Sustainable fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry.
The fashion industry is among the largest industries in the world. It also contributes disproportionately to environmental pollution, accounting for approximately 10 per cent of greenhouse-gas emissions globally (1).
For this reason, significant changes to the industry are necessary, beginning with creating an awareness of sustainable fashion practices.
Sustainable fashion is both a method of manufacturing and a change movement in the fashion industry itself, with a focus on its connection to ecology, social justice and integrity. Therefore, sustainable fashion can be complicated to understand. And yet, it has a significant effect on the entire supply chain, from producers to consumers to recycling facilities. This makes it paramount to have a comprehensive guide.
Significance of Sustainable Fashion
1.Reduced garbage waste in sustainable fashion
First of all, one reason for sustainable fashion’s significance to the industry is that it reduces waste. A large amount of textile waste ends up burned or dumped in landfills. Most of these textile wastes are created by a fast-fashion industry that frequently introduces new trends at cheap prices and with poor-quality products.
In addition, sustainable fashion aims to produce long-lasting, quality-based products, which reduces the amount of trashed textile materials and thereby cuts pollution and increases recycling. Not adopting sustainable fashion practices could lead to the extinction of future industries in the sector. Consequently, a focus on a circular economy is essential to the fashion industry’s future.
2.Employees working conditions in sustainable fashion
Moreover, sustainable fashion also provides better and safer working conditions than fast-fashion products. Many fast-fashion products are manufactured under punitive working conditions, which include long hours for employees, poor health and safety conditions, barely livable wages (especially in developing countries) and even the exploitation of child labor, based on the need for a more and cheaper workforce to meet manufacturing demands (2). Sustainable fashion, by contrast, ensures that individuals experience proper working conditions and fair wages (3).
3. Sustainable fashion saves water
Furthermore, sustainable fashion is also crucial because it saves water in both washing and manufacturing. This is significant in an industry that consumes a major amount of water. In addition, the fashion industry pollutes freshwater by draining toxic chemicals into waterways (1).
Besides, sustainable fashion advocates for policies that reduces water usage when manufacturing and processing clothes. Moreover, sustainable fashion products are primarily made using organic textiles like linen and cotton, which require limited to no water in production. What’s more, costs incurred by manufacturers of sustainable fashion products are lower than those of non-sustainable fashion products (4).
4. Sustainable fashion protects and balances the ecosystem
The production of sustainable fashion also protects the animal ecosystem (2). In addition, the threat to animal safety is a major concern, because each animal plays an important role in ensuring that the world is habitable. The fashion industry also influences animals’ ability to survive (1). The manufacture of products using leather and fur, such as shoes and fur coats, compromises the co-existence of animals by reducing certain animal populations.
Moreover, the pollution created during fashion production additionally affects the animal ecosystem. Hence, sustainable fashion reduces the exploitation of animals by using alternative materials. Therefore, to create a sustainable fashion market, it is important for individuals to adopt green fashion, which proposes to protect the environment. It should be noted that Green or Eco friendly fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry.
How to Improve Sustainable Fashion
i. Application of technology in the fashion industry
Some in the fashion industry have recently developed modern technologies that are transforming the industry. In the first place, several fashion brands have acknowledged their responsibility for waste management and reducing environmental pollution. Although most of these advanced technologies have not yet been declared viable, their development is meant to minimize the use of raw materials and thereby customers’ consumption of those materials.
For instance, some in the sustainable fashion industry have developed trial processes that enhance the breakdown of material fibres to their initial components. These are then re-fabricated into different fibres that can make new garments of similar quality. Subsequently, this would reduce reliance on the original fibres (5).
Apart from this, other brands have developed an advanced technology that generates raw materials from parts of plants and uses them in production instead of depending on animal materials like leather. One advantage of this transition indeed is that it creates attractive new investment opportunities within the fashion industry. Thus, the sustainability of fashion will be determined in part by the guiding process of investments and business owners’ evaluations of appropriate investment strategies to improve their competitiveness in the market (3).
ii. Adoption of second-hand fashion products
Each of us needs to reduce clothing waste
Tips for reducing your closet’s impact on the planet
1. Buy less and keep clothes longer.
2. Buy second-hand.
3. Invest in sustainable brands if you can.
4. Stay away from big oil’s fabrics.
5. Repurpose old clothes.
Additionally, operating a sustainable fashion business requires the organization to promote where they have done it correctly and communicate their progressive sustainability goals. Therefore, some brands have adopted renting and swapping fashion products instead of ensuring that individuals own each piece of clothing. Obviously, this is applicable and has grown due to the increased market of second-hand clothes, which helps disposal of fashion products to protect the ecosystem.
Moreover, the United Kingdom Environmental Audit Committee (UKEAC) claimed that in 2016 there were over 300,000 tons of discarded clothes in the UK alone (2). Therefore, changing customer behavior can help reduce this (6). For example, some brands have adopted renting and swapping fashion products instead of promoting individual ownership of clothing. This practice has grown along with the increased market for second-hand clothes, both of which reduce the disposal of fashion items and protect the ecosystem (7).
iii. Improvement of working conditions and development of policies
Overall, sustainable fashion businesses have the added advantage of higher worker recruitment and employee retention rates. Many people would prefer to work in companies or organizations with appropriate working conditions and strong environmental protection policies.
Even though sustainable fashion can take longer to make a single garment than fast-fashion products, employees are provided with appropriate working conditions that are safe and healthy. These include reasonable hours and breaks to make them comfortable at work. Thus, these conditions are appropriate for retaining employees as well as attracting additional workers during recruitment (3).
Therefore, before you shop next time check if the brands pay fair wages. Usually sustainably clothing brands pay fair wages to their employees. On the other hand, fast fashion brands tend to pay employees in developing countries under the living wage.
Sustainable fashion also utilizes local production and sourcing. This also increases transparency in the supply chain and guarantees appropriate working conditions and environmentally friendly production.
In addition, sustainable fashion businesses can even communicate their progressive sustainability goals to help build or improve their brand image. The adoption of sustainable fashion production illustrates a business’s responsibility toward society and the environment. With many customers now preferring to buy environmentally friendly products, a related brand image can help attract more customers to the business.
Finally, sustainable fashion ensures that products have a long lifespan. This attracts customers, reduces production and manufacturing costs, and has a beneficial impact on the environment, society and the economy. For these reasons, individuals are encouraged to adopt sustainable fashion.
- So what can we do for sustainable fashion?
- Next time you go clothes shopping:
- Remember to check if the products are from sustainable fashion brands
- Try to recycle your old clothes
References
- Bhardwaj, G. and Ditty, S. (2018) Understanding Sustainable Fashion. [online] Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank. Available at: <https://www.chathamhouse.org/2018/10/understandingsustainablefashion?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6pOTBhCTARIsAHF23fJ67tIVH8kbXjpTmHYUZyrjLL0uv4kXSntDhDZLlAGMIuKebUvFLoaAqYiEALw_wcB>.
- Alves, A. (2021) What EXACTLY Is Sustainable Fashion & Why Is SO Important . [Online] The VOU. Available at: <https://thevou.com/fashion/sustainable-fashion/>.
- Henninger, C.E., Alevizou, P.J. and Oates, C.J. (2016) What is sustainable fashion? Journal of Fashion Markworketing and Management: An International Journal.
- Pucker, K. (2022) The Myth of Sustainable Fashion. [online] Harvard Business Review. Available at: <https://hbr.org/2022/01/the-myth-of-sustainable-fashion> [Accessed 26 April 2022].
- Shafie, S., Kamis, A., Ramli, M. F., Abu Bedor, S., & Ahmad Puad, F. N. (2021). Fashion Sustainability: Benefits of Using Sustainable Practices in Producing Sustainable Fashion Designs. International Business Education Journal, 14(1), 103-111. https://doi.org/10.37134/ibej.vol14.1.9.2021
- Kim, E.D. (2010) The influence of sustainability and social responsibility on fashion trends. International Journal of Costume and Fashion, 10(2), pp.61-71.
- Jacobs, K., Petersen, L., Hörisch, J. and Battenfeld, D. (2018) Green thinking but thoughtless buying? An empirical extension of the value-attitude-behavior hierarchy in sustainable clothing. Journal of Cleaner Production, 203, pp.1155-1169.
Nice read
Thank you Gosh! Glad you liked it!
Very interesting points!! People must read!
Thank you Alex! Glad you liked it!
This article reflects effectively with valid arguments the reasons that sustainable fashion is important and contains very useful recommendations showing how to improve sustainability ! I’m glad I read this article ! Thank you so much I will start buying second hand items!
Thank you Stefanie, really glad you found it useful!
Good job stalo! Its amazing how interesting its your findings!!
Thank you Katerina, glad you enjoyed it!
Very interesting blog Stalo, good points and topic. Was pleasure to read it, well done!
Thank you for reading it. Glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing Stalo mpravo sou !!!
I am happy you liked it. Thank you for reading!
Very useful information about sustainability and how deeply it is associated with the fashion industry.
Greatly written, in a simple way, it truly helps the reader fathom and grasp the meaning of sustainable fashion.
I really liked your proposals concerning the improvement of sustainable fashion.
Overall : amazing job! Bravo!
Thank you Alexia! Glad you found it useful!
Thank you Trayana! I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Well written Stalo! Great topic choice ❤️
Thank you Sanjana!
This was a great article and you made very critical, informative points!
Glad you liked it Hallie! Thank you for reading.
Great!!!
Thanks Rafaela!
Amazing blog! Enjoyed reading it
I am glad you liked it Khawla! Thanks a lot!
This is such an informative blog and your way in expressing and explaining this topic is truly inspiring. This helped me understand how much we can help the environment by just buying from sustainable brands and how easy it is to reduce waste. Thank you for sharing :))
Thank you very much Stella for your explicit comments!
Very insightful read! Interesting reading about sustainability and the fashion industry, and how it operates in fast fashion.
Than you. I am glad you liked it!
Amazing write-up. I love your blog.
Thank you Vasileiana. Glad you liked it!
Very interesting, useful and well written article.
Thank you Spyro for reading!
Such an informative blog!
A great read, good work Stalo!
Thank you Shivani! I am happy that you found it informative!
Great blog!!
Thank you Angelina!
a stunning article waiting for another
Thank you Danny!
Loved it, you did an amazing job and I enjoyed reading it!
I am glad you enjoyed reading it Mariandria!
very informative post thanks for sharing this post
Thank you. I’m glad you liked it Tracy.
Very interesting read! Attrattivo uses some methods to reduce water consumption for their jeans production, i could bring you into contact with them if you want!
Thank you Nikolas for reading and you comments. It’s good to know about Attrativo’s policy in reducing water consumption!
This was so interesting to read. Keep writing such blogs.
Thank you Vidhi! Happy you you liked it!
Well done
Thank you Zoi!
Amazing work Stalo! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on sustainable fashion, a very well written project!
Thank you Valeria for reading. Glad you liked it!
Thank you very much Vidhi!
Bravo. Very interesting. Makes me want to respect the fashion industry more! Really inspiring Stalo!
Thank you Michail! Glad you liked it.
Thank you for informing us on such an important topic! can’t wait to read more!
Thank you Esterina. Glad you liked it!
Love that you brought awareness to each factor of sustainable fashion! From production, to the work spaces & solutions. Very well written & stresses on all factors about sustainable fashion. Well done Stalo!
Thank you Hana for your insightful comments. Glad you liked all parts of my post!
Great Article! Super interesting!
Thank you Solange! Glad you liked it!
Thanks for the information & tips! It was very interesting
I am happy that you found it interesting Marina!
You raised awareness on sustainable fashion while making it a delightful read. Thank you for bringing awareness on the topic of fast fashion – fast fashion is so common now, awareness is needed.
Thank you Mai for reading and your explicit comments!
Great article and topic – sheds some great knowledge and light on topic of sustainability!
Thanks a lot Ahmed! Glad you liked it!
I think sustainable fashion is important because when big companies produce fast fashion they tend to use a lot of resources such as materials, water and energy that are quite valuable to the world. Eventually we’ll be left with scarce material which can affect us on a global scale.
Thank you Natalie for your explicit comments.
Sustainable fashion is important to all of us!
Congratulations for such an interesting blog!!!
Thank you Louisa! Glad you liked it!
Very informative & compelling to read👏👏
Thank you Stephanie! Glad you found it informative!
Very interesting well done!
Very informative well done !!!
Thank you Ivi!
Really composed work.
Well done
Thank you Poly! Glad you liked it!
Stalo mou what a fantastic post . Very interesting, refreshing and love the topic about sustainability and the fashion industry. Stunning! Keep it up 💞
Thank you so much Alexandra for your comments. Happy you enjoyed it!
Very interesting blog. Really enjoyed the reading. Thank you Stalo for sharing
Thank you Kris. Glad you liked it!
Love your article. Amazing job!!! So interesting and helpful
Thank you Angelina! Glad you loved it!
Very important and interesting topic, it has given me information that I have never knew about before, and it changed my idea towards sustainable fashion. Amazing blog
I’ m really happy it influenced you Assmaa! This is my goal! Thank you.
Very well written and pretty interesting Stalo.
All the best
Thank you Fokiona. Glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing article! Very interesting and informative.
Thank you Annie! Glad you liked it!
I just finished reading your article about sustainability and the fashion industry, wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it. Congratulations
Thank you Alex for reading. Glad you enjoyed it!
It was really interesting to read! Great job Stalo!❤️
Thank you Elena for reading. Happy you liked it!
Wow excellent job!
Thank you Rafaella! Glad you liked it!
Very interesting!
Thank you Lena!
Such a well thought out article on the present and future of fashion!
Thank you Kiana! Glad you found it interesting!
Very insightful and well documented. The questions that arose after reading are“ What factors influence the cost of sustainable fashion and how do we switch from small batch production to labour paid using fair-wage policies?”
Keep it up!
Thank you Panagioti for your explicit comments!
Very interesting!
Thank you Katerina!
Great article!
Thank you Alex! Glad you enjoyed it!
Good work Stalo! Very proud!
Thank you Theo. Happy you liked it!
I loved learning more about this. So cool!
Thank you Wiio! Glad you liked it!
Amazing article! So proud of you
Thank you Erietta! I am happy you enjoyed it!
I enjoyed reading! Very interesting!
Thank you Melanie! Glad you enjoyed reading it!
Great and highly informative blog post!
Waiting for the another one!
I’ m really happy you found it informative! Thank you Volodymyr!
Great work
Thank you Katerina!
Such an interesting article! I am studying Sustainability for my college major and this is extremely insightful.
I am glad you found it insightful Mia! Thank you!
Very insightful piece! Keep up the good work!
Thank you Dimitra! Glad you liked it!
Great read!! Very informative and useful facts.
Thank you Peter! I am happy you liked it!
Well done Stalo. Very interesting topic. Working conditions at the producing countries and wages paid is of greatest importance for a sustainable business.
Really good job. Well done.
Thank you for reading. Glad you liked it!
Well done stalo, really enjoyed reading this and gaining more knowledge about sustainable fashion 🙂
Thank you Ramla. Happy you enjoyed it!
Thanks for sharing this article! Amazing work!
Thank you Stefania! Glad you liked it!
Such an insightful article on sustainability fashion! Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you so much Chrysanthi for reading. Glad you liked it!
What an interesting topic to read, well done Stalo !! ✌️
Thank you Vibhur! Glad you found it interesting!
Your Blog is very nice.
Wish to see much more like this.
Thank you Kate! Glad you liked it!
Amazing work Stalo mou well done!!!
Thank you Vasili. Happy you liked it!
Great topic and very interesting read, thanks for sharing!
Thank you Elaine! Glad you liked it!
Great blog, we can all make change making customers decisions