jenny Fleiss. After Hyman's sister went into debt over a dress for a wedding, Hyman decided that renting designer garments rather than purchasing them was the smarter way to go. The pair started a pop-up rental shop on Harvard's campus, which grew in 2016 into the novel online clothing rental subscription we know today.

The main draw of clothing rental servicesis the ability to switch up your style with low commitment to the garments themselves. These services are ideal for events like parties or vacations, where you may need a specific outfit but don't want to invest in a new piece. They're also great for maternity wear, especially when the clothing may not fit for long. As an aside-If you can't bear to part with one of your items when the rental period is over, you can buy it at a discounted price. And if you'd like to keep your items beyond your return date, you have the flexibility to do so, given you pay your next month's subscription fee.

"The main draw of clothing rental servicesis the ability to switch up your style with low commitment to the garments themselves."

Clothing rental services have also been praised as a sustainable and circular alternative to the fast fashion model, which quickly takes clothes from production to the landfill, often having been worn only a handful of times. When customers send their rented selections back to be passed along to someone else, the clothing is given a longer lease of life. Consumers are also dissuaded from buying and holding on to items they may only wear once. Rent The Runway highlights 24% less water, 6% less energy, and 3% less emissions on average for each garment rented through the platform instead of purchased new.

However, the model of environmental impacts is certainly not one size fits all. Emissions from constant transportation and dry cleaning between each customer quickly adds up and can outweigh the benefits, but a lot of it comes down to how you use the service.

"The model of environmental impacts is certainly not one size fits all."

To try out the clothing rental model for myself, I decided to rent from Nuuly. Founded in 2019 by URBN-parent company to Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and Free People-and based in Philadelphia, I liked the site's selection and relative affordability compared to other services. Nuuly charges $98 for six items, as compared to some of the other sites, which sometimes cost upwards of $200.

I signed up for the monthly subscription and picked out six garments for my beach trip: three crop tops in trending styles and three unique dresses. Within a few days, my clothes arrived in cute reusable packaging. I was able to wear all of my items for my trip, and then drop them off at my local UPS to be returned and cleaned before their next use. Once they confirmed receipt, I was ready to order my next picks.

"Not every piece was a hit, but I got to experience some real fairytale moments in outfits I never would've worn otherwise."

Over the course of three months, I tried a little bit of everything: dresses, skirts, pants, and tops, mostly in brightly-colored prints. Not every piece was a hit, but I got to experience some real fairytale moments in outfits I never would've worn otherwise (hello, gorgeous poofy tea time dress!). I even bought one piece-a sheer blue top that now serves as my go-to for artsy events.

Overall, the process of renting with Nuuly was nothing if not convenient, though deciding to pay for clothes that I wasn't going to be able to keep was a bit of a hurdle for me. Still, I was excited for the chance to experiment without unworn clothes piling up in my wardrobe. Commiting to renting pieces that would only be with me for so long forced me to be intentional about what I was choosing and what role each piece would play for the time being.

Because the pieces I picked out were so distinct and sometimes occasion-specific, many of them only got one wear. Extending the rental by paying for the following month didn't feel practical or financially sustainable. In terms of cost-per-wear, this is not the most efficient or sustainable option. And if you continue to buy clothes at the same rate with a subscription service, the sustainability benefits are easily lost.

"I loved how the time constraints served as an unconventional reminder of the value of clothing."

At the same time, I loved how the time constraints served as an unconventional reminder of the value of clothing. It prompted me to make the most of each piece before I had to send them back, and I put together some of my best outfits. The pressure has also inspired me to find new ways to style my existing closet and get the most out of what I already own.

"Getting a good grasp of your personal style and selecting garments accordingly is a great way to reduce waste."

While I don't think renting clothes is a good long-term strategy for me, it's been nice having the option to sprinkle in some unique threads while honing in on what could resonate with me long term. Getting a good grasp of your personal style and selecting garments accordingly is a great way to reduce waste in your clothing consumption patterns. Similarly, if you're going on vacation or need a dress for a special occasion, renting can be a much more sustainable way to go.

Despite the time constraints and financial barriers, circular practices like clothing rentals becoming mainstream is a win to me. With longer rental periods and incentives to wear your garments more often before returning them, clothing rentals do have the potential to mitigate a lot of waste. For now, my rentals will have to wait until my next big trip, and I'll be sure to add outfit repeating to my itinerary!
Nia Shalise (she/her) is an eco-conscious content creator based in Boston. You can usually find her amplifying sustainable practices online while drinking tea, or coffee, or possibly both. Connect with her on Instagram!

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I'm always looking for new ways to add flair to my outfits. Between microtrends and Pinterest pages filled with fashion inspiration, it can be challenging

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Reflection - Repair schemes are a great way to promote the technical cycle, a earth-centred regenerative model. Repair schemes can range from community projects organised by consumers aiming to promote awareness, or clothing labels that will offer repair for products they have sold. In Wellington, New Zealand, a organisation called Sustainability Trust has set up a repair scheme that is held monthly. These events encourage consumers to bring damaged garments to the workshops, where they are then helped to fix garments and taught how to repair clothing for themselves. This initiative is a great way to create awareness around how consumers can follow a slow fashion movement as well as creating a longer use life for garments whilst keeping them out of landfill.

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At the end of a secluded side street in the heart of Wellington is the home of Sustainability Trust. It's an organisation that focuses on supporting people to reduce their impact on the environment.

It runs monthly workshops, or repair cafes, where people can come along with clothing that needs to be repaired. The trust's team of volunteers helps people fix these items, either by guiding or showing how it's done.

The sewing workshops are held on the first Saturday of every month, and it's always a busy day at the trust. It turns out that lots of people want to learn how to repair.

With steaming mugs of coffee and tea provided by the trust, those who've brought in their ripped or damaged clothing are teamed up with a volunteer.

After talking about what they want fixed, they set to work together at one of the many sewing machines provided.

Ruby, an arts student, brought along a funky pair of tartan pants with a broken zip. She had a little sewing experience under her belt but didn't feel confident repairing the zip on her own at home.

"I did a little bit in high school ... I don't have a machine any more though, and I tend to damage things more than fix them."

Ruby said the lovely people volunteering who are good at sewing could help fill the gap in her knowledge and give her access to machinery. It wasn't just a zip to fix; she also needed to alter a dress she'd bought from an op shop that was too big.

Lorraine prepares some pants for hemming.

"As a general rule, I never buy anything new. I don't like fast fashion and I'm a student, so I haven't got a lot of money."

Buying clothes from an op shop is a great way to get unique fashion at a fraction of the original price while also helping the planet, Ruby said. If things don't fit properly, knowing some basic sewing skills can help you fix the problem.

It was ill-fitting clothing that prompted Lorraine to take part. She came to hem the sleeves of a zip-up polar fleece she's had for 16 years. She wanted to learn to alter it instead of buying a new one.

"A lot of people would throw something like this out," she said. But her jumper is made from polyester, a plastic-based fabric, so she "wanted to save it from the landfill". A jumper like Lorraine's could survive in the landfill for anywhere from 20 to 200 years.

In her younger years, Lorraine did night classes to learn how to sew. However, it had been a while since she'd practised and some techniques she'd never learned. After digging around for the right colour thread in a box overflowing with spools, Lorraine got on the machine and gave it a go.

"I've never worked with twin needles before, so it's a bit tricky ... but it was great to get somebody to help me."

Niloy, a tech whiz, brought along a mountain of jeans to be repaired, all with the same issue. The denim where the thighs tend to rub was disintegrating, leaving large holes on either side. "It's the classic problem."

Volunteer fixing a hole in Niloy's jeans.

Aside from the holes, "the rest of the jeans are just fine - I don't want to throw them away".

He's had his favourite pair for about six years and had taken them to a tailor to get them fixed. But as the jeans continued to wear, he had to set them aside.

Niloy knows the basics of sewing and said he was "a dab hand" back in school. Now, he lacks the confidence to fix the jeans himself. Short of sending them to his mother in Scotland, he went along to Sustainability Trust.

"It's one thing to go along and get something repaired, but it's another to learn the basics again, so that next time I've got to add another pair of jeans to the mountain, I won't have to wait ages to get them fixed, or buy new," he said.

The trust's lead educator, Kim Tabrum, believes the workshops "promote the health and wealth of people and planet". People, like Ruby, Lorraine and Niloy, are a big part of everything going on at the trust, she said. It's a space for people to share knowledge, learn and connect with others, no matter their background.

"The social aspect ... after Covid-19, it's one of the highlights."

According to Kim, the sessions ensure that our possessions are used in meaningful ways for as long as possible. They also help individuals consume less, reduce carbon emissions and avoid waste.

Indeed, repair is one of the most effective ways of reducing our carbon emissions. Waste and Resources Action Plan UK (WRAP) is an NGO that operates around the world to tackle the causes of the climate crisis. It estimates that extending the life of your clothes by nine months could reduce carbon and water footprints by up to 30%.

All the sewing machines and an overlocker have been sourced by the trust secondhand. Some are donated and others are rescued from the landfill. Once they've been given a clean and a good service, the machines are as good as new.

Their materials are secondhand too. Fabrics come from donations and scraps from the trust's Wellington Curtain Bank, while cottons, zips and buttons are donated too. It means the trust's stockpile is overflowing with a variety of colours, textures and finishes for any repair need.

Sustainability Trust also runs a collaborative repair cafe with Hopper Refill, which focuses on repairing small electrical appliances ("toasters are the worst", Kim said), as well as providing tech support and advising on general household repairs.

Repair cafes aren't unique to Sustainability Trust, either. There are many repair cafes happening around the country, from Dunedin to Auckland. To find one in your area, go to repaircafeaotearoa.co.nz.

Mending our ways

The composition of waste in our landfills is rapidly changing. The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) estimates there are about 186,000 tonnes of textiles currently in NZ landfills. This number has been increasing since the mid-1990s. Before then, textile waste in New Zealand accounted for 0.5% of landfill mass. But in the past 25 years, it has ballooned to more than 5%.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) is another global charity focused on tackling the causes of climate change. EMF suggests the advent of fast fashion in the late 1990s is partly to blame, and it's not hard to see why. Clothing is increasingly manufactured cheaply, from plastic-based materials like polyester, without any consideration for durability. Garments are easily worn out and as trends become obsolete, clothes become disposable. From the get-go, they're destined for the landfill.

Cost is a barrier if you want to avoid the problem of fast fashion altogether. A quick look online shows a sustainably sourced and made cotton T-shirt could cost 12 times more than its fast-fashion counterpart (assuming you're able to certify it's actually sustainable).

Then there's the infrastructure issue. With low-quality clothing dominating the fashion market and driving trend cycles, businesses are increasing production output. As the fashion industry grows, there isn't a proportionate focus on the longevity of garments.

Taking responsibility, also known as product stewardship, is an emerging initiative, with regulators driving industry change. For example, France introduced a mandatory repairability index, which requires manufacturers of five types of electronic devices to front up to customers about how easy it is to repair their products. Labels on smartphones, televisions, laptops, washing machines, and lawnmowers allow French consumers to make more informed decisions about the products they're buying.

But it's not a perfect solution. While both Australia and New Zealand have government-accredited product stewardship schemes, they're mostly voluntary (with very few exceptions) and industry-wide coverage simply doesn't exist. None of the New Zealand schemes involve textiles. Ultimately, this means the burden of repair rests on the consumer to figure it out.

The options are limited. There's DIY and tailors, which can be expensive. If you can't repair clothing yourself and you can't take it to a tailor, you're left with donating to charity shops and then disposing to landfills.

According to EMF, the consequences of unfettered textile waste could be "potentially catastrophic".

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Repair cafes: The key to a more sustainable fashion industry

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A silver bullet for our textile waste problem.

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Patagonia's repair scheme in New Zealand

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Patagonia's repair scheme in New Zealand

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Product Care & Repair - Patagonia New Zealand

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Patagonia is a designer of outdoor clothing and gear for the silent sports: climbing, surfing, skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking, trail running, and fly fishing.

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France will pay you to repair your clothes | CNN Business

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France is to introduce a scheme that will subsidize repairs to clothing and shoes in order to cut waste and planet-heating pollution from the textile industry.

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Reflection - Remanufacturing is the process of collecting discarded clothes and accessories as well as waste from the cutting process in the production phase, breaking down these fibres and using them to create a new textile to be used for an entirely new garment. This method works in a technical cycle and helps to combat textile waste ending up in landfill. The organisation EVRNU® has created a technology that converts textile waste into new fibres that can be recycled many times. This technology helps to boost environmental sustainability and combat overconsumption in the fashion industry as it allows garments to be produced without needing a large amount of natural resources which then helps increase regeneration rates in comparison to consumption rates.

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Learn more about our technology NuCycl and our projects at Evrnu.

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The circular economy in the textile industry

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Circular economy and innovation drive sustainability. Discover examples and strategies for a sustainable future in the industry.

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Reflection - Promoting artisanal practices is a great way to bring a improve social sustainability. An artisanal practice entails creating products made by hand or using hand tools. Many artisanal practices are created with traditional methods from cultural backgrounds. The creation of these products help to create well paid jobs for workers and creatives in developing communities. The Ethical Fashion Initiative helps to connect artisans who live remotely with brands whilst ensuring they are treated and paid fairly. Organisations such as the Ethical Fashion Initiative promote social sustainability as they make sure that garment workers who are providing a craft for fashion labels are protected from being exploited.

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Ethical Fashion Initiative - Not Charity, Just Work

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Showcasing Artisanal Excellence at Lineapelle Fair in Milan - Ethical Fashion Initiative

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We continue our mission to connect artisans in challenging and remote locations with global luxury brands. For the second time this year, we participated in the prestigious Lineapelle Fair in Milan from September 17th to 19th, showcasing the extraordinary craftsmanship of our production network in Kenya (Tujikuze and Artisan Fashion), Burkina Faso and Benin (CABES

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The International Labour Organisation's codes to protect workers in the fashion industry

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The International Labour Organisation's codes to protect workers in the fashion industry

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Reflection - The International Labour Organisation has created a code to help keep garment workers safe from exploitation, whilst boosting economic and social sustainability to garment workers and the communities they are from. Organisations like this one can do great work to help minimise the negative effect overconsumption has on garment workers safety, health, and human rights in the fashion industry.

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Textiles, clothing, leather and footwear sector

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The sector is characterized by geographically dispersed production and dynamic market-driven transformations. It contributes significantly to economic and social development and provides employment opportunities to millions of workers worldwide, especially young women.

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UN SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

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UN SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production relates heavily to the topic of overconsumption in the fashion industry. This goal has been set to improve environmental sustainability in regards to consumption by consumers and production by businesses that provide a product.

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Goal 12 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs

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Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

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Reflection - One of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals missions is to combat textile waste in the fashion industry. The solutions that I have provided in my visual board all help to try and combat the sustainability issues caused by overconsumption. UN SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production target 12.5 is “By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.” Up cycling, repair schemes, remanufacturing fibres, and clothing rental businesses all promote and utilise methods that fit into a technical cycle. It is very imperative for consumers to be consciously making decisions about their consumption in regards to it fitting into a technical cycle as this is a great model to help combat textile waste. The UN SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production target 12.2 is to achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources, which these solutions help to do as through reusing, repairing, remanufacturing, and recycling textiles the amount of natural resources used are dramatically lowered as less textiles and garments have to be produced from fibre to product.

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Fashion industry has a waste problem, and we want to fight it. 25% of the fabrics that enter in the supply chain end up as waste. Recovo is a resale platform where fashion brands can buy and sell their overstock fabrics from past collections. By recovering fabrics, we extend their useful life cycle, reducing environmental impact and textile waste. Putting their fabrics back in circulation allows other brands to benefit from them and create more sustainable collections. We bring the circular economy closer to brands!

Implementation of the Project/Activity

Recovo, launched in July 2021, counts with more than 17k meters of fabrics previously considered waste. Thanks to the AI technology these fabrics can be matched to the perfect buyer and meet their expectations for the future designs.\r\nRecovo with the partnership with third party auditors measures the environmental impact of each fabric offered in their website. Promoting and publishing the real facts about using circular fabrics instead of new ones.\r\nMoreover, to educate in circular fashion, we are committed to different universities to promote circular design from the beginning of the education of future creatives in the fashion industry.

Recovo's marketplace is technology efficient to offer to the buyer the perfect match in terms of fabric. We implement artificial intelligence to increase the success rate in the match of fabrics speeding the circular usage of the fabrics. The brand can see in real time the sales they have and the remaining stock in the marketplace while adding extra stock in case they need. Recovo offers low minimum order quantity so all designers, from big to small or independent brands can have access to great fabrics removing one of the main barriers to the fabric industry.

Recovo's vision is to create an educational movement that will forever change the way we produce fashion. Collaborating with other industries and allies to preserve our planet's natural resources through circular and reuse initiatives. Our mission is to create a community for the purchase and sale of fabrics that reduces the problem of textile waste and the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Recovo brings you closer to a circular future.\r\nBy 2025 we can save more than 5.000 million liters of water (SDG 6), prevent more than 54 K tons of textiles from going to landfills (SDG 12) and improve our clients' net margin by 15% (SDG 17). We educate our community in sustainability values ​​through our platform and social media (SDG 8)

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Reduce the environmental impact of fashion industry by promoting circularity of fabrics

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Fashion industry has a waste problem, and we want to fight it. 25% of the fabrics that enter in the supply chain end up as waste. Recovo is a resale platform where fashion brands can buy and sell their overstock fabrics from past collections.

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United Nation's SDG in regards to the fashion industry

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United Nation's SDG in regards to the fashion industry

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Home - The UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion

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Previous Next What is the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion? The United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion is an initiative of United Nations agencies and allied organizations designed to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals through coordinated action in the fashion sector. Specifically, the Alliance works to support coordination between UN bodies working in fashion [...]

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UN SDG 10: Reduce Inequality Within and Among Countries

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UN SDG 10: Reduce Inequality Within and Among Countries

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Relection - United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries also fits into combatting issues caused by overconsumption in the fashion industry. UN SDG 10 target 10.4 is “Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality.” The solutions I have on my visual board that help this goal to progress are promoting artisanal practices and implementing codes to ensure that garment workers will not be exploited when it comes to their wages, health and safety. The International Labour Organisation and The Ethical Fashion Initiative are two organisations that help to further UN SDG 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries effort to complete these goals and increase social sustainability.

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Goal 10 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs

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Reduce inequality within and among countries

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Sustineri - The role of textile and fashion industries to achieve SDG 12 & 15 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs

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Whilst designing and creating my capsule collection this year, the United Nations Sustainable Development goal that I have decided to meet the targets of is goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. I am going to use natural fibres such as cotton to help combat textile waste and the negative impact landfills can create on communities and our ecosystem. Using natural fibres ensures that my garments can decompose rapidly and regenerate the environment. When natural fibres decompose they can replenish soil by providing nutrients during the decomposition process. I have made this decision whilst consciously making sure that I try to minimise the negative impact my design practice produces. I want to try and source my fabrics from reputable stores that source the fabric they offer with sustainability in mind, such as sourcing organic or fair-trade cotton. In a design practice, every step of the production process should be made with the circular fashion model in mind, which I have tried to do through my practice.

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The Fabric Store on their collection of organic cottons.