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1. Focus on Fashion Industry Waste

• The discussion shifted from post-consumer waste (clothing discarded by individuals) to pre-consumer waste (waste created before garments reach consumers).

Key causes of pre-consumer waste:

• Overproduction: Brands produce too many garments, many of which remain unsold.

• Cutting Waste: Large amounts of fabric scraps discarded during garment production.

• Unwanted Trends: Rapidly shifting fashion trends lead to surplus stock that never sells.

Challenges in Researching Waste:

• Lack of industry transparency companies may hide actual waste data.

• Fashion industry tends to shift blame onto consumers, ignoring its own role in waste creation.

2. Possible Solutions & Industry Initiatives

Sustainability Initiatives:

• London Fashion Week and Copenhagen Fashion Week introducing waste reduction frameworks.

• Potential government regulations to enforce sustainable production.

Reducing Overproduction:
• Implementing smarter demand forecasting to avoid excess stock.
• Encouraging brands to adopt made-to-order or small-batch production.

Tackling Cutting Waste:
• Using zero-waste pattern cutting techniques.
• Repurposing fabric scraps into new garments or accessories.

3. Presentation Planning & Structure

• The group is still gathering research but needs to start shaping it into a clear story rather than just presenting data.

Key Areas to Cover:
• Industry responsibility for waste (shifting blame away from consumers).

• Specific examples of brands or policies tackling pre-consumer waste.
• Potential solutions balancing profit and sustainability.

Collaboration Approach:
• Work on a shared PowerPoint instead of isolated slides.
• Ensure a cohesive message and structure across sections.
• Reference sources properly using Harvard referencing (bibliography at the end).

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Because people want trendy clothing for an affordable price regardless of quality and how the products are made.

According to a 2024 report by Growthco.uk, "To sell items at a cheaper price, and drive-up sales, some brands have adopted unethical practices including child and forced labour, worker exploitation, including underpaying, and working long hours (75-hour weeks) and often in unsafe conditions."

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GC is on a journey to become net zero by 2035 and as employees of GC, it's crucial that we understand the impact of our choices and the steps we can take to reduce waste and our carbon footprint.

Environmental Toll

According to the European Parliament, the fashion industry is estimated to be the cause of 10% of global carbon emissions. More than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Not only this but the extensive use of natural resources including water, energy and oil all adds to the environmental toll.

Did you know it takes 2,700 litres of water to produce one cotton shirt, that is the equivalent of 2.5 years of drinking water for one person!

With clothes no longer made to last and now a disposable item how many of us can say we regularly think before we purchase an item of clothing or throw it away?

When it comes to disposing of clothing Earth.org state that of the 1 billion garments are produced each year, with 92 million tonnes end up in landfills, whilst others are exported to the global south! As consumers of fast-fashion we are partly the reason why so much clothing is produced.

With Zero Waste Week (2-6 September) coming up it's a great time to think about the circular economy which is based on the principles of 3Rs - reduce, reuse and recycle. This has now evolved to also focus on prevent/avoid, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle and recover.

You can take steps to eliminate waste and pollution whilst making a difference to your carbon footprint.

The Ethical cost

The ethical and social cost of fast fashion is multifaceted, when we buy clothing items, we may not realise the true cost. To sell items at a cheaper price, and drive-up sales, some brands have adopted unethical practices including child and forced labour, worker exploitation, including underpaying, and working long hours (75-hour weeks) and often in unsafe conditions.

How can we make a difference?

As colleagues we can play a vital role in promoting sustainable practices both within our organisation and in our daily life. Here are some steps we can take:

1. Mend your clothes: Why not take part in a workshop watch a YouTube video on how to make basic mends to your clothes - you could learn how to fix a broken button, stitch a fallen hem or even fix a hole in your top. Making your clothes more durable and getting more wear out of them. Where you can't fix minor mends, take them to a tailor or alternation service who will do this for you.

2. Swap don't shop: Swap clothes that you no longer wear (in good condition) for something you like the look of via our clothes swaps, this is a free and sustainable way to revamp your wardrobe. Click here to see the locations of our clothes swaps.

3. Upcycle or donate: If you can't make our clothes swaps, why not think of selling your clothes online or donating them to someone else or to a charity.

4. Buy second-hand or vintage clothing: Buying second-hand or vintage clothing helps to reduce waste and increase the lifespan of an item.

5. Invest in items: Why not invest in staple items, these may be a slightly more expensive upfront cost but they will last years and make for great investment pieces that can be worn in many different ways.

6. Support ethical brands: Find and support ethical brands that think about the way they produce clothes, so that the carbon emissions are lower, there are many apps that can help you to do this.

7. Rent items: Some companies rent clothes or bags and other fashionable items to consumers for a fee. That way you can wear a great outfit and return it once used. This is great for weddings, and other special occasions when you may not need to wear an expensive again.

8. Reuse: Always think about the wear you'll get out of your clothes before buying them, don't buy items to only wear once.

9. Wash with care: Don't just chuck your clothes in the washing machine and hope for the best. Read the care label and follow the instructions on how to wash and dry items.

Fast fashion has a profound impact on the planet, but if we learn to understand our contribution to that we can look to reduce our carbon footprint, and this could even lead us to embrace sustainable practices.

At GC, let's work together to rethink our habits and support a circular economy. Take a look around our Small Changes Big Impact webpage to learn more about what we are doing at GC, when we all make small changes, they lead to a big impact.

Contact us at communicaitons@growthco.uk to discuss this topic further or come along to one of our clothes swaps.

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The Growth Company | The hidden costs of fast fashion: Why we must act now

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Fast fashion has revolutionised the way we shop, with cheap low-quality clothing easily available on the high street, it's become hassle-free, convenient and affordable. However, this comes at a significant cost to the environment and to us as consumers as it poses an ethical dilemma.

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It is no secret that we all enjoy shopping for clothes, especially when they are trendy and affordable. Courtesy of fast fashion, it is now possible to fuel this desire without breaking the bank. But have you ever wondered what fast fashion really means for the environment? It may come as a surprise, but fast fashion is one of the most polluting and wasteful industries in the world. In this blog, we explore the dark side of fast fashion and how it impacts our planet. We will also share our efforts, as a company, to make a positive difference in the fast fashion industry by using sustainable packaging and manufacturing methods.

Fast fashion is based on a business model that encourages mass production and consumption of clothing. To keep up with the ever-changing trends, fast fashion brands use a lot of resources such as water, energy, and chemicals, to make their clothes. Did you know that it takes 2,700 litres of water to make one cotton t-shirt? According to the World Wildlife Fund, this amount of water is enough for one person to drink for two and a half years! Not only does the fast fashion industry use excessive amount of resources, they are also one of the biggest contributors to global warming. It produces around 10% of the world's carbon emissions; this is more than all the flights and ships combined (UN Environment Programme)!

As fast fashion clothing is cheap and of low quality, they have a very short shelf life. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, around 85% of the textiles produced each year end up in landfills or incinerators. This is a major problem as many of these clothes are made from synthetic fibres, like polyester, which can take hundreds of years to decompose. As they decompose, they release greenhouse gases that worsen climate change. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation also states that the fashion industry generates around 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year, which is equivalent to the weight of 1.2 billion people.

Fast fashion also impacts water quality and quantity. One of the most harmful and toxic processes in the fashion industry is dyeing, which uses a lot of water and chemicals. Approximately 20% of the world's industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment, which release toxic substances into water bodies (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe). These chemicals can harm aquatic life, damage ecosystems, and contaminate drinking water sources. Some of the chemicals used in the fashion industry are known to be carcinogenic, allergenic and induce hormonal imbalances (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe). In some parts of the world, textile dyeing, and treatment are responsible for up to 20% of freshwater pollution (World Resources Institute).

Fast fashion not only causes harm to the environment, but also for the people that work in this industry. To cut costs and increase profits, many fast fashion brands outsource their production to countries where labour is cheap, and regulations are weak. This results in poor working conditions, low wages, and human rights violations for the workers, usually women, that make our clothes. Around 75 million people work in the textile and apparel industry, and most of them earn less than $3 per day (Fashion Revolution). Some of them are even forced to work in unsafe and unhealthy environments, where accidents and fires are a common occurrence. The Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh, for instance, collapsed in 2013, killing 1,138 garment workers. This was a tragic example of the dangers of fast fashion on the environment, and the individuals that work there. We cannot let these issues go unseen!

As consumers, we have the power to make a difference by choosing more sustainable fashion practices. We can do so by buying less, better and smarter. Here are a few tips to get you started on sustainable shopping:

· Buy less → reduce your clothing consumption and only buy what you need and love. Avoid impulse buying and fast fashion trends that will be out of style in no time.

· Buy Better → choose quality over quantity and invest in clothes that are durable, timeless and ethically sourced and produced. Look for natural, organic, and recycled fabrics that are better for the environment and your health.

· Buy smarter → support brands that are committed to sustainability and social responsibility. Conduct research beforehand and check labels and certifications of the products you buy. You can also shop second-hand, swap, or rent clothes to their lifespan and reduce waste.

At EnvoPAP, we are making a positive difference in the fashion industry by using sustainable packaging and manufacturing methods. We make use of agricultural waste, such as sugarcane and wheat straw, to make eco-friendly paper and packaging products that are biodegradable and recyclable. EnvoPAP also uses renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind to power the production facilities. We are a certified B Corporation, which means that we meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. By choosing EnvoPAP you can support a company that cares about the planet and the people.

Fast fashion may seem like a good deal at the moment; however, it comes at a high price for the environment and society. This industry consumes too many resources, creates too much waste, pollutes our water, and exploits our people. By buying less, better and smarter, we can reduce our environmental impact and support ethical and eco-friendly brands, like ours. Let's join the movement and make fashion a force for good.

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Hidden Cost of Fast Fashion: How it Hurts Our Planet - AgriFlow - Webflow Ecommerce website template

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It is no secret that we all enjoy shopping for clothes, especially when they are trendy and affordable. Courtesy of fast fashion, it is now possible to fuel this desire without breaking the bank. But have you ever wondered what fast fashion really means for the environment?

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The Hidden Costs of Fashion: How Increased Demand and Production Exploit Marginalized Communities in Developing Countries - Global Measure

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Explores how the global fashion industry has exacerbated labor exploitation and environmental degradation in developing nations.

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The Hidden Costs of Fast Fashion: Economic & Environmental Impact

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Explore the true price of fast fashion as we delve into the economic ramifications and environmental destruction driven by overconsumption. Discover how consumer habits affect the planet and the economy, and learn more about sustainable alternatives for a better future.

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why is so much water being used to make clothes? 

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why is so much water being used to make clothes? 

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. water is used at almost every stage of making clothes from the cotton fields to the dying stage.

. why do clothes need to be dyed? they are dyed to make them fit an aesthetic that would appeal to the public

. why is there a need for colored clothes? people like to express their emotions and personality

. why do people use color to express themselves? it is one of the easiest languages to understand ( red- anger/love, yellow- happiness)

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2,700 litres for a t-shirt, 8,000 litres for a pair of leather shoes, 11,000 litres for a pair of jeans... The volumes of fresh water needed to manufacture our clothes are a little daunting. Especially when compared to the number of items sold each year around the world: over
100 billion.
The result is a rather staggering global consumption of water for the textile industry: according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, it gulps down 93 billion cubic metres of water per year. That is about 4% of the planet's drinking water resources. Hard to visualise? We understand... Roughly speaking, remember that this is the equivalent of 37 million Olympic swimming pools every year!
This puts textiles among the sectors that consume the most "blue gold", this natural (and limited) resource that is so precious to life on earth: it comes third, just behind wheat and rice cultivation.
From cotton field to dye: water at every level
One of the reasons why clothes require so much water to come into being is that water is used at almost every stage of their life cycle.
Let's start at the beginning: the raw material.

Here we are talking mainly about natural materials, i.e. fibres of plant origin (cotton, linen, hemp, latex, etc.). The recipe here is the same as it has been since the dawn of time... To make a plant grow, you need three elements: soil, sun and water.
One of the stars of the contemporary textile industry is a plant that loves water: cotton. Cotton now accounts for a quarter of the world's textile fibre production. And it takes a lot of water to grow it and make it bloom. One kilo of cotton requires almost 10,000 litres of fresh water. This is so much water that the rain that falls on the fields is not enough. Water for the crops has to be taken from rivers, lakes and groundwater.
Water consumed... and used
Beyond the quantitative aspect, our clothes have a second major impact on water: they pollute it.

According to the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), the textile industry is responsible for 20% of water pollution worldwide. And, once again, the impact is distributed throughout the life cycle of the garment.

During the extraction of the raw material, the pollution is mainly linked to the chemicals used by the growers. Cotton, for example, is traditionally heavily treated with pesticides and heavily fertilised. These products penetrate the water cycle, contaminating groundwater and rivers.

During the manufacturing process, most of the pollution comes from a key stage already mentioned: dyeing. The clothes are first bleached, usually with bleach. Discharged into wastewater, the chlorine it contains is not biodegradable and travels in water, poisoning living beings (plants, animals, humans). As for the dyes themselves, they contain heavy metals, which are also harmful to the environment.

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Why does it take so much water to make a cloth?

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The production of a single T-shirt requires 2,700 litres of water, the equivalent of 70 showers. How do we actually achieve such volumes?

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The hidden costs of fast fashion refer to the environmental, social, and ethical impacts that aren't immediately visible to consumers. While fast fashion offers cheap, trendy clothing, it often comes at a significant price:

1. Environmental Damage: Fast fashion contributes to pollution, waste, and overconsumption of resources. The production of cheap clothing involves toxic dyes, excessive water use, and synthetic fabrics that take hundreds of years to decompose, leading to a huge environmental footprint.

2. Labor Exploitation: The industry often relies on low-wage labor in developing countries, where workers, including children, may endure poor working conditions, long hours, and little pay. This exploitation is a hidden cost of keeping production costs low.

3. Waste: The trend of disposable clothing, where garments are worn briefly before being discarded, leads to massive textile waste. Items are often produced cheaply, and many end up in landfills after a short period of use.

4. Quality vs. Quantity: Fast fashion prioritizes quantity over quality, with items often designed to be worn a few times before falling apart. This creates a cycle of constant buying and disposal, reinforcing the wasteful consumption culture.

These hidden costs reveal that the true price of cheap clothing isn't just monetary—it's also borne by the environment and the people who produce it.

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white hat- . a lot of carbon emissions are spread when making clothes.

. a lot of textile waste is dumped every year.

. a lot of water is wasted every year.

red hat- .i feel guilty and sad when thinking of all the environmental problems that are happening in the world because of the fashion industry especially since i take part in elevating the problem from buying the clothes.

yellow hat- . there would be less pollution in the air if customers would make there clothes last longer instead of buying more clothes every so often having them shipped across the world in planes.

black hat- .if we keep going in the direction that we're going sooner or later we will run out of water, stop being able to breath properly, and climate change getting worse.

green hat - .a solution that i have found to use less water when dying fabrics is CO2 dyeing, which uses no water no prosses chemicals and instead uses patented and industrial proven technology based on CO2.

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The shift from fast fashion to socially and sustainable fast fashion article notes:

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The shift from fast fashion to socially and sustainable fast fashion article notes:

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Baena, Verónica. “The Shift from Fast Fashion to Socially and Sustainable Fast Fashion: The Pivotal Role of Ethical Consideration of Consumer Intentions to Purchase Zara.” Corporate Social-Responsibility and Environmental Management, vol. 31, no. 5, 8 Apr. 2024,

Introduction

• Fast fashion: Emerged in Europe at the end of the 20th century, involving the rapid replication of designer trends at lower prices.

• Entire clothing production and distribution process often completed within weeks.

• Enables social class blending, making fashion accessible across income levels.

•Significant criticism due to high

environmental impact:

• One of the world's most polluting industries.

• Contributes over 500,000 tons of microfibres to oceans annually.

• Responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Sustainable Fashion

• Gained attention due to growing consumer awareness of environmental issues.

• Adoption encouraged by anti-fur campaigns in the 1990s.

• Transition from linear economy to circular economy is advocated.

• Companies are increasingly investing in CSR to meet societal expectations and improve stakeholder relationships.

Theoretical Framework: Stakeholder Theory

·      Focuses on generating value for all stakeholders, not just shareholders.

·      Emphasises the ethical responsibility of firms towards customers, employees, suppliers, and investors.

Importance of CSR Initiatives

·      Defined as a company's contribution to sustainable economic development.

·      Enhances customer commitment and brand positioning.

·      Supports global sustainability efforts like the UN 2030 Agenda and EU circular economy targets.

Digital Marketing for Consumer Engagement

·      Digital marketing channels (websites, apps, and social networks) help build long-term client relationships.

·      Informs customers about CSR and sustainability efforts, contributing to brand differentiation.

Case Study: Zara

• Leading fast-fashion brand, founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega.

• Presence in 96 countries with nearly 3,000 stores as of 2023.

• Ranked among Interbrand's top 50 global brands since 2015.

• Financial resilience demonstrated by consistent growth, except during COVID-19.

• Strong social media presence, with millions of followers across platforms.

• Named 2023's Most Mentioned Fashion Brand by Influencers.

Data Collection and Survey Findings

• Qualitative research: Content analysis of Zara's CSR and sustainability initiatives.

• Quantitative research: Online survey targeting Zara's primary market (18-40 years old).

• Majority of respondents were Spanish (71%) and women (83%), aligning with Zara's market demographics.

Summary

Fast fashion has reshaped the clothing industry, making designer-inspired styles accessible but causing significant environmental harm. The rise of sustainable fashion reflects growing consumer demand for eco-conscious practices, with companies adopting CSR initiatives to enhance their societal standing and stakeholder relationships. Zara serves as a prominent case study, demonstrating success through its global presence, digital marketing strategies, and commitment to sustainability. The integration of these efforts highlights the importance of responsible business practices in maintaining brand loyalty and consumer engagement.

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The white hat

The average lifespan of a clothing item has decreased, with many items worn fewer than 10 times before being discarded.

The rapid production of cheap, trendy clothing that encourages frequent purchases and disposals.

The target audience of fast fashion retailers is largely consumers aged 18 to 24

60% of clothes are made with plastic-based materials

The fashion industry is a major contributor to global waste and pollution, impacting our environment significantly.

Fashion waste encompasses all discarded clothing, textiles, and accessories from the production and consumption of fashion products.

This includes textile waste from manufacturing processes and clothing waste from consumers.

A significant portion of fashion waste ends up in landfills or is incinerated. Only a small fraction is recycled.

It takes about 2,700 litres of water to produce one cotton shirt, which is equivalent to 2.5 years of drinking water for one person

The average lifespan of a clothing item has decreased, with many items worn fewer than 10 times before being discarded.

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1. White Hat: Fast fashion produces cheap, trendy clothes quickly but harms the environment and exploits workers.

2. Red Hat: Frustration over unethical practices and guilt when purchasing fast fashion.

3. Yellow Hat: Affordable clothing and accessible trends for consumers.

4. Black Hat: Environmental damage, poor working conditions, and excessive waste.

5. Green Hat: Invest in sustainable fashion, upcycling, and supporting ethical brands.

6. Blue Hat: Focus on educating consumers and encouraging mindful purchasing to reduce fast fashion demand.

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The white hat - data, facts & information (facts you know/want to know)

Factory workers are being exploited in many companies and being paid unfair wages (e.g. brands like shein)

Buying just one white cotton shirt produces the same amount of emissions as driving 35 miles in a car. - WRAP

Textile production contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined. — House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, 2019

I want to know what brands are doing to try and improve these issues?

The red hat - feelings & vibes (express your gut feelings and reactions)

These facts make me feel worried about the future of fashion retail and sadness and sympathy for the people working in these awful conditions

Overwhelmed

The yellow hat - sunshine and positivity (explore the positives and benefits of solving the issue)

Solving this issue would mean all factory workers would get paid fair wages and be in ethical working conditions

There wouldn’t be as many environmental issues regarding overconsumption as clothes wouldn’t be manufactured at such a rapid pace.

The black hat - caution and skepticism (consider the negatives, risks, threats and drawbacks)

If brands stopped these unethical practices they would have to increase their prices by a lot as they would be having to pay workers a lot more. They might go out of business because their customers may not be willing to pay those prices.

Can we actually solve this problem?

Waste

Environmental damage

The green hat - creativity & surprise (look for creative solutions and alternatives)

Take inspiration - governments that have enforced laws to do with this

The blue hat - manages the process (evaluate the responses)

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According to Oxfam.org there are many shocking facts and statistics revolving around the affects that fashion has on our planet.

"11 fast fashion facts and statistics

The world uses an estimated 80 billion pieces of clothing every year, a 400 percent increase from two decades ago. — The True Cost

Textile production contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined. — House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, 2019

Buying just one white cotton shirt produces the same amount of emissions as driving 35 miles in a car. —WRAP

By 2030, global apparel consumption is projected to rise by 63%, from 62 million tons today to 102 million tons—equivalent to more than 500 billion additional T-shirts. — House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, 2019

75% of consumers believe that sustainability is important and one-third are willing to choose brands that help environmental and social improvement. — Ellen MacArthur Foundation

The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions. — Morgan McFall-Johnsen (2020)

Half a million tons of plastic microfibers are dumped into the ocean every year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles. — World Economic Forum

Around 300,000 tonnes of textile waste ends up in household black bins every year, sent to landfill or incinerators. Less than 1% of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing at the end of its life. — House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, 2019

Clothing companies create more than 1 million garments every day. — Greenpeace

Fast fashion emissions will grow by 50% by 2030, if current growth continues. — Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Extending the life of clothes by just 9 months of active use would reduce carbon, water and waste footprints by 20-30% each. — WRAP"

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Oxfam GB | New Shocking Facts about the Impact of Fast Fashion on our Climate

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Our nation’s addiction to new clothes is doing more harm than you may think.

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ChatGPT- Can you summarize the environmental issues in the fashion industry?

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ChatGPT- Can you summarize the environmental issues in the fashion industry?

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ChatGPT responce -

The fashion industry is a significant contributor to environmental degradation, with several key issues:

1. Waste and Overproduction: Fast fashion encourages overconsumption, leading to an enormous amount of textile waste. It's estimated that millions of tons of clothing end up in landfills each year because of quick trends and disposable fashion.

2. Water Usage: The industry is water-intensive, especially in cotton production and fabric dyeing. It takes thousands of liters of water to produce just one pair of jeans, and the dyeing process often pollutes water sources with toxic chemicals.

3. Chemical Pollution: Many fabrics are treated with harmful chemicals that pollute water and soil. Synthetic materials like polyester release microplastics into oceans when washed, harming marine life.

4. Carbon Emissions: Fashion is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. From the production of raw materials to the transportation of goods, the industry has a significant carbon footprint, contributing to climate change.

5. Deforestation and Land Use: The production of certain materials, such as leather and cotton, contributes to deforestation and land degradation, which affects ecosystems and biodiversity.

6. Labor and Social Impact: While not purely environmental, the industry's reliance on cheap labor often leads to unsustainable farming practices, which in turn harm the environment.

Sustainable fashion is emerging as a response, focusing on reducing waste, using eco-friendly materials, recycling, and supporting ethical labor practices. However, change across the industry is slow and requires significant shifts in consumer behavior, business practices, and policy.

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Their Guaranees:

We guarantee everything we make.

View Ironclad Guarantee

We take responsibility for our impact.

Explore Our Footprint

We support grassroots activism.

Visit Patagonia Action Works

We keep your gear going.

Visit Worn Wear

We give our profits to the planet.

Read Our Commitment

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Since 1985, Patagonia has pledged 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment. We've awarded over $89 million in cash and in-kind donations to domestic and international grassroots environmental groups making a difference in their local communities. In 2002, founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, created a non-profit corporation to encourage other businesses to do the same.

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1% for the Planet is an alliance of businesses that understand the necessity of protecting the natural environment. They understand that profit and loss are directly linked to its health, and are concerned with the social and environmental impacts of industry.

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Can We Stop Greenwashing? - Patagonia Stories UK

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What was once a nuisance—overselling environmental gains—now conceals the apparel industry’s role in the climate crisis. Recently we’ve been trying to

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Patagonia prohibits child labor, forced labor and human trafficking in all of its forms in our supply chain. When we evaluate potential new factory partners, we will not place purchase orders if we find indicators of these practices. If we find forced labor in one of our existing partner’s factories, that factory is subject to our escalation policy, including a remediation plan to demonstrate commitment to eradicating the practice. In all cases, where a factory is a part of Patagonia’s supply chain, incidences or conditions contributing to slavery or human trafficking are grounds to end business relations if it is not eliminated immediately. We fully support the efforts of a growing number of anti-slavery activist groups, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and our state and federal government to shed light on human trafficking, slavery, and child labor in the supply chain. We are hopeful that these and other human rights concerns will continue to receive attention and analysis in the public and private sectors.

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Buy. Use. Throw away. Buy more. Fast, disposable fashion is wasteful by design. Consumers buy 60% more items of clothing and keep them for about half as long as they did 15 years ago.*

*According to a 2016 report by McKinsey & Company that looked at consumer spending and clothing production from 2000 to 2014.

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Sign up for exclusive offers, original stories, activism awareness, events and more from Patagonia.

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How clean are your clothes? Read about the hidden cost of the clothes and the power you have to persuade the industry to end wasteful practices.

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Patagonia sets a high standard for sourcing materials aligned with its stated environmental and ethical goals. The brand predominantly uses responsible materials like organic cotton and natural rubber and avoids, to a great extent, those that produce hazardous chemicals.

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How Ethical Is Patagonia? Here’s What We Found! - Ethical Sustainable Clothing

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How ethical is Patagonia? Uncover the truth about the brand’s labor conditions, environmental policies, and sustainability practices in this post.

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The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10 % of worldwide carbon emissions. That’s more than the combined total from international flights and shipping.

It’s the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply and is responsible for vast amounts of microfibre pollution in our oceans.

It’s also estimated that in the UK alone,140 million pounds worth of clothing is sent to landfill each year.

And the problems aren’t confined to fashion’s

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Why we need tougher laws & regulations in the fashion industry (2024)

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Tougher laws and regulations in the fashion industry are needed to curb its destructive path. Find out why we need governments to step up.

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Research by numerous bodies has found consumers are adopting greener habits in terms of recycling and mending old products, objects or garments instead of replacing them, but when it comes to making new purchases, they are not selecting sustainable options that they view as costing a premium.

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How are consumers’ green habits changing amid cost-of-living crisis? - PA Future

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Less travel and more ‘make do and mend’ having a positive impact, but consumers are shunning more expensive sustainable products

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SOLUTION CASE STUDY: Patagonia’s Worn Wear Programme

 

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SOLUTION CASE STUDY: Patagonia’s Worn Wear Programme

 

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1. Effectiveness

Worn Wear addresses fast fashion by extending garment life, reducing waste, and promoting circular fashion. While it delivers measurable environmental benefits, its overall industry impact is still limited, as fast fashion continues to prioritise profit over sustainability.

2. Scalability

The programme functions well within Patagonia’s business model but is difficult to implement in the fast fashion sector, where lower-quality materials and cost-driven production dominate. However, mid-to-high-end brands with a focus on durability could adopt similar initiatives more feasibly.

3. Sustainability

By reducing waste, conserving resources, and encouraging responsible consumer habits, Worn Wear promotes long-term sustainability. However, its model challenges the fundamental principles of fast fashion, making large-scale adoption across the industry unlikely without significant structural changes.

4. Ethical Implications

The initiative aligns with ethical fashion by discouraging overconsumption and supporting fair labour practices. However, it does not directly address the exploitation of garment workers in fast fashion supply chains. Additionally, its benefits are accessible to consumers who can afford higher-quality, long-lasting clothing.

5. Cost vs. Impact

While Patagonia gains from brand loyalty and an enhanced sustainability reputation, similar programmes may not be financially workable for fast fashion brands. Widespread adoption would require a fundamental shift in industry priorities and profit structures.

6. Consumer Impact

Worn Wear encourages consumers to repair and reuse clothing rather than embrace disposable fashion. However, its influence is limited to Patagonia’s existing customer base, and achieving a broader cultural shift would require wider industry participation.

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One of the most responsible things you can do as a consumer is to keep your stuff in play as long as possible—and our Worn Wear hub can help you do that.

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Materials and Environmental Programs

We’ve built robust environmental and animal welfare responsibility programs to guide how we make our materials and products.

Learn More

Social Responsibility Programs

What we’re doing to ensure that our products are produced under safe, fair, legal and humane working conditions.

Learn More

Where We Do Business

We share information about our owned facilities and our suppliers across the supply chain, so you know where and how the clothes you buy are made.

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Environmental & Social Footprint - Patagonia

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Everything we make has an impact on the planet. Learn about our environmental and social responsibility initiatives and where we do business here.

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The lower house of France’s Parliament passed a bill in February that would impose a “sin tax” of up to 10 euros or 50% of the selling price on fast-fashion clothing, a severe penalty given that many of these products cost less than €10. The bill would also ban advertising and demands that companies in the industry disclose the environmental impact of their businesses. The bill was approved unanimously and moved to the upper house of Parliament. If it becomes law, it will make France one of the first countries to impose this type of penalty on fast-fashion companies.

Fast fashion has become a roughly US$120 billion industry and is projected to grow to US$185 billion by 2027. Shein, H&M, Temu, Zara, and others have built worldwide businesses by creating cheap clothing in bulk as quickly as possible to respond to changing fashion trends, especially for a growing global middle class with more disposable income. The crux of the problem is that fast fashion tends to encourage what many consider an excessive amount of consumption. Traditional clothing companies might release new lines four times a year; fast-fashion companies do so weekly or even daily. The clothes are designed to be relatively cheap and worn for a short period of time before being discarded, sometimes after only seven or eight wears. Consumers are then expected to buy the next hot thing. The result? People are buying more clothes, an estimated 60% more, but keeping them only half as long as they would a more durable, higher-quality piece of clothing.

Those dynamics exacerbate the environmental impacts of an industry that is inherently polluting to begin with. Conventional textile mills generate about one-fifth of the world’s industrial water pollution. About 20-35% of all the microplastics in the world’s oceans come from microfibers shed by clothes as they are washed. The industry also produces veritable mountains of unsold clothing, which get burned or thrown into landfills strewn around the Global South. (Shein, for one, has argued that its business model better matches supply with demand and produces less unsold clothing).

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Maria Lernerman, CFA, Analyst and Portfolio Manager | May 22, 2024

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What If Fashion Were Taxed Like Cigarettes? - Harding Loevner

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The fast-fashion industry produces a lot of waste but has largely avoided any consequences for its impact on the environment. That is starting to change.

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At Patagonia, we are implicated in this system yet working to bring about industry-level change. That’s why we commit to understanding the root causes of issues and developing programs to minimize our harm on the environment and create a positive impact on the lives of people who build our products. When we talk about our focus on quality, we see this as encompassing environmental and social aspects, rather than purely the technical features, or innovation present in the products we make.

Every Patagonia product is made in a factory that we share with other brands, which means we do not own the factories where we manufacture. This presents both a challenge—since we are often among the smaller buyers—and an opportunity to foster change and bring the industry along.

Each product we create demands specific machinery and technical expertise sometimes only found in certain countries and, even more specifically, in certain factories. If we tried to own and manage all of our facilities, it simply wouldn’t be possible to build the breadth of high-quality, technical outdoor products we offer. However dependent we are on these factories, our decades of experience in apparel production have taught us that increased partnership with suppliers, and collaboration with other brands—those who share factories with us, and across the industry—is crucial if we are to live up to our commitments.

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Fashion tax is "stupid" - Opposing view?

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Fashion tax is "stupid" - Opposing view?

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Fashion designer Katharine Hamnett has described proposals by MPs to impose a 1p-per-garment fashion tax on the industry as "stupid".

The suggestion was made by a Commons committee in an effort to fund better recycling of clothes.

It came amid growing fears that the industry is increasingly dominated by throwaway "fast fashion".

But Ms Hamnett said she feared the garment industry would just end up paying workers less to absorb the tax.

Instead, she is in favour of EU legislation making it mandatory for goods from outside Europe to meet the same standards required by the region.

She told the BBC that taxing retailers would be "like putting a plaster on a septic wound".

"The reason we say legislation is that the brands are not going to do it willingly - we've seen that, we've been talking about this for too long and nothing's changed. They have to be forced by law," the designer, who is known for her political slogan T-shirts and ethical fashion activism, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"Wouldn't it be better to force brands to pay their workers properly, and not discharge toxic chemicals into the environment, rather than making them pay for the privilege to do that?"

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Katharine Hamnett: Fashion tax is ‘stupid’

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Designer Katharine Hamnett says legislation is needed to force fashion brands to stop fast fashion.

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Should Ultra Fast Fashion Brands Like Shein And Temu Be Taxed At Higher Rates?

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Should Ultra Fast Fashion Brands Like Shein And Temu Be Taxed At Higher Rates?

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ICYMI, French lawmakers unanimously passed a bill last month that seeks to penalise products sold by ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein and Temu, to offset their environmental impact. The bill means individual items that fit the definition of fast fashion will, over the next six years, incur a tax of up to €10, or around $16 AUD.

Also included in the bill was a ban on advertising around ultra-fast fashion brands and items, which would certainly clear up those bizarre Wish ads on my Facebook feed. While the bill still has to reach the senate before it becomes law, France’s game-changing anti-fast fashion efforts have shone a harsh spotlight on Australia, especially given the statistics around our own online shopping baskets.

Late last month, data from the Australia Institute revealed that Australians buy more clothes per person than any other country, surpassing the US as the world’s biggest consumer of textiles per capita.

According to the paper, Australians purchase an average of 56 new garments annually — 200,000 tonnes of which ends up in landfill — ahead of the US and the UK, who buy 53 and 33 new items per year, respectively.

What’s more, Australians were found to be paying far less for their garments, forking out an average of just $16 per item compared to the US ($24) and the UK ($40).

Co-author of the Australia Institute study, Nina Gbor, is leading calls to reverse these findings, saying our fast fashion habits are “harming our health and the environment”. Gbor has been joined in her efforts by multiple sustainable fashion advocates and organisations, including Amanda Butterworth of Fashion Revolution.

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Should Australia Start Taxing Ultra Fast Fashion Brands More To Offset The Environmental Impact?

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Aussies are buying an average of 56 new items each year — more than anywhere else in the world. And our shockingly low average price per item indicates most of those are fast fashion items.

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Nana Ama Sarfo looks at a number of tax proposals targeting fast fashion.

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‘It’s the industry’s dirty secret’: why fashion’s oversupply problem is an environmental disaster

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‘It’s the industry’s dirty secret’: why fashion’s oversupply problem is an environmental disaster

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o one knows exactly how many coats, jeans, T-shirts and trainers are produced every year, which means no one knows how many garments remain unsold in warehouses, destined for landfill or destruction. Without this information, trying to reduce the fashion industry’s carbon footprint is a bit like trying to solve a puzzle in the dark.

The available statistics suggest that between 80bn and 150bn garments are made every year and that between 10% and 40% of these are not sold. So it could be 8bn or 60bn excess garments a year – an alarming disparity.

“Production volumes represent a really important opportunity to bring honesty back into the conversation,” says Liz Ricketts, the co-founder and executive director of the Or Foundation, an environmental justice charity based in Ghana. “It’s a data point that everyone has accessible to them. It’s just about companies being willing to share it.”

Believing that transparency about production volumes is central to assessing and tackling the scope of fashion’s environmental problems, the Or Foundation launched the Speak Volumes campaign in November, which invites brands to disclose how many units they made in 2022.

So far, 32 small- and medium-sized businesses have participated. The largest disclosure came from the British brand Lucy & Yak, which produced 760,951 pieces; the smallest was from the Scottish brand Mlambo, at just 100 items. It’s a far cry from the billions of garments thought to be manufactured by fashion’s biggest players, none of which have participated.

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No one knows exactly how many coats, jeans, T-shirts and trainers are produced every year, which means no one knows how many garments remain unsold in warehouses, destined for landfill or destruction. Without this information, trying to reduce the fashion industry's carbon footprint is a bit like trying to solve a puzzle in the dark.

The available statistics suggest that between 80bn and 150bn garments are made every year and that between 10% and 40% of these are not sold. So it could be 8bn or 60bn excess garments a year - an alarming disparity.

"Production volumes represent a really important opportunity to bring honesty back into the conversation," says Liz Ricketts, the co-founder and executive director of the Or Foundation, an environmental justice charity based in Ghana. "It's a data point that everyone has accessible to them. It's just about companies being willing to share it."

Believing that transparency about production volumes is central to assessing and tackling the scope of fashion's environmental problems, the Or Foundation launched the Speak Volumes campaign in November, which invites brands to disclose how many units they made in 2022.

So far, 32 small- and medium-sized businesses have participated. The largest disclosure came from the British brand Lucy & Yak, which produced 760,951 pieces; the smallest was from the Scottish brand Mlambo, at just 100 items. It's a far cry from the billions of garments thought to be manufactured by fashion's biggest players, none of which have participated.

A trader at Kantamanto market in Accra, Ghana. Approximately 40% of every bale of textiles there is waste. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

"The reason they don't really like to talk about how much product they have is because it's the dirty secret of the industry," says Francois Souchet, a circular economy and sustainability strategist. "There's likely to be a huge public backlash when people understand how much product is not sold."

At Kantamanto market in Accra, Ghana, where the Or Foundation works to support the community that trades in the global north's unwanted clothes, approximately 40% of every bale of textiles ends up as waste. The figure has led Ricketts to ask brands to commit to a 40% reduction in the production of new clothes over five years, something that can be realised only with visibility of production volumes. "It just feels like bad business," says Ricketts. "Why did you make so much extra stuff?"

There are several reasons brands produce more than they sell: manufacturers insisting on minimum order quantities; an increasingly fast retail cycle fuelled by frequent deliveries of new product; a failure to read the market. While there are some new technologies to counter these problem, including AI to predict consumer demand and made-to-order models, none show signs of being widely adopted.

Brands are manufacturing demand in the same way they manufacture too many clothes

Liz Ricketts, the Or Foundation

Overproduction is also symptomatic of an archaic manufacturing system that incentivises volume: the more T-shirts ordered, the cheaper the price for each garment. This is because the biggest costs of producing fabric and assembling garments are in the setup; the longer the assembly line runs, the more efficient it is. "On top of all that, brands are afraid of missing out on a sale, so they always order too much, rather than not enough," says Souchet.

The exorbitant waste in the industry is a result of how disposable clothes are considered in wealthy countries. It is symbolic, too, of how well supply chains are hidden from and misunderstood by consumers.

"There's a lot of human toil that goes into our clothes, from the cotton picking, spinning and weaving to the garment workers and how often they don't see their children because of the hours they work," says Christina Dean, the founder of the anti-waste charity Redress. "To have those pieces trashed in such an uncaring way signifies how misaligned we are to our fellow people in this world."

A recent survey by the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) found that 78% of brands have targets to reduce overproduction. But according to Holly Syrett, GFA's impact programmes and sustainability director, respondents cited a lack of clarity about what overproduction means as a barrier to tackling it.

"We define overproduction in quite a simple way," she says. "When a company buys or produces more stock than it can sell, leaving stock that is then sold at a discount, resold to other parties or potentially destroyed. The feedback we received was that our definition isn't specific enough."

A textile factory in Guangzhou, southern China, that supplies western retailers. Photograph: Jade Gao/AFP/Getty Images

But excess stock is not the only problem, says Ricketts: "We try to use the language of 'oversupply' more than 'overproduction', because we're talking about the marketing mechanisms used to push oversupply on to consumers. Brands are manufacturing demand in the same way they manufacture too many clothes."This demand is created through relentless marketing across social media, targeted digital adverts, email campaigns and a seemingly never-ending cycle of discounts and promotions.

Of course, the other side of this coin is overconsumption. It's difficult to say without knowing how much product goes unsold, but it's clear that garments that are bought account for most of the industry's carbon footprint. "If we say, conservatively, 60% to 70% of garments get sold, that's where the bulk of the emissions are," says Souchet.

This is the hard truth almost always avoided at industry summits and in corporate targets. According to the sustainability thinktank the Hot or Cool Institute, the fashion industry will have to at least halve its greenhouse gas emissions from 2018 levels by 2030 if it wants to meet the Paris agreement goal of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. While other business models such as rental, resale and repair are often cited, Hot or Cool says meeting 1.5C in the G20's high-income countries - including the UK, the US, France and Australia - will require reducing consumption by 60%.

On its current trajectory, the industry's emissions will double in the next 10 years. To curb rates of production and consumption, it's clear that pending European legislation on extended producer responsibility schemes cannot come soon enough.

"Rapid and radical changes in production and legislation are critical," says Lewis Akenji, the managing director of Hot or Cool. "Extending producer responsibility [EPR] for fashion brands into the post-use phase is a promising path ... but it should not be a burden-shifting mechanism."

Mooted EPR schemes propose a financial levy of as little as €0.06 an item, to be paid by the producer, and a responsibility to contribute to managing a product's end of life through initiatives such as textile-to-textile recycling, upcycling, downcycling, rental, resale and repair.

Ricketts and Souchet believe any levy must be much higher to result in a meaningful reduction. Since overproduction makes sense from an economic perspective, says Souchet, the sum would need to be "significant" to change the industry. Ricketts says it is critical that EPR legislation ensures the funds raised reach communities like those in Ghana that are shouldering the burden of textile waste.

"How do we think we are going to transition to circularity by continuing to pump out this endless oversupply of product? It's not possible," she adds. "Policies have to take production volumes into account. No matter how much innovation or money brands pump into solutions [such as textile recycling], we won't be successful if we don't slow down."

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'It's the industry's dirty secret': why fashion's oversupply problem is an environmental disaster

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As many as 40% of clothes made each year - 60bn garments - are not sold. Experts say tackling such obscene waste will require radical changes in production - and legislation

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Patagonia's supply chain environmental program

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Patagonia's supply chain environmental program

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The purpose of Patagonia’s Supply Chain Environmental Impact Program is to measure, reduce and eliminate the environmental impacts of manufacturing Patagonia products and materials. We implement our program at supplier facilities all over the world and cover a broad range of impact areas, including environmental management systems, chemicals, water use, water emissions, energy use, greenhouse gases, other air emissions and waste.

This program is based on internal standards, utilizes industry-wide tools, such as the Higg Index, and recognizes third-party certification programs, such as the bluesign® system, as ways that our suppliers can show how they are meeting Patagonia’s expectations. Beyond the program’s minimum requirements, suppliers are encouraged to demonstrate environmental excellence by implementing better and best practices, so we can recognize them as environmentally responsible supply-chain partners.

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The Hidden Costs of Fashion: How Increased Demand and Production Exploit Marginalized Communities in Developing Countries

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The Hidden Costs of Fashion: How Increased Demand and Production Exploit Marginalized Communities in Developing Countries

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The Hidden Costs of Fashion: How Increased Demand and Production Exploit Marginalized Communities in Developing Countries - Global Measure

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Explores how the global fashion industry has exacerbated labor exploitation and environmental degradation in developing nations.

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According to an analysis by Business Insider, fashion production comprises 10% of total global carbon emissions, as much as the emissions generated by the European Union. The industry dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year.

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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.
You Might Also Like: What is Fast Fashion?
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.
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.

Is Slow Fashion the Solution?

Slow fashion is the widespread reaction to fast fashion, 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'.

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.

The best advice on reducing fast fashion comes from Patsy Perry, senior lecturer in fashion marketing at the University of Manchester, who says, "Less is always more."
You might also like: What Is Slow Fashion and How Can You Join the Movement?
What Can I Do?

1. On A Personal Level

Ways to approach climate action within our personal lives (hint - it evolves personal action but is not focused on small behavioural changes, which whilst worthwhile will not get us there):

Joining a community can be one of the best ways to increase your impact.

First, it can enable you to make hundreds of connections in one go.

Second, a group of people working together can have more impact than individuals. If you are not already, take action by becoming an to support our mission to encourage a billion climate activists.

If you're a younger read ask your parents to take action by bringing your whole family on board as a Family Member.

Reflect on the concept of Effective Altruism , a project that aims to find the best ways to help others, and put them into practice.

Ways to approach climate action within the workplace:

Maintain your career path but consider donating a portion of your income to organisations that are focused on achieving meaningful & impactful goals and call out your boss if the company or organisation you work for does not have clear policies that will result in reduced harm to the environment and a pathway to Net Zero.

Ask your boss to support EO by bringing the whole team onboard with EO company membership - and take action together.

Reconsider your career path, with excellent advice .

3. On A Political Level

Ways to approach climate action as a voter or political actor (even if you can't vote):

Protest - make your feelings known - become a vocal and passionate advocate with friends and family (without being over pushy) of the need for climate action. We need a billion activists to turn this ship around.

Join organisations that are organising climate actions and protests locally, whether in your city, district, or even at school.

Vote (if you can) for politicians who will champion effective climate action by governments.

Vote for parties or organisations that espouse self-reform and the adoption of ' Ministers of the Future ' into government.

Further Reading:

Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas

The Conscious Closet by Elizabeth L. Cline

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Fast Fashion: Its Detrimental Effect on the Environment

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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.

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Growing food and fiber with industrial techniques and chemicals is one of the main causes of climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, agriculture, along with forestry and other land uses, generates roughly 23% of greenhouse gas emissions every year. If we switch from fossil-fuel-intensive farming to organic and low-till practices that build healthy soil and draw carbon back into the ground, we could turn our agricultural system from problem to solution.

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The True Cost Of Fast Fashion - The Economist

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The True Cost Of Fast Fashion - The Economist

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The UK’s fast fashion habit is getting worse – and it’s destroying the planet

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The UK’s fast fashion habit is getting worse – and it’s destroying the planet

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The UK’s fast fashion habit is getting worse – and it’s destroying the planet - Greenpeace UK

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Our addiction to disposable clothes is destroying our planet. The antidote is simple: ethical, sustainable fashion (and a lot less of it).

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New Shocking Facts about the Impact of Fast Fashion on our Climate

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New Shocking Facts about the Impact of Fast Fashion on our Climate

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In 2019, then 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg stood up in front of world leaders at Davos to deliver a chilling wake up call:

Greta sparked a wake-up call across the globe demanding drastic change to save our planet and in turn, ourselves. We're all feeling the effects of the climate emergency, but it is not affecting us all equally.

The world's poorest people have contributed the least to the climate crisis, yet are suffering the full force of its impacts: increased flooding, droughts and storms destroying lives, homes, jobs, livestock and crops.

When Greta said, "our house is on fire" she wasn't wrong. We are seeing unprecedented wild fires spreading across the Amazon rainforest, the lungs of our planet, producing 20% of the world's oxygen. Greenland's ice sheet is melting so fast it has caused global sea levels to rise 0.5mm in just one month.

Farmers like Hudan in Ethiopia are having to adapt in a drastically warming world to months without rainfall. Our planet is in serious trouble.

But things could be different. As Greta pointed out "The main solution is so simple that even a small child can understand. We have to stop our emissions of greenhouse gases."

Obvious actions stand out - flying less, driving less, taking more public transport. But how about buying fewer new clothes? With the global textile industry producing more greenhouse gas emissions than international aviation and shipping combined - it could be a more important change than we think.

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Oxfam GB | New Shocking Facts about the Impact of Fast Fashion on our Climate

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Our addiction to new clothes is doing serious harm. Read the latest research, facts and statistics about fast fashion and its shocking impact on the environment.

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The Hidden Costs of Fast Fashion: What You Need to Know

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10 Concerning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics

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10 Concerning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics

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10 Statistics About Fast Fashion Waste

1. 92 million tonnes of textiles waste is produced every year

Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills. To put things in perspective, this means that the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up on landfill sites every second. If the trend continues, the number of fast fashion waste is expected to soar up to 134 million tonnes a year by the end of the decade.

2. The apparel industry’s global emissions will increase by 50% by 2030

If a business-as-usual scenario prevails in the coming years – meaning that no action is taken to reduce fast fashion waste – the industry’s global emissions will likely double by the end of the decade.

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3. The average US consumer throws away 81.5lbs of clothes every year

In America alone, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste – equivalent to 85% of all textiles – end up in landfills on a yearly basis. That’s equivalent to approximately 81.5 pounds (37 kilograms) per person per year and around 2,150 pieces per second countrywide.

4. The number of times a garment is worn has declined by around 36% in 15 years

The throwaway culture has worsen progressively over the years. At present, many items are worn only seven to ten times before being tossed. That’s a decline of more than 35% in just 15 years.

Photo by EO Photographer Chin Leong Teo.

5. The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global waste water

Dyeing and finishing – the processes by which colour and other chemicals are applied to fabrics – are responsible for 3% of global CO2 emissions as well as over 20% of global water pollution. Along with yarn preparation and fibre production, these two processes have the highest impacts on resource depletion, due to the energy-intensive processes based on fossil fuel energy.

6. It takes 20,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of cotton

Besides being a huge source of water pollution, fast fashion also contributes to massive quantities of water being wasted every day. If this is difficult to picture, just think that about 2,700 litres of water are needed to make just one t-shirt, which would be enough for one person to drink for 900 days. Moreover, a single load of washing uses between 50 and 60 litres of water.

7. $500 billion is lost each year because of under-wearing and failure to recycle clothes

The worst aspect of our reckless thrown-away culture is that the vast majority of clothes being tossed each year is not recycled. Globally, just 12% of the material used for clothing ends up being recycled. Much of the problem comes down to the materials our clothes are made from and inadequate technologies to recycle them. “The fabrics we drape over our bodies are complex combinations of fibres, fixtures and accessories. They are made from problematic blends of natural yarns, man-made filaments, plastics and metals.”

You might also like: Is Hong Kong’s Avant-Garde Textile Recycling Facility a Real Solution to Fast Fashion Problems?

8. Nearly 10% of microplastics dispersed in the ocean each year come from textiles

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. It is estimated that half a million tons of these contaminants reach the ocean each year. That’s  the equivalent to the plastic pollution of more than 50 billion bottles.

9. 2.6 million tonnes of returned clothes ended up in landfills in 2020 in the US alone

Most of the items returned to retailers from consumers end up in landfill. This is mainly because it costs more to the company to put them back in circulation than to get rid of them. Reverse logistics company Optoro also estimates that in the same year, 16 million tonnes of CO2 emissions were created by online returns in the US in 2020 – the equivalent to the emissions of 3.5 million cars on the road for a year.

You might also like: Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact

10. Fast fashion brands are producing twice the amount of clothes today than in 2000

This dramatic increase in production has also caused an increase in both pre- and post-production textile waste. Due to the number of cut outs for the clothing, a large number of materials get wasted as they cannot be used any further, with one study estimating that 15% of fabric used in garment manufacturing is wasted. Post-production, 60% of approximately 150 million garments produced globally in 2012 were discarded just a few years after production.

Research for this article was conducted by Earth.Org research contributor Chloe Lam

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The extremely -detrimental impact of fast fashion waste on the environment is no news. Besides being responsible for nearly 10% of global carbon emissions, the industry is also infamously known for the amount of resources it wastes and the millions of clothes ending up in landfills every day. Here are 10 highly concerning statistics about textile waste.
10 Statistics About Fast Fashion Waste

1. 92 million tonnes of textiles waste is produced every year

Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills. To put things in perspective, this means that the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up on landfill sites every second . If the trend continues, the number of fast fashion waste is expected to soar up to 134 million tonnes a year by the end of the decade.

2. The apparel industry's global emissions will increase by 50% by 2030

If a business-as-usual scenario prevails in the coming years - meaning that no action is taken to reduce fast fashion waste - the industry's global emissions will likely double by the end of the decade.

3. The average US consumer throws away 81.5lbs of clothes every year

In America alone, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste - equivalent to 85% of all textiles - end up in landfills on a yearly basis. That's equivalent to approximately (37 kilograms) per person per year and around 2,150 pieces per second countrywide.

4. The number of times a garment is worn has declined by around 36% in 15 years

The throwaway culture has worsen progressively over the years. At present, many items are worn only seven to ten times before being tossed. That's a decline of more than 35% in just 15 years.

5. The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global waste water

Dyeing and finishing - the processes by which colour and other chemicals are applied to fabrics - are responsible for 3% of global CO2 emissions as well as over 20% of global water pollution. Along with yarn preparation and fibre production, these two processes have the highest impacts on resource depletion , due to the energy-intensive processes based on fossil fuel energy.

6. It takes 20,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of cotton

Besides being a huge source of water pollution, fast fashion also contributes to massive quantities of water being wasted every day. If this is difficult to picture, just think that about 2,700 litres of water are needed to make just one t-shirt, which would be enough for one person to drink for 900 days. Moreover, a single load of washing uses between 50 and 60 litres of water.
You might also like: Is Hong Kong's Avant-Garde Textile Recycling Facility a Real Solution to Fast Fashion Problems?
7. $500 billion is lost each year because of under-wearing and failure to recycle clothes

The worst aspect of our reckless thrown-away culture is that the vast majority of clothes being tossed each year is not recycled. Globally, just 12% of the material used for clothing ends up being recycled. Much of the problem comes down to the materials our clothes are made from and inadequate technologies to recycle them. "The fabrics we drape over our bodies are complex combinations of fibres, fixtures and accessories. They are made from problematic blends of natural yarns, man-made filaments, plastics and metals."

8. Nearly 10% of microplastics dispersed in the ocean each year come from textiles

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. It is estimated that half a million tons of these contaminants reach the ocean each year. That's the equivalent to the plastic pollution of more than 50 billion bottles.

9. 2.6 million tonnes of returned clothes ended up in landfills in 2020 in the US alone

Most of the items returned to retailers from consumers end up in landfill. This is mainly because it costs more to the company to put them back in circulation than to get rid of them. Reverse logistics company Optoro also estimates that in the same year, 16 million tonnes of CO2 emissions were created by online returns in the US in 2020 - the equivalent to the emissions of 3.5 million cars on the road for a year.

10. Fast fashion brands are producing twice the amount of clothes today than in 2000

This dramatic increase in production has also caused an increase in both pre- and post-production textile waste . Due to the number of cut outs for the clothing, a large number of materials get wasted as they cannot be used any further, with one study estimating that 15% of fabric used in garment manufacturing is wasted. Post-production, 60% of approximately 150 million garments produced globally in 2012 were discarded just a few years after production.

What Can I Do?

1. On A Personal Level

Ways to approach climate action within our personal lives (hint - it evolves personal action but is not focused on small behavioural changes, which whilst worthwhile will not get us there):

Joining a community can be one of the best ways to increase your impact.

First, it can enable you to make hundreds of connections in one go.

Second, a group of people working together can have more impact than individuals. If you are not already, take action by becoming an to support our mission to encourage a billion climate activists.

If you're a younger read ask your parents to take action by bringing your whole family on board as a Family Member.

Reflect on the concept of Effective Altruism , a project that aims to find the best ways to help others, and put them into practice.

Ways to approach climate action within the workplace:

Maintain your career path but consider donating a portion of your income to organisations that are focused on achieving meaningful & impactful goals and call out your boss if the company or organisation you work for does not have clear policies that will result in reduced harm to the environment and a pathway to Net Zero.

Ask your boss to support EO by bringing the whole team onboard with EO company membership - and take action together.

Reconsider your career path, with excellent advice .

Research for this article was conducted by Earth.Org research contributor Chloe Lam You might also like: Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact
3. On A Political Level

Ways to approach climate action as a voter or political actor (even if you can't vote):

Protest - make your feelings known - become a vocal and passionate advocate with friends and family (without being over pushy) of the need for climate action. We need a billion activists to turn this ship around.

Join organisations that are organising climate actions and protests locally, whether in your city, district, or even at school.

Vote (if you can) for politicians who will champion effective climate action by governments.

Vote for parties or organisations that espouse self-reform and the adoption of ' Ministers of the Future ' into government.

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10 Concerning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics | Earth.Org

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Besides being responsible for nearly 10% of global carbon emissions, the fashion industry is also infamously known for the amount of resources it wastes and the trash it produces. Here are 10 highly concerning statistics about fast fashion waste.

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The industry 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.

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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 responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions.

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The global fast fashion industry is often called out for the exploitative working conditions in its factories that are staffed primarily by impoverished women — especially in Asia. Many of these workers toil for little pay and have few rights, largely so clothing manufacturers in Europe and the US can keep costs low.

The industry again came under the spotlight recently as a German court case sought to determine whether local discount clothing manufacturer KiK should be held responsible for the poor working conditions at its supplier company in Pakistan.

In 2012, a fire killed 258 people in the Ali Enterprises textile factory in Karachi. It's the first case of its kind held in Germany and will determine whether corporations should be held accountable for the working conditions of their suppliers abroad.

Read more: German retailer KiK compensates Pakistan's 'industrial 9/11' families

DW's Sarah Hucal spoke with Dr. Gisela Burckhardt, director of FEMNET, an NGO that works for women's rights in the garment industry in Asia, and a member of the 2018 jury selecting the German Sustainability Award, which recognizes companies and NGOs that encourage social and ecological responsibility. They talked ahead of the annual  German Sustainability Award ceremony on December 7 about the challenges and potential for change in the garment industry.

DW: What are some of the main issues we are seeing in relation to women working in the garment industry?

Gisela Burckhardt: Working conditions in the textile industry are very bad. We have discrimination against women, especially in India and Bangladesh. Women are sexually harassed and the payment is very, very low. Even though in Bangladesh the minimum wage increased from about 60 euros to 85 euros (per month) in December, it is not a sufficient living wage and women need to work overtime to survive. We also have the problem of a lack of organization in the factories. If women try to organize themselves in trade unions, they are normally threatened by the management and have to leave the factory. These are some of the problems that have not been resolved.

Why are more women than men affected in this industry?

About 80% of the workforce in the clothing industry is women, with the exception of Pakistan. The industry wants to hire women because they are seen as docile and they might not organize very easily. When they come home, for example, they might not be able to go to trade union meetings because they have so much to do. It's a very patriarchal society in India and Bangladesh, so women are used to not being treated as they should be — as human beings. This also makes it easier in the factory — bosses shout at them and treat them differently than men.

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The global fast fashion industry is often called out for the exploitative working conditions in its factories that are staffed primarily by impoverished women - especially in Asia. Many of these workers toil for little pay and have few rights, largely so clothing manufacturers in Europe and the US can keep costs low.

The industry again came under the spotlight recently as a German court case sought to determine whether local discount clothing manufacturer KiK should be held responsible for the poor working conditions at its supplier company in Pakistan.

In 2012, a fire killed 258 people in the Ali Enterprises textile factory in Karachi. It's the first case of its kind held in Germany and will determine whether corporations should be held accountable for the working conditions of their suppliers abroad.

Read more: German retailer KiK compensates Pakistan's 'industrial 9/11' families

DW's Sarah Hucal spoke with Dr. Gisela Burckhardt, director of FEMNET, an NGO that works for women's rights in the garment industry in Asia, and a member of the 2018 jury selecting the German Sustainability Award, which recognizes companies and NGOs that encourage social and ecological responsibility. They talked ahead of the annual German Sustainability Award ceremony on December 7 about the challenges and potential for change in the garment industry.
DW: What are some of the main issues we are seeing in relation to women working in the garment industry?
Gisela Burckhardt: Working conditions in the textile industry are very bad. We have discrimination against women, especially in India and Bangladesh. Women are sexually harassed and the payment is very, very low. Even though in Bangladesh the minimum wage increased from about 60 euros to 85 euros (per month) in December, it is not a sufficient living wage and women need to work overtime to survive. We also have the problem of a lack of organization in the factories. If women try to organize themselves in trade unions, they are normally threatened by the management and have to leave the factory. These are some of the problems that have not been resolved.
Why are more women than men affected in this industry?
About 80% of the workforce in the clothing industry is women, with the exception of Pakistan. The industry wants to hire women because they are seen as docile and they might not organize very easily. When they come home, for example, they might not be able to go to trade union meetings because they have so much to do. It's a very patriarchal society in India and Bangladesh, so women are used to not being treated as they should be - as human beings. This also makes it easier in the factory - bosses shout at them and treat them differently than men.

Inside a garment factory in Narsingdi, Bangladesh
Some people might ask "If the working conditions are so horrendous and wages are low, what keeps women working in this industry?" What would you say to them?
It's simply because of poverty. There are not many work opportunities and it is very difficult for women to find jobs in other industries. Also, a job in the textile industry is much better than working in stone cutting, for example, or in a household as a housemaid because there is more danger of being harassed by men in the household. In China, you can see that many women quit the textile industry and go into the electronics industry if they have the opportunity, because they are paid better. I think it depends very much on the local situation and the possibilities for women to find a well-paid job.
In 2012, German textile company KiK worked with a supplier in Pakistan whose factory caught fire, leading to the deaths of 258 people. Do you believe buyers like KiK should be held responsible for the working conditions in their subsidiary or supplier companies abroad? How might it change the industry if they were?
The case of KiK is unique because KiK was more or less the only buyer in the factory - they had 80% of the orders, which is very rare. Usually, one company would cover just 5-10% of demand in a factory. That makes them more responsible because they are more or less the only buyer. What is unique is that normally when you have human rights violations like this fire, the case can only go to court in the country where it happened. The buyer has never had to be attached to it or take any responsibility. It is unique that the German court now has to look at Pakastani law to see if they have any kind of responsibility. I think it's in the interest not only of consumers and workers, but even of the industry itself to know what its duties are. What is our duty to care about working conditions in the factory? This is the due diligence they have to do, and it needs to be defined by law. If a company can be sued for violating their responsibilities, I think the working conditions in factories will quickly change.

Read more: Rana Plaza disaster: jobless and hopeless five years on

A fire in a garment factory in Karachi killed 258 workers
What other suggestions does FEMNET have when it comes to reforming the industry?
We are working in many different areas. At FEMNET, we support urgent appeals in cases where there are accidents in these factories or there are human rights violations. Our partners in the countries of production refer to us to see which companies in Germany are placing orders, and we address the issue with them here. If they don't react, normally we make it public, but we first do very thorough research about what has happened and who is responsible in the case of these working violations. We are also working in the field of education to raise awareness among fashion students and others at 30 to 40 German universities.
What can consumers do to make the industry more sustainable?
What we ask them to do is firstly think about whether they need to have new clothes at all. There is too much production in the world and 60% of all clothes produced are not even worn - they will be thrown away. So let's have less consumption and make sure the clothes that are produced are done so under better working conditions and with better payment. That's the first point I would make. You can buy second-hand clothes, for example. And if you definitely want to buy new ones, you can look for clothes which have certain labels, like Fair Trade and others; there are many certifications that contribute to - although they don't necessarily guarantee - better working conditions.

The eco crisis lurking in your wardrobe

Work in progress

Brands like Stella McCartney are distinguished by their sustainable approaches to fashion. But a growing global middle class with more disposable income has driven the rise of fast fashion over the past 15 years. Advertisers harness the power of social media to sell products. The biggest challenge for sustainable fashion bloggers is sending the opposite message: Consume less!

Author: Miriam Webber

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The hidden human cost of fast fashion | DW | 07.12.2018

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The global fast fashion industry is often called out for the exploitative working conditions in its factories that are staffed primarily by impoverished women - especially in Asia. Many of these workers toil for little pay and have few rights, largely so clothing manufacturers in Europe and the US can keep costs low.

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Sustainable fashion and circularity in the textiles value chain are possible, yet this century the world’s consumers are buying more clothes and wearing them for less time than ever before, discarding garments as fast as trends shift.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is spearheading an initiative towards a zero waste world. As part of this ambitious outlook, UNEP has partnered with Kenyan spoken word poet Beatrice Kariuki to shed light on high-impact sectors where consumers can make a real difference.

“We need circular industries where old looks are made new,” Kariuki says in the video. “Less packaging, more reuse. Threads that last.”

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New season, new styles, buy more, buy cheap, move on, throw away: the pollution, waste, and emissions of fast fashion are fueling the triple planetary crisis.

The annual Black Friday sales on 25 November are a reminder of the need to rethink what is bought, what is thrown away, and what it costs the planet.

Sustainable fashion and circularity in the textiles value chain are possible, yet this century the world's consumers are buying more clothes and wearing them for less time than ever before, discarding garments as fast as trends shift.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is spearheading an initiative towards a zero waste world. As part of this ambitious outlook, UNEP has partnered with Kenyan spoken word poet Beatrice Kariuki to shed light on high-impact sectors where consumers can make a real difference.

"We need circular industries where old looks are made new," Kariuki says in the video. "Less packaging, more reuse. Threads that last."

The Ellen Macarthur Foundation, a UNEP partner, has estimated that a truckload of abandoned textiles is dumped in landfill or incinerated every second. Meanwhile, it is estimated that people are buying 60 per cent more clothes and wearing them for half as long.

Plastic fibres are polluting the oceans, the wastewater, toxic dyes, and the exploitation of underpaid workers. Fast fashion is big business, and while the environmental costs are rising, experts say there is another way: a circular economy for textiles.

At this month's UN Climate Conference ( COP27) in Egypt, UNEP and the non-profit Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) held an event on ' Circular Systems for a Net Positive Fashion Industry ', which drew industry leaders to discuss routes towards a circular economy for the industry, with less waste, less pollution, more reuse, and more recycling.

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A new UNEP video captures how fast fashion is a growing problem, creating waste while fuelling carbon emissions, and how combatting it is everyone's responsibility.

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Fast Fashion: the hidden cost of dressing the world

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Fast Fashion: the hidden cost of dressing the world

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Fast fashion is problematic due to its high carbon emissions, excessive waste and water use, and harmful impacts on human health. The industry’s reliance on synthetic fibers contributes to plastic pollution and microplastics in the environment. The 2-4 week reproduction cycle leaves a lot of clothing to go to “waste,” and reaches the landfills, a major contributor to environmental pollution (Garg, 2019). Many of these landfills end up near communities of color or in low-income countries (Bick et al., 2018). Additionally, it often involves unethical treatment of workers, including unsafe conditions and low wages. These factors collectively make fast fashion unsustainable by promoting environmental degradation, resource depletion, and social injustice. Addressing these issues requires a transition to more responsible and ethical practices in the fashion industry.

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Fast Fashion: The Hidden Cost of Dressing the World

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Assessing fast fashion’s impact on natural resources, ecosystem health, and social justice.

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Fast Fashion Environmental Impact Facts 2024

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Discover eye-opening fast fashion facts that shed light on its environmental impact. From staggering water consumption and carbon emissions to the alarming rise of plastic waste, explore the detrimental effects of fast fashion on our planet.

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Production waste

Waste is generated during the clothing manufacturing stage in many ways and includes:

Fabric scraps: During garment production, a significant proportion of fabrics are discarded. In some cases, such as in the production of tailoring or high-fashion clothing, the waste can be considerable. It is estimated that on average about 15-20% of textile material is discarded during production.

Chemical waste: The fashion industry uses a number of chemical processes (e.g. for dyeing, fibre treatment, and fabric finishing), which generates hazardous waste such as chemical solutions, paints, solvents, and other toxic substances. This waste can contaminate the environment if not treated properly.

Fibre waste: Synthetic fibre (such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic) and natural fibre (such as cotton or wool) are often discarded in huge quantities during the manufacturing process. Synthetic fibres are particularly problematic because they are not biodegradable and are difficult to recycle

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Fashion’s big waste problem: how do brands manage their impact? | Withersworldwide

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Several brands including Nobody's Child and Mulberry are piloting digital IDs and passports, which allow shoppers to scan smart tags on products to check where they were made and by who, but there is still progress needed on making fashion items fully traceable. This has the potential to change the way consumers interact with products and make the journey more connected and circular.

As well as reducing environmental impact, there are cost benefits for retailers helping them drive efficiencies, as well as reduce waste and overstocking by matching supply with demand. Technology is being used in new ways by M&S and H&M to reduce clothing waste.

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The Future of Fashion: Circular and Sustainable Fashion Trends | Mintel

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Consumers are pushing for more sustainability in the fashion industry. Find out how circular fashion will shape the industry.

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We aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. We also want to move away from relying on new resources, by keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible.

In our journey to build a circular ecosystem where products and materials are circulated at their highest value, we need to reduce our dependency on virgin fibres. By doing this, we will reduce our negative impact on climate, nature and communities, and help to meet our environmental goals and ambitions. In an ideal world, these recycled fibres would come from used textiles to create a closed loop. However, we need to build global infrastructure for collecting and sorting used garments, as well as scale up recycling technology to guarantee an adequate supply of recycled fibres. In the meantime, pre-consumer feedstock, for example from offcuts and scraps generated during production, can make up the shortfall.

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In late October, Helena Helmersson, CEO H&M Group, and Jesper Brodin, CEO Ingka Group / IKEA, finally had the chance to meet IRL after many digital meetings.

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Brands leading the charge in waste reduction

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Brands leading the charge in waste reduction

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Collaborations and Industry-Wide Coalitions Cross-industry collaborations amplify impact. The Fashion Pact, uniting 60+ brands including H&M and Burberry, aims for 100% recyclable textiles by 2025, already reducing CO2 emissions by 22% among signatories (WBCSD, 2023). TerraCycle’s Loop platform, partnering with Procter & Gamble and Nestlé, has diverted over 10 million single-use packages globally through reusable containers (TerraCycle, 2023).

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Brands Leading the Charge in Waste Reduction: Proven Strategies and Measurable Impact

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Chubasco Maximus Diranga Introduction The global waste crisis is undeniable, with 2.24 billion tons of municipal solid waste generated annually, a figure projected to rise by 73% by 2050 (World Bank, 2023).

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Find the latest h&m news from Fast company. See related business and technology articles, photos, slideshows and videos.

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To reach a circular fashion industry - recycling methods for blend textiles are key. Even though the majority of the clothes we wear are made of blend materials, there is no method available that can fully recycle these garments into new ones. Yet.

In 2017, our researchers in Japan reached a milestone when they discovered a hydrothermal method that has the potential to change the game completely.

Uses only heat, water and less than 5% biodegradable green chemical.

Is cost effective and time efficient.

Generates no secondary pollution since it's a closed loop where water, heat and chemicals are used again and again.

The output is long and good quality polyester fibres which can be used to make new garments. The cotton is extracted as cellulose powder, which can be used in multiple ways. HKRITA is currently exploring if it can be used to further benefit the fashion industry.

From pre-industrial to industrial scale within a year

In September 2018, The Green Machine opened in Tai Po, Hong Kong. It's a pre-industrial sized facility, which purpose is to invite fashion brands and stakeholders worldwide to see, test and implement this technology within their own operations.

"After successfully developing revolutionary recycling technologies, we have devoted sustained effort to put them into practice."
- Edwin Keh, CEO of HKRITA

At the time of the launch, the Green Machine had a capacity of recycling 100 kilo fabric per day and planned to reach 1,000 kilos per day within one year.

In 2019, another milestone was reached when a contract was signed with a supplier, who will build and implement a real sized recycling facility within their factory. The output will be used to make new garments and has the potential to revolutionize the whole fashion industry when it comes to possibilities of garment recycling.

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The Green Machine (HKRITA) | H&M Foundation

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To reach a circular fashion industry - recycling methods for blend textiles are key. Even though the majority of the clothes we wear are made of blend materials, there is no method available that can fully recycle these garments into new ones. Yet. In 2017, our researchers in Japan reached a milestone when they discovered [...]

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Sustainability requirements - Copenhagen fashion week

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Sustainability requirements - Copenhagen fashion week

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The Sustainability Requirements introduce a minimum set of standards that all CPHFW show schedule brands must conform to by 2023

Copenhagen Fashion Week: Sustainability Requirements

As of 2020, Copenhagen Fashion Week introduced their 2020-2022 Sustainability Action Plan that sets out to incur longterm change within the fashion industry. In order to deliver on our vision to become a leading fashion week, the Sustainability Action Plan introduces a minimum set of standards that all show schedule brands must conform to. As of Copenhagen Fashion Week AW23 (AW23: 31 January - 3 February 2023), all show schedule applicants whose sustainability efforts meet the minimum standards will be considered for the official Copenhagen Fashion Week show schedule.
Sustainability Requirements Document
The Minimum Standards span six focus areas covering the entire value chain. In addition to those, brands are asked to answer an additional set of questions to get insight into their current standing on their sustainability efforts. As of AW23 the Minimum Standards include 18 action points.

Minimum Standards

Strategic Directions

We work strategically with embedding sustainability and international standards on human right

We include diversity and equality in our management approach and actively consider these aspects when hiring staff, especially for management positions

We do not destroy unsold clothes from previous collections

Design

We design to increase the quality and value of our products economically and materially and inform our customers about the value of longevity

We find a second life for our samples

Smart material choices

At least 50% of our collection is either certified, made of preferred materials or new generation sustainable materials, upcycled, recycled or made of deadstock

We have a preferred materials list in place

We have a list of restricted substances in place, following the requirements of the EU REACH Directive, and engage with our suppliers to ensure compliance

Our collection is fur-free

Working conditions

We are committed to exercising due diligence in our supply chain according to international guidelines and standards and work with our suppliers to ensure e.g., freely chosen employment, secure employment or no child labour

We are committed to operating a safe, healthy and respectful working environment for all our employees, free from harassment and discrimination and where everyone enjoys equal opportunities regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, political/religious/ sexual orientation, physical appearance and ability

Consumer engagement

Our in-store and online customer service staff is well informed about our sustainability strategy

We educate and inform our customers about our sustainability practices on multiple platforms

We do not utilise single-use plastic packaging in store or for online orders but offer recyclable, recycled or repurposable alternatives

Show

Our set design and show production is zero waste

We do not utilise single-use plastic packaging backstage during fashion week but offer recyclable, recycled or repurposable alternatives

We offset or inset the carbon footprint of our show

We are signatory of the Danish Fashion Ethical Charter and consider diversity and inclusivity when casting models

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Sustainability Requirements - Copenhagen Fashion Week

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The Sustainability Requirements introduce a minimum set of standards that all CPHFW show schedule brands must conform to by 2023

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London Fashion Week adopts sustainability requirements

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London Fashion Week adopts sustainability requirements

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London Fashion Week adopts sustainability requirements

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The British Fashion Council is the first of the ‘big four’ to follow in Copenhagen’s footsteps by setting minimum sustainability standards for Newgen brands.

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NEWGEN is a BFC initiative that supports the best emerging fashion design talent and aims to build global, high-end brands of the future. It is the most established designer development scheme globally and recipients are identified by their creativity, strong aesthetic and innovative approach to design.

NEWGEN offers designers financial support, showcasing opportunities, and mentoring to develop critical skills to future proof their businesses. The BFC, with support from the NEWGEN committee led by Sarah Mower MBE, delivers individual mentoring and business training sessions to assist the recipients as they develop their business infrastructure.

NEWGEN encompasses Ready-to-Wear and Accessories including all categories such as shoes, bags, hats, and jewellery, with different product categories being judged by specific panels. Sarah Mower MBE leads the RTW panels and Stephen Jones OBE and Stephen Webster MBE lead the Accessories panel.

Each year, recipients are identified by their creativity, strong design aesthetic, and point of difference. The 2023/24 BFC NEWGEN recipients are:
AARON ESH I ANCUTA SARCA I Chet Lo I Conner Ives I DERRICK I DI PETSA I EFTYCHIA I FEBEN I HARRI I HELEN KIRKUM I Kazna Asker I LABRUM London I Leo Carlton I MASHA POPOVA I Paolo Carzana I ROBYN LYNCH I S.S. DALEY I SAUL NASH I Sinéad O'Dwyer I The Winter House I TOLU COKER I yuhan wang Applications are now closed. IPF STANDARDS 2023
The Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF) has developed a set of Minimum and Bronze Standards for NEWGEN designer participants and its programme of events.

Each of the Minimum and Bronze standards are mapped against the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ranging from ending poverty and deprivation to improving health and education, reducing gender inequalities, developing responsible production and consumption, implementing climate action, and saving our oceans and forests. These 17 SDGs are a united call for action by nations across the globe.

The Standards apply to seven focus areas of a garment's life cycle: #1 strategic direction, #2 raw material sourcing, #3 design, #4 manufacturing and distribution, #5 retail, consumer engagement and post-consumer, #6 working conditions and #7 fashion shows.

When applying for NEWGEN, participants must meet all of the Minimum standards.

We are grateful to Copenhagen Fashion Week Sustainability Action Plan 2020-2022 for taking the lead in devising these sustainable requirements which have helped to shape our Standards.

SHOWCASING
NEWGEN designers are awarded a financial bursary to partially support the showcasing of their new collections. The bursary is split in half for each year and allocated per season. In order for recipients to receive the full bursary, they must show during two LFW seasons per year. Recipients will receive a slot on the London Fashion Week schedule (digital or physical catwalk/presentation). The type of slot awarded is subject to the NEWGEN panel's decision following the interview process. Showcasing support for NEWGEN participants includes waived listing fees, show production and team, basic lighting, seating, sound, security, and a space in our venue subject to availability. You will also be assigned a member of the BFC Designer Relations Team who will be your point of contact for all showcasing related matters.
MENTORING SUPPORT
As part of the NEWGEN award, designers are assigned a member of the BFC Designer Initiatives & Membership Team who is their day-to-day contact for business support and who will liaise with the designer and facilitate introductions to mentors and industry experts based on a business diagnostic meeting that will be offered to all recipients. These mentoring opportunities include topics ranging from finance and business structure, to merchandising, ecommerce, and all other areas of building and running a fashion business. In addition to this mentoring, every NEWGEN designer has access to a designated amount of pro-bono legal counsel, delivered by law firm DLA Piper.

NEWGEN designers have free, full access to BFC Membership events; exclusive webinars, seminars and workshops covering areas across the fashion value chain, plus industry current affairs. NEWGEN designers are also provided full complimentary access to the BFC Member Portal, containing news, event summaries, resources, relevant partner opportunities and services, and business information via Designer Fact File.*

*Brands must still meet BFC Membership criteria to access the portal, details can be found here.

With thanks to DLA Piper for their pro-bono legal services, and the BFC Fashion Business Network and one-to-one mentors.

GRANT
The winning recipients of the BFC NEWGEN receive a grant through the BFC Foundation (Registered Charity Number: 1185152). The foundation, established in 2020, brought all of the BFC's charitable initiatives under one umbrella and supports the future growth and success of the British fashion industry by focusing on three areas: Education, Grant-Giving & Business Mentoring, and Institute of Positive Fashion. Each recipient signs a grant agreement with the BFC Foundation which includes a Code of Conduct, and requirements to ensure that applicants provide key information for future impact reporting.

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The British Fashion Council promotes leading British fashion designers in a global market. Its events and initiatives support and strengthen the UK's reputation for developing design excellence.

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This topic area explores how the circular economy works for the fashion industry.

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The trends and trailblazers creating a circular economy for fashion

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The fashion industry can move away from the take-make-waste model — and signs of change are evident

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ASOS 2021 Global Commitment report on plastic packaging

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ASOS 2021 Global Commitment progress report data on plastic packaging to create a circular economy for plastics and fight plastic pollution.

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How to Build a Circular Economy | Ellen MacArthur Foundation

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Help build a circular economy: a better system that can help fight climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Explore the solutions for businesses today.

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How to Build a Circular Economy | Ellen MacArthur Foundation

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Help build a circular economy: a better system that can help fight climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Explore the solutions for businesses today.

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In this week’s newsletter: Designer debuts, Prada’s take on chlorine-chic and models carrying giant totes are dominating the catwalks this month