Is Sustainable Fashion actually Sustainable?

Unlike other industries the fashion industry often talks about sustainability and markets it’s green marketing and consciously made designs to consumers. Although brands have tried to become more sustainable over the last 25 years, so far experimentation and innovation have failed to make any real planetary impact. Pressure for growth and consumer demand for cheap, fast fashion have been major contributors. Looking at general numbers starting in 1990 prices for apparel and footwear have halved and use cheaper materials making these items overall lower quality. 

“There are still very, very few brands who know where their stuff comes from in the supply chain, and even fewer of them have entered into active relationships with those suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint,” says environmental scientist Linda Greer. Currently there are no precise numbers to show the environmental impact the industry has had although it’s estimated to be in the billions in regards to carbon emissions. Combine the imperative of growth with accelerating product drops, long lead times, and global supply chains, and the result is inevitable overproduction. Fast fashion retailers end up selling 40% of their merchandise at markdown. “The urge to sell more and get consumers to buy more is still in the DNA of the industry,” says Michael Stanley-Jones, co-secretary for the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion.

Retailers like Zara and H&M offer new collections and refreshes almost weekly. This constant cycle of “newness” serves as a draw to bring consumers back to sites and stores. Meanwhile these clothes have a very short life span and end up discarded or in landfills. Stores like Shein make Zara and H&M look slow since they use large amounts of polyester materials that are low cost, derived from nonrenewable sources and are incredibly cheap to manufacture with. 

Ultimately most CSR reports do not accurately quantify the full carbon emissions profile of fashion brands as each company outlines different things and are left unaudited by external practices. Things like recycling are an ‘ok’ alternative but there is limited infrastructure and less than 1% of clothing is actually recycled. Another alternative such as bio-based materials is a great substitute for virgin materials, but it takes large sums of money to establish. The best way to move forward is to retire sustainability, redefine progress and rewrite the rules. 

Reference:

Pucker, P. K. (2022). The Myth of Sustainable Fashion.

Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/01/the-myth-of-sustainable-fashion