What is sustainable fashion? Sustainable fashion refers to how garments are made with the mindfulness of how it affects our environment, the environmental issues it creates, and how it touches the fashion industry.Â
There are four main issues to consider when it comes to fashion and sustainability and they are:
- Water consumption and contamination. High levels of water are used in the production process of garments and also when we wash our clothes.
- Energy emissions. In the production of synthetic fabrics, high levels of energy are used, for example in the washing, drying, and ironing of our clothes.
- Chemical usage. Fertilizers and pesticides are used in the production of raw materials like cotton.
- Waste creation. After use, there is an enormous amount of garments and textiles that are sent to landfills or incinerated.
 Sustainability in fashion refers to the environmental impacts of making (raw material creation, processing, and manufacturing), wearing and caring for (use), and the disposal of clothing (end of use). We take resources and use water and chemicals along the way to create garments, and then throw them away when we are done. The end result of this is that it fills landfills or gets incinerated. Only 20% of all clothing is recycled.
There is a need to reduce the creation of virgin fibers in order for fashion to become sustainable. It has become a necessity for brands to work towards developing circular systems where garments can become fully recyclable. Some big industry players in the fashion terrain have already started off on the right path; brands like Pact Clothing, Tentree, Everlane, Boden, Alternative Apparel, and Kotn, among others.
As brands are working to incorporate more sustainable practices into their, consumers are also choosing sustainable fashion over any other. The push toward eco-friendly shopping is being felt in the apparel sector with millennials and the generation after, demanding change to attain sustainability as a Nielsen study shows that 73% of millennials show a willingness to pay more for sustainable brands. Upcoming fashion brands are making a significant move to align with this shift in consumer sensitivities. Brands like Girlfriend Collective, On, Everlane, and Reformation are popular for marketing themselves on sustainability and ethics, with Girlfriend Collective making leggings from recycled polyester and On launching a fully recyclable shoe collection in 2021.
One of the most common ways to ensure sustainability is recycling. A lot of fashion brands are now recycling a variety of waste materials and are now using them to make clothes. Wastes like plastic bottles, fishing nets, discarded textiles, and coffee grounds are all being used these days. Famous brands like H&M, Adidas, and Levi have announced new clothing collections and initiatives premised on recyclable materials.Â
