The Future Of Sustainable Fashion
THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION
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The fashion industry has some major sustainability problems. By 2030, it is predicted that the industry’s water consumption will grow by 50% to 118 billion cubic metres, its carbon footprint will increase to 2,791m tonnes and the amount of waste it creates will hit 148m tonnes. (www.globalfashionagenda.com)
Just last week new sustainability initiatives were unveiled at the 2019 Copenhagen Fashion Summit. Fashion leaders, policymakers, NGOs, creative directors and innovators from across the globe convened at the Summit to demand urgent action on sustainability in the fashion industry. Multiple companies chose to announce their new sustainability measures at the landmark event. Highlights include:
- Google revealed a partnership with Stella McCartney to measure the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Google is building a tool that uses data analytics and machine learning on Google Cloud to give brands a more comprehensive view into their supply chain, particularly at the level of raw material production.
- Nike announced its Circular Design Workbook to provide designers and product creators across the industry with a common language for circularity. Nike is a signatory of the Global Fashion Agenda 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment, which calls on fashion brands and retailers to accelerate the transition to a circular fashion system.
Understanding Sustainability
“Sustainability is putting the interest of our children beyond our own greed,”
Paul Polman, Chair, International Chamber of Commerce and The B Team
So what does it mean to be sustainable? For the retailer it means creating products in a way that is considerate of humanity and the environment. The goal is to have a system which works without leaving a negative footprint.
For the Consumer it means thinking about what you buy, knowing which philosophies you are supporting through your purchases, and also asking yourself if you are really going to wear that new piece to the extent that it was worth being made.
The more information consumers are given, the easier it is for them to get on board and understand where sustainable fashion has come from and why it is so important. We need to educate people so they can choose how to incorporate it into their future.
Eco-Friendly Fashion Is In Style
What is so great about sustainable fashion is how it has now grown into a trend that has become fashionable to follow. While we at times we rolled our eyes at past generations for wanting to make the world greener, now we praise them. Sustainability also isn’t just for hippy earth mums or eco warriors, no-one is making jokes about how their neighbour grows their own veg or makes their own homemade granola, they are asking for the recipe. As sustainability continues to weave its way into the fabric of society, fashion brands like Hide The Label have taken notice and have shifted their collections accordingly.
Consumer Habits Are Changing And We As Brands Are Taking Note
According to data from Accenture in 2017, 33% of consumers are choosing to buy from brands they believe are doing social or environmental good, with 21% saying they would actively choose brands if they made their sustainability credentials more clear on packaging and in marketing – representing €966bn worth of untapped opportunity for brands.
Organizations have begun to encourage and promote eco-friendly companies, for example take Eco-Age who are commited to helping brands create a culture of purpose & sustainability and brands such as Everlane, who promote radical transparency by working on both informing the consumers and the industry, they are helping to bring us into a more sustainable future.
Technology A Key Factor For A Sustainable Fashion Future
New technology is also playing a part in advance sustainable fashion. From apps like Vinted, that lets you buy, sell or swap your unwanted clothing at your fingertips. Vintage and secondhand clothes play such an important role in the future of sustainable fashion because the more we are able to reuse and recycle, the less product is made. Apps make a sustainable life so easily accessible. With apps like JouleBug, not only can you gain access to all the sustainability tips you could need but the app also lets you share your own tips and tricks with other users through videos and consumption and savings statistics.
Physical materials and their advancements also have a big part to play. Many brands, like Reformation and Original Source and supply, have been using deadstock to make their clothes. Brands like Davy J who are creating swimwear made from recycled plastics like bottles and fishing nets. Other companies like Pinatex are creating entirely new materials like vegan leather made from pineapples to help cut down on harmful products. As brands continue to push the limits of what clothes can made from, we can see how this will greatly impact sustainability as we know it.
What Is Recycled Polyester
Like traditional polyester, recycled polyester is a man-made fabric produced from synthetic fibers. However, instead of utilizing new materials to make the fabric (i.e. petroleum), recycled polyester makes use of existing plastic. In many cases, those existing plastics are your old water bottles, which are then processed and transformed into that beautiful, Hide The Label midi dress you need in your wardrobe.
Why Choose Recycled Materials
By limiting the use of virgin materials, recycled polyester dramatically lowers its environmental impact versus traditional polyester. Recycled polyester:
- Reduces reliance on virgin petroleum as a raw material
- Diverts used plastic from landfills
- Prevents used plastic from ending up in our oceans and harming marine life.
- Decreases greenhouse gas emissions from creating and processing virgin polyester
- Can be continuously recycled again and again without quality degradation
Loved Clothes Last