Fashion Brands: Reduce Pollution, Save The Planet

The fashion industry is the second-largest polluting industry in the world, after oil. It is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, 20% of industrial water pollution, and 9% of annual microfibre pollution in the oceans. The environmental damage caused by the fashion industry is increasing as the industry grows. However, there are solutions and alternatives to mitigate these problems. The first step is to build awareness and a willingness to change. Consumers need to adopt more mindful consumption habits and governments must enforce laws requiring brands to disclose their environmental impact. Tax breaks could be provided to companies that adopt sustainable production methods. Designers, brands, and scientists are exploring ways to make fashion more sustainable and circular, with new strategies that eliminate waste from the design stage.

Fast fashion's environmental impact

Fast fashion has a significant environmental impact. The fast-fashion business model relies on the exploitation of resources and labour to deliver garments that follow the latest trends at an unprecedented rate. This quick output of garments demands a large volume of raw materials, creating a significant amount of waste, pollution, and degradation to air, water, and wildlife habitats.

The environmental impact of fast fashion includes the depletion of non-renewable sources, the 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 to produce a pair of jeans. Textile dyeing is the world's second-largest polluter of water, as the leftover water from the dyeing process is often dumped into ditches, streams, or rivers. The industry also uses 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 found in the ocean come from laundering synthetic textiles.

The fashion industry is also a significant source of plastic leakage into the environment. The textile value chain is responsible for 9% of annual microfibre pollution in the oceans. Plastic pollution is one of the major environmental crises of our time, and efforts are underway to address it through international agreements.

The social and economic impacts of fast fashion are also significant. The industry is labour-dependent, with one in six people working in some part of the global fashion industry. Developing nations are targeted for garment production due to cheap labour, tax breaks, and lenient laws and regulations. This results in worker exploitation, with workers, mostly young women, subjected to hazardous working conditions and earning unlivable wages. Rapid production also means that sales and profits supersede human welfare, as seen in the 2013 collapse of a factory building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which killed and injured thousands of workers.

To address the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion, a shift towards slow fashion and sustainable practices is necessary. Slow fashion advocates for manufacturing that respects people, the environment, and animals. It involves reducing overproduction, simplifying supply chains, and promoting mindful consumption. Organizations and consumers are recognizing the need for a shift towards sustainable fashion, with efforts focused on designing and investing in business models that reuse clothes and maximize their useful life.

Sustainable fashion

The fashion industry has a significant environmental footprint, with fast fashion being a major contributor to pollution and waste. The industry's linear business model fuels overproduction and overconsumption, leading to a global waste crisis. To reduce their environmental impact, fashion brands can adopt more sustainable practices, such as those advocated by the slow fashion movement, which promotes respectful manufacturing that minimises environmental harm.

The key to achieving sustainability in fashion lies in addressing the entire supply chain, from design to consumer behaviour. At the design stage, strategies like zero-waste pattern cutting can eliminate fabric waste. Additionally, brands can opt for recycled materials and minimise the use of synthetic fibres, which contribute to microplastic pollution.

To foster a circular economy, brands should also focus on extending the life of their products and reusing materials. This can be achieved through durable designs, repair services, and recycling initiatives. Governments have a role in enforcing laws that require brands to disclose their environmental impact and incentivising sustainable practices through tax breaks.

Consumers play a crucial role in driving change. By adopting more mindful consumption habits, such as recommerce, recycling, upcycling, and supporting sustainable brands, consumers can reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry. It is important for consumers to care about the origins of their clothing and demonstrate their concerns through their purchasing decisions.

Finally, addressing the social impact of the fashion industry is essential. This includes ensuring fair wages and working conditions for factory workers, especially in developing countries where labour laws may be lax. By prioritising ethical and sustainable practices, the fashion industry can move towards a more responsible and environmentally friendly future.

Exploited labour force

The fast fashion industry is dependent on the exploited labour force in developing countries where regulations are lax. The industry employs approximately 75 million factory workers worldwide, with less than 2% earning a living wage. This has led to workers living below the poverty line, with the European Parliament describing the conditions of factory workers in Asia as "slave labour".

The pressure to produce clothing quickly and cheaply leads to the exploitation of the labour force. Consumers' demand for a larger quantity of clothing at a cheaper price point has pushed the development of the fast-fashion industry, with the average person buying 60% more clothing in 2014 than in 2000, but keeping each item for half as long. This has resulted in the dangerous exploitation of the labour force, with workers being underpaid, overworked, and exposed to hazardous working conditions.

The complex globalized supply chains of the fashion industry have made it difficult to hold brands accountable for the unethical practices used to produce their clothing at such low costs. Many brands choose to have minimal control over each step of the supply chain to avoid legal liability, allowing their subsidiaries to remain largely unregulated. This has resulted in the abuse of foreign labour, with companies taking advantage of lower wages in other countries to cut costs.

To address the exploitation of labour in the fashion industry, legislation such as the Bangladesh Fire & Safety Accord should be implemented in every country. Additionally, consumers can play a role by demonstrating their concerns about the working conditions and the origin of the clothing they purchase.

Plastic pollution

Synthetic fabrics such as polyester, polypropylene, acrylic, and nylon are made using fossil fuels and are commonly used in fast fashion due to their low cost. These synthetic fibres are derived from petrochemical raw materials, resulting in a significant carbon footprint. The production process is energy-intensive and releases volatile particulate matter and acids. While polyester makes up 52% of the global fibre market, it consumes over 70 million tons of oil annually.

The use of synthetic fibres in clothing has severe ecological and health impacts. These non-biodegradable materials can take up to 200 years to fully break down, contributing to the growing plastic waste problem. Washing synthetic clothes is a major cause of microplastics entering waterways as they escape filters and end up in rivers and oceans. The fashion sector is responsible for 9% of annual microfibre pollution in the oceans, with an estimated 500,000 tons of microfibres released each year, equivalent to 50 billion plastic bottles.

To address plastic pollution, fashion brands must reduce their reliance on synthetic fibres and plastic packaging. Developing biodegradable materials, increasing the use of natural fabrics, and implementing closed-loop water systems are essential steps towards sustainability. Consumers can also play a role by buying second-hand, choosing sustainable brands, and supporting communities that sell, swap, rent, mend, or upcycle clothing.

While some brands are taking steps towards sustainability, such as using biodegradable fibres and chemical-free dyeing processes, the industry as a whole needs to embrace genuine change. Governments are beginning to promise regulation, but well-designed laws are crucial to ensuring progress and moving away from the era of fast fashion.

Water pollution

The fashion industry is a major consumer and polluter of freshwater, contributing to around 20% of global wastewater. It is the second-largest consumer industry of water, using around 93 billion cubic meters of water per year, enough to meet the needs of 5 million people. This amount is expected to double by 2030.

The production of synthetic fabrics, such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic, also contributes to water pollution. These synthetic fibers can take hundreds of years to biodegrade and have been found to be a significant source of microplastics in the ocean, with 35% of all microplastics originating from the laundering of synthetic textiles. Textile dyeing has been identified as the world's second-largest polluter of water, as the wastewater from this process is often dumped into natural water bodies without treatment, contaminating them with toxins and heavy metals.

To reduce water pollution, fashion brands can implement several strategies. Firstly, switching to organic cotton farming can save significant amounts of water and reduce pollution by eliminating the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Brands like Patagonia and North Face are already adopting this practice. Additionally, consumers can play a role by choosing garments made from natural fibers that require less water, such as linen or organic cotton, and reducing the purchase of synthetic fibers.

Furthermore, fashion companies can engage in circular economy practices by reusing, sharing, refurbishing, repairing, recycling, and remanufacturing garments, reducing waste, pollution, and the consumption of finite resources. The use of sustainable materials, such as Piñatex (vegan leather made from pineapple leaves), Econyl® (fiber made from recovered ocean waste), and ECOVERO™ (a semi-synthetic fiber that requires 50% less water than traditional viscose), can also help reduce water pollution.

While some brands, like Gap Inc. and H&M, have acknowledged their role in water pollution and implemented measures to reduce water use and contamination, there is still a long way to go in ensuring a more sustainable fashion industry. Accurate and transparent data on water consumption and pollution within the industry can be challenging to obtain, and many large brands are criticized for doing the least to address these issues.

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