SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED PLASTICS IN CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES
Fashion brands – including Prada, Stella McCartney and Adidas – are increasingly using recycled plastic to up their green credentials. And while it’s undoubtedly better than virgin plastic, “recycling is the fix that we have now, it's the band-aid,” says Parley for the Oceans founder, Cyrill Gutsch. We look at why it’s not such a straightforward solution.
Recycled plastic is in fashion right now, whether it’s eco-trainers or ready-to-wear pieces by luxury brands. Prada has committed to using only recycled nylon by 2021; Stella McCartney has set a goal of using just recycled nylon by 2020 and recycled polyester by 2025; and Marni and Preen both used recycled plastic bottles in their SS20 collections. On the high street, Zara’s parent company Inditex says it will use 100 per cent recycled polyester by 2025; H&M has committed to increasing its use of recycled polyester by 25 per cent by 2020; and Ever lane recently launched its Renew line made entirely of recycled bottles, with an aim to eliminate all virgin plastic from its supply chain by 2021.
Sustainability has become a big business in the fashion industry, with greenwashing claims that make a company look more eco-friendly than it actually is becoming an actual threat.
According to Global Fashion Agenda’s 2018 report, brands stand a strong chance to improve financially if they make investments towards incorporating sustainable materials.
Whether brands are thinking about profitability or the environment as they make changes to mitigate their carbon impact is secondary, the fact is that it is a long-term goal every business needs to seriously consider.
While achieving a business that is hundred per cent sustainable still seems like a far-fetched reality, Max trade limited looks at the fashion brands that have recently announced plans that will help them inch closer to that fabled dream to go eco-friendly in favour of climate & environment.
4 WAYS TO ACHIEVE A GREENER FUTURE IN FASHION INDUSTRY
From going carbon neutral to investing in future materials, we speak to the fashion industry’s major players to find out what commitments all brands can make to forge a more sustainable future.
Fashion needs to clean it up its act – and fast. The industries are responsible for over Eight Percent of the world’s overall carbon emissions. And while sustainability may be the industry’s favourite buzz of late, not enough progress is being made. A report by GLOBAL FASHION AGENDA in May found that fashion is slowing down when it comes to improving its eco-friendly impact.
What are needed for commitments? – bold target selling – from the fashion industry; at the moment we are not going fast enough.
Eva Kurse, President and CEO of the GLOBAL FASHION AGENDA, tells “Government regulations can help increase the pace; if there were a tax on carbon or on water, that could move big sections of the industry.”
Designer and campaigner Katharine Hammett is among those calling for a new green deal for the fashion industry, after being inspired by the set of policies put forward by congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the US. “What I'm proposing is a green revolution,” says Hammett. “The clothing industry could actually be a political force for good.” Like Kruse, the designer wants to see legislation implemented to enforce change across the industry.
Major industry players, including Kernig (owner of Gucci, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen) and LVMH (Louis Vuitton, Dior and Givenchy), have their own sustainability targets, which include cutting back on carbon emissions, improving standards throughout the supply chain and reducing water consumption and waste. “We have a responsibility,” comments Sylvie Benard, environment director at LVMH, on the brand’s LIFE (LVMH's Initiatives for the Environment) programme. “What we’re doing is not just good for LVMH, but the whole supply chain.”
1ST WAY: GOING CARBON NEUTRAL
Fashion brands across the board must cut back on carbon emissions to play their part in tackling climate change.
The UN’s 2018 Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action—signed by 43 brands including Stella McCartney, Adidas and H&M—has set a target for companies to cut emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, and net zero emissions by 2050.
We are tackling all carbon emissions, from cattle farming to the boutiques,” says Daveu.
The need to consider the impact of greenhouse gases right from the start of the supply chain. Two thirds of the Kernig’s energy supply is now green, while the company has also set up a programme to offset emissions.
2ND WAY: BY IMPROVING SUPPLY CHAIN
Companies must examine their supply chains to achieve a greener future and increase transparency and traceability when it comes to materials used and how garments are made.
One problem is that there is not one overarching organisation regulating all manufacturers around the world. The only way to solve the issue is for a body like the United Nations to set standards and penalties if they are not met, including the regulation of chemical use, to raise manufacturing standards outside. If we have legislation that only allows goods into our economic blocks that are made to the same standard outside as inside, that raises the bar.
When it comes to raw materials, we have the capacity to raise the quality of the supply chain more than some fast-fashion brands. For all raw materials, we find the best standard of certification, or work with scientists to create our own standards for example, for leather, for recycled tags, etc.
Traceability is also an important factor in determining how sustainable supply chains are, which will allow consumers to track an item’s product history using blockchain technology.
3RD WAY: BY INVESTING IN FUTURE / VEGAN MATERIAL
Finding alternatives to materials that negatively impact the environment is essential.
It also makes business sense, a leather alternative made from pineapple leaf fibres. There are 13 million tonnes of pineapple waste in the world. Hypothetically, we could use all of it and make millions of metres of vegan leather, with only waste. Investment in future materials is growing, but not quickly enough.
New textile companies, including Piñatex and Bolt Threads (creators of lab-grown spider silk), are still in the process of scaling up, meaning their fabrics are still a while away from being used in the mainstream.
A circular fashion economy has a system in which all products can be reused or fully decomposed would disrupt current business models, which are based on consuming more and more.
4TH WAY: SUPPORTING THE UPCOMING / NEXT GENERATION
A greener future for the fashion industry is also reliant on the next wave of talent.
“Our students are the first generation to really understand climate change,” says Professor Dilys Williams, director of the London College of Fashion’s Centre for Sustainable Fashion.
“The next generation want to radically re-imagine the fashion system through a sustainability lens; it’s that kind of imagination that will make the difference we need right now.” Burak Cakmak, dean of fashion at Parsons School of Design, agrees.
The industry needs to invest in the next generation of sustainability-out of the box creatives as a top priority. All our specific design courses use sustainability as a filter to highlight different techniques and approaches to fashion design.
