Ecological and sustainable fashion: a necessary revolution in the clothing industry

Sustainability in fashion is a highly topical issue. While the fashion industry today generates very high revenues (around 2 trillion dollars) and employs over 300 million people, it is also one of the most polluting manufacturing industries worldwide. According to the latest United Nations report, the sector produces about 5 billion tons of CO2 annually, nearly 10% of global emissions. To reverse this trend, the Fashion Industry Climate Action Charter was established in 2018, and companies are adopting several good practices to promote ecological and sustainable fashion, showing greater respect for the planet. Let’s take a closer look, starting from fashion’s environmental impact.

What is sustainable fashion?

Sustainable fashion is a growing movement aimed at reducing the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry. This trend is closely linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as outlined in the 2030 Agenda. According to the UN article, sustainability in the fashion sector focuses not only on production methods that reduce water and energy consumption and minimize the use of harmful chemicals, but also on practices that promote fair labour and the elimination of exploitation.

Strategies for more sustainable fashion include the use of recycled or easily biodegradable materials, support for fair trade practices, and adopting circular business models that encourage the reuse and recycling of clothing and accessories. Additionally, many companies are exploring new technologies to clean the production cycle, such as using nanotechnologies to reduce fabric waste or introducing low-impact dyeing processes.

Commitment to sustainability in clothing extends beyond production into the consumer phase, encouraging consumers to make more conscious choices, such as preferring quality garments that last longer or supporting brands with a demonstrated commitment to the environment and society.

What are the environmental and social problems caused by the fashion industry?

As anticipated, the fashion industry significantly contributes to pollution of our planet. Supporting eco-sustainable fashion, in addition to the United Nations report, is the The State of Fashion research published by the multinational consultancy McKinsey.

According to this report, industry companies must overcome various challenges, “take their corporate responsibilities seriously” and undertake changes to promote sustainability in fashion, recycling, and combat pollution. What is meant specifically by corporate responsibility?

For the London-based research centre Centre for Sustainable Fashion, the main problems associated with the fashion industry are:

• Climate change. Also confirmed by the United Nations report, which states "the fashion world is one of the most polluting businesses globally." The document also states that “if this trend is not reversed now, CO2 emissions are expected to further increase in the coming years,” highlighting the urgency of adopting eco-sustainable fashion practices.
• Water resource exploitation. For example, according to the How Much Water Do We Exploit research carried out by the SERI - Sustainable Europe Research Institute, “producing a single T-shirt requires 2700 litres of water, from cotton plantation care, through processing to final washing. This is an enormous amount, equivalent to the amount a person consumes in three years.”
• Soil exploitation. For the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, intensive land use accelerates biodiversity loss. This trend must be overcome as soon as possible to preserve soil in favour of increasingly sustainable cultivation.
• Pesticide pollution. Cotton manufacturing entails the use of a vast amount of chemicals, which are among the major causes of water pollution. While pesticides are banned in Europe, they remain in use in other countries like India. This adds a further social issue: workers often use them in large quantities and without protection. For this reason, at Sacchetti di Tessuto we have chosen to produce using Oeko-Tex® certified natural cotton, a practice example of sustainability in clothing.
• Excessive use of fossil fuels. Manufacturing and transporting fashion products globally requires vast use of fossil fuels, which negatively impact the environment.
• Waste. Companies produce far more than they sell, and many garments end up in landfills. The Centre for Sustainable Fashion reports nearly 13 million tons of garments annually in the United States alone, underlining the urgent need for waste reduction strategies aligned with eco-sustainable fashion principles.
• Forced labour. Forced labour and child exploitation still exist in the fashion sector. For example, according to investigations by the international movement Fashion Revolution, in Guangdong (China) “60% of young female workers lack a formal contract”.

How to become more sustainable?

The issues analysed so far affect the planet's wellbeing and sustainability in fashion with both environmental and social repercussions, impacting workers and animals. Committing to eco-sustainable fashion practices means considering various alternative solutions including:

• waste reduction, producing fewer products and implementing creative reuse and recycling practices;
• use of eco-friendly materials, including eco-sustainable textiles and recycled fibres;
• support of local productions, to reduce pollution caused by transport (and when this is not possible, nonetheless investing in sustainable transportation);
• reduction of packaging by choosing sustainable packaging.

Recently, the European Parliament stressed its commitment to more sustainable fashion by adopting the 'EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles'. This strategy aims to transform how textile products are designed, produced, used and recycled within the EU. The document provides a comprehensive overview of the measures adopted by the European Union to promote increasingly sustainable fashion, detailing strategies and regulatory texts approved to revolutionize the textile sector in terms of sustainability.

Company commitment to ecological and sustainable fashion and the goals of the Fashion Industry Climate Action Charter

In addition to the good practices already mentioned for more eco-sustainable fashion, the commitment promoted by the Fashion Industry Climate Action Charter is added. This document, launched in 2018, contributes to the fight against the climate crisis. It outlines 16 goals to achieve, including:

• choosing sustainable materials and sourcing from renewable energy by 2030;
• selecting logistics partners capable of ensuring low-carbon transportation;
• collaborating with policymakers and financial communities to promote the circular economy;
• eliminating coal use in production phases;
• raising consumer awareness of environmental issues and sustainability in fashion.

To date, 130 producers and 41 suppliers have joined the program, including major brands such as Adidas, Nike, Puma, Burberry, H&M and Chanel. Their goals are:

• to find strategies to restore soil health (following regenerative agriculture systems);
• to invest in natural or innovative textiles;
• to minimize travel and transport, optimizing supply chain management;
• to implement practices of reuse and circularity of products for greater sustainability in the clothing sector.

Successful examples in eco-sustainable fashion

Stella McCartney, Gucci, Prada are just some of the major names that have undertaken significant changes in their production methods to promote greater sustainability in the clothing industry. They have sought more ecological materials, experimenting in the production of new natural textiles, as well as developing carbon-free solutions and ones suitable for waste disposal.

Since 2018, Stella McCartney has been exploring the use of alternative materials (such as mushrooms) in her collections, while Dior is committed to protecting natural resources from cotton to silk, employing ecological designs for fashion items and packaging, demonstrating their sustainability in clothing. Prada, on the other hand, is working on a regenerated material, ECONYL®, produced by recycling and purifying plastic waste collected from the sea, including fishing nets. Gucci has announced the opening of its first circular luxury hub located in Tuscany; it allows customers to bring in their designer garments for repair, recycling or giving them a new life. A similar project is underway with H&M. Since 2013, the Swedish brand encourages its customers to return unused garments to their stores. If new, they are sold as second-hand products; if damaged, they are converted into other textile products or recycled to produce insulating materials.

Sustainability: an increasingly strong bond between companies and consumers

65% of consumers care about the environment, and “consumer purchasing trends in the global fashion sector will increasingly favour choices that support more sustainable practices.” This emerges from the Bain & Company and WWF Italy report How Brands Can Embrace the Sustainable Fashion Opportunity, which finds that more consumers will choose clothing and accessories based on the brand’s environmental and social commitment, shifting focus towards sustainable fashion.

Even small and medium-sized fashion companies and those collaborating with the sector (suppliers, retailers) can positively contribute to combating climate change by choosing, for example, the right packaging, made from reusable, planet-friendly material to pursue the goal of conscious fashion.

Some useful ideas may concern the use of: