1.Reduce energy consumption: save electricity and water

2. Reduce waste generation: waste sorting, reduce the use of disposable items

3. Reduce food waste

4. Choose sustainable products: Buy organic and environmentally friendly products, choose sustainable fashion: Buy second-hand clothing or choose fashion items with brands that focus on sustainable production and materials.

5. Make full use of resources: do a good job of recycling, transform old items, extend the service life, such as transforming old clothes into a bag.

And in this week, we came into contact with the listening part. I always thought I was good at listening before, but through this week's listening practice, I found that my listening foundation was still weak and there were a little more wrong answers. So I need to spend more time on listening practice and try to make fewer mistakes in the upcoming listening test.

Firstly, we are well aware that the fast fashion industry still faces some challenges in terms of sustainability.The main challenge for the fashion industry today is the development and adoption of more sustainable strategies towards the stakeholders, the communities in which produc- tion takes place, and nature itself.  Firms must accept and address their social and environmental footprints, and the planet’s capacity to withstand the impact of their actions and regenerate (Antonini and Larrinaga 2017;  Bebbington and Unerman 2018;  Schaltegger and Burritt 2018).For example,first,in order to keep customers coming back,high street retailers regularly shop for new trends in the field and make weekly purchases to introduce new products and replenish stock(Tokatli,Kizilgun 2009). But some brands are already taking action to improve the situation.By focusing on the use of environmentally friendly materials,transparency in the supply chain and labor rights,they hope to reduce negative impacts on the environment and provide consumers with more sustainable fashion choices.Over the past three decades,the fast fashion industry has come a long way on the issue of sustainability:firstly, more and more fast fashion brands are starting to focus on sustainability and make it a major issue.Some brands are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact, such as adopting environmentally friendly materials, promoting a circular economy and reducing carbon emissions.Secondly, consumer awareness is increasing,and more and more consumers are starting to choose brands that support environmental protection and social responsibility,prompting fast fashion companies to pay more attention to sustainability.Finally, a transparent industry chain has been established,and some fast fashion brands have begun to make their supply chains transparent and disclose their supplier information.(Wang Yaqing, 2018)

I found a fast fashion brand that does a great job in sustainability - Urban Revive.They have launched a new line called the Eco-friendly Capsule Series,which will be the first step in reducing the life of plastic.They have launched a range of new products by recycling plastic bottles and reprocessing them into eco-friendly yarns.And for the first time,UR cooperated with the environmental protection brand P.E.T.,jointly launched 4 limited shopping bags,using 100% recycled polyester fiber materials,so that 3 recycled plastic bottles =1 shopping bag.They believe that sustainable fashion trends are about nature and materials,with the aim of giving consumers a comfortable and timeless wearing experience.(City Revive.2019).

There's another fast-fashion brand that I've found to be bad at sustainability,and it's called Forever 21.Some aspects of it may not be environmentally friendly,including: First is the packaging material, Forever 21's products often use a lot of plastic and paper to wrap the product.These materials are often disposable and have a negative impact on the environment.The second is excessive packaging, there are consumer complaints about excessive packaging of Forever 21 products.This not only wastes resources, but also increases the amount of waste produced.Finally,there are chemicals, Forever 21 clothing can contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment and human health, such as dyes and anti-wrinkle agents.These substances can be released into the environment during manufacturing and processing,with impacts on ecosystems and sustainable development.(Wang (QR(2019).

And the next step for sustainability in the fast fashion industry should be:Firstly,resolve the conflict between speed and fast fashion.Secondly,think about and solve the problem of resource consumption and waste.And then improve labor rights and working conditions and make supply chains more transparent.Next, use more environmentally friendly materials and technologies.Finally,consumers are encouraged to choose sustainable brands.(Xia T. Wang XL,2012).

In conclusion,the present situation of fast fashion industry is characterized by low cost, high-speed production and large-scale consumption.However,it also brings environmental and social problems,such as waste of resources,labor rights and carbon emissions.In order to be more sustainable,the fast fashion industry is taking the following efforts:promoting the use of sustainable materials,such as organic cotton and recycled fibers;Adopting circular economy models such as recycling and second-hand trading; Optimize supply chains to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions; Support fair trade and worker rights protection; Educate consumers to choose sustainable brands and buy meaningful clothing; Invest in innovative technologies such as 3D printing and the Internet of things to improve production efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Through these efforts,the fast fashion industry is expected to achieve a sustainable transformation,balancing economic benefits with environmental and social responsibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.Wayen Hayes(1987).Our Common Future.

2.Antonini, C., and C. Larrinaga. 2017. “Planetary Boundaries and Sustainability Indicators. a Survey of Corporate Reporting Boundaries.” Sustainable Development 25 (2): 123–137. doi:10.1002/sd.1667. 

3.Tokatli, N.(2008)“Global Sourcing Insights from the Clothing Indus- try: The Case of Zara, a Fast Fashion Retailer.”Journal of Economic Geography 8: 21–38.

4.Wang YQ(2018).How can the fast fashion industry achieve sustainable development.F416.86.2095-2066(2018)09-0278-02).

5.Urban Revive(2019).UR ECO | Environmental capsule series is now available! Available at:https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/mQxeaBkaluR4nxYF8cdcxw(Accessed:9 July 2023)

6.Wang QR(2019).Living with sustainability - Rambling on the crisis and turnaround of fast fashion industry.Guide to Sustainable Economy. P.44)

7.Xia T. Wang XL(2012).On the environmental protection status and development trend of fast fashion brands.Shandong textile economy.P.43-45)

The fast fashion industry still faces some challenges at sustainable levels, such as 1.Due to the fast speed of new products, fast fashion forms a huge inventory and causes waste. These inventory clothes are usually solved by burning, which causes waste and serious pollution of the atmosphere.2.Many kinds of clothing also contain a lot of materials that need to use animal fur, which is inconsistent with ethics, which has become a problem that many animal protection agencies have been criticized.3.There are also synthetic materials, such as polyester, which require the use of non-renewable energy sources such as petroleum. Will encourage mankind to over-exploit oil resources.4.The lack of effective recycling of discarded clothing has become a huge challenge for the fast fashion clothing industry.5.The factory production environment of the fast fashion clothing industry is also a problem that needs to be solved.But some brands have begun to take action to improve the situation. By focusing on the use of environmentally friendly materials and focusing on supply chain transparency and labor rights, they hope to reduce negative impacts on the environment and provide consumers with more sustainable fashion choices.In the fast fashion industry, the progress made in sustainability issues over the past three decades is:1. More brands start to focus on sustainability: More and more fast fashion brands have started to focus on sustainability and make it a major issue. Some brands are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact, such as adopting environmentally friendly materials, promoting a circular economy and reducing carbon emissions.2. Increased customer awareness: More and more consumers are starting to choose brands that support environmental protection and social responsibility, prompting fast fashion companies to pay more attention to sustainability.3. Build supply chain transparency: Some fast fashion brands are starting to be transparent about their supply chains and disclose information about their suppliers.(Yiqun Wang(2018).How can the fast fashion industry achieve sustainable development.F416.86.2095-2066(2018)09-0278-02).

I found a fast fashion brand that does a great job on sustainability，its Urban Revive.They launched a new series，called environmentally friendly capsule series.It will be the first step towards reducing plastic life by recycling plastic bottles and reprocessing into environmentally friendly yarn to present a new series of products.And the first collaboration with eco-friendly brand P.E.T,Jointly launched 4 limited shopping bags,It is made of 100% recycled polyester fiber material,3 recycled plastic bottles =1 shopping bag.They think Sustainable fashion trends is about nature and materials, more bring consumer comfort and a timeless wearing experience.(Urban Revive(2019).UR ECO | Environmental capsule series is now available!Available at:https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/mQxeaBkaluR4nxYF8cdcxw(Accessed:9 July 2023)

Then is s a fast fashion brand I found that doesn't do a good job of sustainability,it’s called Forever 21.Some aspects of it may not be environmentally friendly include:1. Packaging materials: Forever 21 products typically use a lot of plastic and paper to wrap their products. These materials are often single-use and have a negative impact on the environment.2. Excessive packaging: Some consumers have complained about the excessive packaging of Forever 21 products. This not only wastes resources, but also increases the amount of waste produced.3. Chemicals: Forever 21 clothing may contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment and human health, such as dyes and anti-wrinkle agents. These substances can be released into the environment during manufacturing and handling, with impacts on ecosystems and sustainable development.(Qiurong Wang(2019).Living with sustainability - Rambling on the crisis and turnaround of fast fashion industry.Guide to Sustainable Economy. P.44)

The next step for sustainability in the fast fashion industry should be 1. Resolve the conflict between speed and fast fashion 2. Think about and address resource consumption and waste 3. Improve Labour rights and working conditions 4. Improve supply chain transparency 5. Use more environmentally friendly materials and technologies 6. Encourage consumers to choose sustainable brands.(Tian Xia, Xiaolei Wang(2012).On the environmental protection status and development trend of fast fashion brands.Shandong textile economy.P.43-45)

The present situation of fast fashion industry is characterized by low cost, high-speed production and large-scale consumption. However, it also brings environmental and social problems, such as waste of resources, labor rights and carbon emissions. In order to be more sustainable, the fast fashion industry is taking the following efforts: promoting the use of sustainable materials, such as organic cotton and recycled fibers; Adopting circular economy models such as recycling and second-hand trading; Optimize supply chains to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions; Support fair trade and worker rights protection; Educate consumers to choose sustainable brands and buy meaningful clothing; Invest in innovative technologies such as 3D printing and the Internet of Things to improve production efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Through these efforts, the fast fashion industry is expected to achieve a sustainable transformation, balancing economic benefits with environmental and social responsibility.