What is Sustainable Fashion?
BREAKING DOWN THE BASICS OF SUSTAINABLE CLOTHING PRODUCTION & WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
By Jaclyn Tracy
GREAT QUESTION.
And you’re not the only one who wants to know. In fact, online searches for “sustainable fashion” tripled between 2016 and 2019.¹ Yet, every publication seems to have a different definition.
Why such a dramatic increase in interest around sustainable fashion?
In the last 30 years fashion has grown from a $500 billion trade to a $2.4 trillion trade, and fast fashion has played a major part in that growth.² And you know fast fashion. In fact, you probably have something that’s considered fast fashion in your closet right now. Essentially, fast fashion items are created to get the latest trends to market as quickly as possible, even if that means skimping on quality and sustainable practices. And, not surprisingly, this growth has created significant environmental challenges, as it relates to Climate Change and Micro-Plastic Pollution. Let us break down how some of this came to be, and where we can go from here:
1. Fashion consumption has increased 60% in a little over a decade.
The average consumer bought 60% more clothing in 2014 than in 2000, but kept each garment half as long.³
On average Americans are throwing away 81lbs of textiles per person per year.³
2. Apparel & footwear combined account for more than 8% of global climate change—greater than all international airline flights and maritime shipping trips combined.⁴
The industry’s CO₂ emissions are projected to increase by more than 60% by 2030.⁵
If the industry continues on its current path, by 2050 it could use more than 26% of the total global carbon budget.⁶
3. 60% of our clothes are made of plastic.⁶ When laundered those plastics seep into the ocean and our great lakes in the form of microfiber pollution.
Plastic microfibers shed from synthetic clothing into the water account for 85% of the human-made material found along ocean shores, threatening marine wildlife and ending up in our food supply.¹º
60% of materials used by the fashion industry are plastic fibers and the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles are leaked into the ocean through garment wash every year.⁶
4. The Fashion sector is responsible for nearly 20% of all industrial water pollution annually, according to The World Bank estimates.
The amount of water consumed for producing fashion could support the equivalent of 5 million people.⁷
When washed synthetic fabrics release plastic microfibers into the water which account for 85% of the human-made material found along ocean shores, threatening marine wildlife and ending up in our food supply (Environmental Science and Technology (2011).⁸
By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.⁹
5. The use of organic, biodegradable materials is not yet mainstream, meaning the majority of crops being harvested are using hazardous chemicals that damage the earth.
Conventionally grown cotton is one of agriculture’s most polluting crops. Almost 2.2 pounds of hazardous pesticides are required to grow 2 ½ acres of this cotton.¹¹
So, now that you have the facts, back to our main question, what is sustainable fashion? Here’s what we know.
ACCORDING TO MERRIAM WEBSTER, SUSTAINABLE IS DEFINED AS:
sus·tain·a·ble
/səˈstānəb(ə)l/
1 : capable of being sustained.
2 : (a) of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. (b) of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods.
Our definition of sustainable fashion is a brand’s choice to use methods of harvesting and/or using resources in a way that the resources are not depleted or permanently damaged.
So how can the environmental impact of a brand be measured?
Well, it’s not an exact science, but this is the best we have so far:
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Energy use
Water use
Water pollution
Deforestation
Hazardous chemicals
Animal welfare
What is the “conscious” community saying?
"The future of fashion relies on people. The people who make clothes, the farmers who grow the crops for our materials, our employees, and our customers. We want to have a positive impact for everyone that we depend on and for those who depend on us in return." —Stella McCartney, Fashion Designer
“From fiber to finish there is excessive waste, inhumanity, and shortcuts being taken in the fashion industry.” —Audrey Stanton, The Good Trade
“As consumers we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy.” —Emma Watson, actress and ethical fashion advocate
What can you do about it?
We believe that change can be created with everyday decisions to support brands that are operating with sustainable or circular methods of design, production and manufacturing processes (learn What the Circular Economy is and How You're Already Participating in It). By buying SISTAIN approved brands, you are voting with your dollar and purchasing only brands that participate in the circular economy.
You can also look at the label or description before you purchase new clothing items. Look for sustainable materials such as, organic cotton, recycled cotton, linen, hemp, silk, deadstock, reclaimed fabric or recycled polyester. And avoid all forms of new plastic — polyester, nylon, acrylic and other synthetic fibers — read why in our article Plastic Pollution and the Fashion Industry.
To learn more about what you can do, subscribe here for our weekly newsletter which highlights SISTAIN approved brands, sustainable lifestyle tips, style guides and environmental research within fashion, beauty and home.
¹McKinsey (2017). The State of Fashion 2017
²McKinsey (2019). Fashion’s New Must Have: Sustainable Sourcing At Scale
³McKinsey (2016). Style that’s sustainable: A new fast-fashion formula.
⁴ Quantis (2018). Measuring Fashion.
⁵The Boston Consulting Group and Global Fashion Agenda, 2017. Pulse of the Fashion Industry Report.
⁶Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017). A new textiles economy: Redesigning Fashion's Future.
⁷UN News (2019). UN launches drive to highlight environmental cost of staying fashionable
⁸Mark A. Browne, School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University College Dublin (2011). Accumulation of microplastics on shorelines worldwide: sources and sinks.
⁹World Economic Forum (2016). The New Plastics Economy. Rethinking the future of plastics.
¹º Environmental Science and Technology (2011). Accumulation of microplastics on shorelines worldwide: sources and sinks.
¹¹Thomas, Dana (2019). Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jaclyn Tracy's goal with SISTAIN is to make a greater difference by educating, activating and making sustainable consumerism not only easier, but aspirational. She believes success is in the collective impact, getting a whole group of people to change their behavior by committing to choosing sustainable brands, less waste and imperfect progress. Jaclyn is also the co-founder of Brand Effect, a holistic digital marketing agency.
