The Urgent Need for Sustainability in the Fashion

Industry
Making clothes typically requires the use of a large amount of water,
chemicals and the process emits large quantities of greenhouse gases.
It is estimated that making 1 kilogram of fabric generates an average
of approximately 23 kilograms of greenhouse gases. Unfortunately,
practically every stage in the life cycle of clothing has negative
implications for our planet. Even after the consumers leave the store
with their newly purchased apparel the sustainability impacts of
clothing continue: washing and drying approximately 1 kilogram of
clothing over its entire life cycle creates on average 11 kilograms of
greenhouse gases

The Great Expansion

The apparel industry has doubled from 2000 to 2014 and it has
steadily continued its growth since, however technological advantages
and eco-friendly solutions for its process have not yet been able to
catch up!

Over this period of intense growth we have also noticed a change in

mentality, given the affordability and availability of „in trend‟low-cost
fashion, some estimates suggest that consumers treat the lowest priced
garments as nearly disposable discarding them just after a few years.
As a result, over 50 per cent of all clothing produced ends up in
incinerators.

Moreover, it is important to note that if the world‟s population rises to

8.5 billion people by 2030 as expected by the United Nations overall
apparel consumption will rise by over 50 per cent amplifying
significantly the scale of the problem.

Today’s Scenario

As the millennial generation raises and gains more purchasing power,

we start to see a rise in sustainable practices in the fashion industry.
“Sustainability, interestingly, it's really important with the young
generation,” says Levi Strauss‟s Chip Bergh. “In China... the value
they place on how brands do business, what brands stand for is off-
the-charts compared to any prior generation.”

In 2018 we begin to see an evolution in sustainability efforts, they are

beginning to be treated as an integral and defining part of the entire
fashion value chain. It is today, extremely encouraging to see
commercial advantages for the brands that choose a sustainable
business model, as a high percentage of millennials are willing to
spend more on brands that are sustainable.

The Urgent Requirement

The need to deliver products with more positive impacts on the

environment and society has never been clearer. Community,
environment and industry need to thrive together responsibly and
respectfully. The fact is sustainability is no longer an option but a
necessity as at this rate climate change possesses a significant threat
to the sourcing of raw materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere (to
name a few) on which the industry depends upon.