PLANET: How effective is the circular economy model?
In recent years, awareness of issues in the fashion industry has brought widespread attention to unsustainable practices perpetuating at every level. While there are many, a core area of interest is the fashion industry’s impact on the environment, which has given rise to the ‘Planet’ pillar. This pillar aims to change the effects the fashion industry has left on the environment, primarily through changes to industry practices. An abundantly clear issue in this area is excessive waste of resources. A proposed solution to this is redefining the economy’s goods cycle, from a linear ‘create-use-discard’ pathway to a more circular track. This falls in line with the UN’s SDG of ‘responsible production and consumption’, an established global goal to reduce overconsumption and encourage goods to be sourced renewable and without great environmental cost. As the Ellen MacArthur Foundation states, a circular economy in fashion aims to create goods which are made from safe and renewable resources which can easily be repurposed. In this way, impacts on the environment such as the annual 92 million tonnes of waste produced by the fashion industry can be mitigated, as goods are given new purpose after their first lifespan. This view also allows for natural cycles in the fashion industry to continue- such as typical trend cycles- without the waste that these cycles perpetuate. For example, a resurgence in late 1990’s style low-rise jeans has occurred, leading to mass purchasing of low-rise jeans and discarding of high- waisted jeans. A large amount of denim fabric is therefore wasted which could be repurposed or kept until high- waisted jeans become fashionable again. Circular economy theory provides a clear solution to waste in the fashion industry, however it may overemphasise the role of materials in the fashion industry’s environmental impacts. While usage of more sustainable materials, such as cotton in opposition to synthetic fibres, would certainly ensure a level of lessened environmental harm, it is simplistic to assume this is a complete solution.While cotton is a renewable resource, it still requires vast amounts of water to produce- estimated 2,700 litres per cotton t-shirt. The issue of material sourcing is therefore far more complex than the material used. Brands such as H&M have come to exploit this false solution, with lines of ‘sustainable’ clothing which are presented as an eco-friendly choice while sourcing the majority of their clothing from Southeast Asia, necessitating long-distance shipping and more emissions of greenhouse gases as a result. Therefore, sustainably produced garments can still have severe environmental impacts. Solving the issue of environmental impacts caused by the fashion industry is likely far more complex than any one theory.
Reference list
Fletcher, K., & Grose, L. (2012). Fashion & sustainability: Design for change. Hachette UK.
Diantari, N. K. Y. (2021). Trend Cycle Analysis on Fast Fashion Products. Journal of Aesthetics, Design, and Art Management, 1(1), 24-33.
Callery, K. M. (2023). THE ACCELERATION OF THE FASHION TREND CYCLE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.