How the textile industry could become more sustainable
With research identifying that 50% of minerals could be recycled from wastewater, here is how the textile industry could become more sustainable.
During the last decade, there has been global recognition of the need for businesses to operate more sustainably and to tackle the impact of climate change. In the wake of unprecedented climate activism and calls for action, the importance of sustainability now sits highly on the global agenda, but is the fashion industry doing enough?
A few weeks ago, saw the world’s biggest fashion houses display their collections during the June 2021 London Fashion Week (LFW), with some brands flexing their sustainability muscles. Fashion has played a pivotal role in defining an era, from the feathery, fringed attire of the roaring 20s to the 70s flared and flowery garb. It is now time for the fashion industry to define this one as the era of sustainability. At the centre of this are Gen-Z and Millennial consumers, who have proven to be more environmentally aware than older generations and are making waves in shifting lifestyles and brand strategies. However, consumers are only as good as they can afford, and we have seen the modern trend of fast fashion being popular due to more accessibility to younger consumers as a result of “value for money” as outlined by Vox. It is therefore vital that fashion houses and brands make a collective effort to make the fashion sector accessible and sustainable for all. Some brands have already started placing sustainability at the centre of their designs and operations, as displayed at LFW.
An article by Glamour outlined some great examples of fashion sustainability in the February 2021 LFW, including Vivienne Westwood, Marques ’Almeida, Joshua James Small, PREEN and Mark Fast to name a few. Similarly, the June LFW saw the participation of environmentally conscious brands which placed sustainability at the forefront of their products, some offering lifetime repairs on all their clothing whilst others banned the use of single use plastics in their production. It is clear from this that LFW has come a long way since 2019, when climate-activist group Extinction Rebellion called for an end to the event, claiming that the fashion industry is a major contributor to climate change.
Although significant progress has been made by individual brands and the sustainability movement is gaining ground in the fashion industry, there is still room for improvement. Incredible organisations are working behind the scenes to make sustainability a stable factor in the textile and fashion industry. As seen in our previous blog, the EU has already announced the upcoming EU Strategy for Textiles, which will aim to drive new business models, promote fabric reuse and boost the European market for sustainable textiles. Organisations like Waste2Fresh are fully supportive and in line with this strategy and its goals, striving to reinvent the fashion industry’s approach to environmental practices.
For instance, a vast amount of water is used in the textile industry for a wide variety of processes, leading to the production of large quantities of wastewater, which contains chemicals and dyes. To reduce the use of freshwater in the industry, the EU-funded Waste2Fresh project has developed a closed-loop process for textile manufacturing factories in which wastewater is collected, recycled, and used again. Projects such as this are vital in levelling the playing field between fashion producers and consumers endeavouring to consume more sustainably. Waste2Fresh has recently been announced as a finalist for the Fashion Innovation awards, highlighting the ground-breaking work they have undertaken and the innovative potential they have to change the fashion landscape.
A 2020 survey by Mckinsey found that 57% of surveyed consumers have made significant changes to their lifestyles to lessen their environmental impact, and 67% consider the use of sustainable materials to be an important purchasing factor, while 63% consider a brand’s promotion of sustainability in the same way. This makes it apparent that consumers are becoming more environmentally and ethically conscious, posing a challenge for brands to step up their sustainability efforts long term. Potentially award-winning projects like Waste2Fresh could help brands attain these long-term goals and alter the fashion industry for the better. It looks like the era of sustainability is here, however, we must ensure that this is not simply a trend that we will quickly move on from and then return to previous practices and business models.