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Green is the new black, especially in the international fashion industry. And many brands brag about their new eco-friendly initiatives.
But many of these sustainable programs still come at a high cost to the environment.
The rise of ‘fast fashion’ has had disastrous consequences for the climate. Fast fashion is when cheap, trendy clothes become available at lightning speed to meet consumer demand. Brands want to get the latest styles to the market as quickly as possible so shoppers can grab them while they’re still hot. As a result, many unsustainable business practices are used, including releasing harmful chemicals into the air and false advertising.
Here are four hurdles fashion brands face when trying to be more sustainable.
Table of Contents
Greenwashing
Many fashion companies may have the best of intentions as they roll out their new green marketing initiatives, but sometimes their messaging is at odds with what’s going on behind the scenes.
So-called “greenwashing” is when companies create false or misleading claims about the positive impact a company, product or service has on the environment. Being caught in a lie can have disastrous consequences for your brand and the environment.
There has been counter-action. This was recently announced by the British Competition And Markets Authority (CMA). researching brands like Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda for their green claimslook closely at how products and services claiming to be ‘environmentally friendly’ are being marketed and whether consumers are being misled.
In the US, H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, Nike and Allbirds have been called up don’t do what they preach. Responding to consumer demands for more accountability can quickly turn into a PR nightmare if a company’s communications strategy falls short. Before trumpeting your triumphs, make sure you are transparent in all areas of the business.
Related: Experts Predict ‘Greenhushing’ Will Be a Major Eco-Trend in 2023. What Is It?
Pollution
To meet the rising demand for items, fast fashion houses have resorted to using more synthetic materials to reduce costs. A report of Synthetic Anonymous found that the doubling of fashion clothing production over the past 20 years has meant that more than half of the materials produced are polyester.
But the increased use of synthetic materials is causing an increase in pollution. Synthetic fiber production currently accounts for 1.35% of global oil consumption, which is higher than Spain’s annual oil consumption, according to a report by Synthetics Anonymous.
Pollution by microplastics is also quickly becoming a macro problem. The shedding of these polymer fibers crosses the blood-brain barrier and has even been found in a child’s placenta, not to mention the foods we eat.
Using more natural fibers, such as organic, also has its limitations. Many consumers may not realize that cotton needs a lot of water. In fact, as stated in this report, by The Climate School of Columbia, 1 kg of cotton needed to make a pair of jeans should use between 7,500 liters and 10,000 liters of water. To put this in perspective, this is the same amount of water a person would drink in ten years. Not to mention the number of pesticides and chemicals it takes to harvest the cotton that ends up in our ecosystem.
Synthetic material
Fashion is loved for its creativity and progressive styles combined with its practicality and purpose, but many designers feel limited in what they can create with sustainable materials. Synthetic materials are less expensive, durable, easily repel water and are great for active wear. Natural fibers tend to absorb your sweat and moisture. Can you imagine that your sportswear is made of natural fibers?
This gives designers a real headache when they need to create their next collection. Imagine that lululemon is made entirely of linen. In return, such companies deliver sustainability impact statements on their sites. However, it has been reported that recycling plastic bottles, for example rescued from the ocean, still does not avoid the problem of micropollution.
Harvard Business Report recently reported that recyclability is oversold in the fashion industry. Less than 1% of garments are recycled due to their unusable materials.
Related: Five things to keep in mind before launching a fashion brand from scratch
Work
Unfortunately, the fashion industry is synonymous with poor working conditions, with only 2% of workers actually earning a living wage. As the fashion industry strives to shorten lead times from the launch of new designs to in-store availability, manufacturing sites must respond more and more quickly. Some workers in Bangladesh are expected to work 60 hours per week reported.
In addition, many of these overworked factory workers live near waterways polluted by the dyes and chemicals of the textiles produced by neighboring factories.
What is the solution to all this misery?
It starts with education. Consumers and companies must demand more transparency from their suppliers if they want to make the fashion industry sustainable for future generations. Only then will the fashion industry begin to see better and cleaner strategies designed.
Related: Why the paint industry needs to ‘go green’
