Explained | Why the Fashion Industry needs to be more sustainable 

By Aayushi Sharma

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently wore a blue jacket in parliament crafted by Indian Oil Corporation from recycled plastic bottles. The Green Initiative of Sustainable Garments of Indian Oil Corporation makes garments from recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. The company has a flagship uniform brand for its employees, ‘Unbottled’, which was launched during India Energy Week. Under Unbottled, IOC targets to meet the requirement of non-combat uniforms for the Army, uniforms for the customer attendants of other oil marketing companies, uniforms and dresses for institutions, and also sales to retail customers.

Union minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri thanked PM Modi, for wearing the jacket made from fabric created using recycled PET bottles.

According to officials, each set of uniforms for a customer attendant of the IOC shall support the recycling of around 28 used PET bottles. PET recycling will help the company in reducing the import burden of fossil feedstock. PET recycling requires around 59% less energy for production compared to virgin PET (made from fossil sources) and has around 79% lower carbon footprint.

In the past, many other influential people were spotted promoting sustainable fashion. Actress Sonal Chauhan was seen wearing an outfit made from recycled flex boarding in Delhi fashion week. 

What practices of the fashion industry are causing a threat to the environment?

As per World bank data,

• Each year the fashion industry uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water which is enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people.
• Almost 20% of wastewater globally comes from fabric dyeing and treatment.
• 87 % of the fabric input for clothing is incinerated or disposed of in a landfill.
• The fashion industry causes 10 % of annual global carbon emissions. (This is more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.)
• The fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions are likely to surge more than 50 % by 2030.

40% of clothing purchased in some countries is never used. Switching to recycled polyester fabric can help to reduce carbon emissions – recycled polyester releases half to a quarter of the emissions of virgin polyester. 

But natural materials aren’t necessarily sustainable if they require huge amounts of water, dye, and transport. Organic cotton may be better for farm workers who would otherwise be exposed to enormous levels of pesticides, but the pressure on the water remains. UNEP has been spreading awareness of sustainable consumption and lifestyle through its SDG 12 which would help to reduce carbon emissions by the fashion industry.

What does Sustainable Development Goal 12 focus on?

SDG 12 is about ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns, which is the key to sustaining the livelihoods of current and future generations.

Unsustainable patterns of consumption and production are the root causes of the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. These crises, and related environmental degradation, threaten human well-being and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Here are the 12 Aims of SDG 12 in line with a sustainable lifestyle:

• Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse, by 2030. 
• Ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.
• Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production.
• Implement the 10-year framework of programs on sustainable consumption and production, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries.

The fashion industry is a $2.5 trillion-dollar industry that employs over 75 million people globally. Fashion is therefore a key economic sector, which has an essential role to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

The clothing supply chain which comes from non-renewable energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has a great impact on the environment. Fiber production (both synthetic fibers extraction and agriculture for natural fibers) is the largest contributor to clothing’s carbon footprint. The impact of the global apparel industry on climate change is projected to increase by 49 percent between 2016 and 2030 if no measures toward sustainability are taken. It is important to identify energy-intensive hotspots in different stages of the clothing supply chain and gradually make a shift to renewable energy.  

Awareness among consumers and producers about sustainability 

Purchasing and consumption patterns of consumers need to be changed to make circular fashion succeed. 

Producers should focus on making products with a larger shelf life. Product longevity and longer use of fashion clothing items can reduce environmental impact significantly. Therefore, to drive consumers to use their clothing for longer there needs to be a major cultural, habitual, behavioral, and economic shift.  Supply Chain Transparency is needed to ensure proper identification of what materials are being used and who is making the products. Ensuring these two aspects is the key to taking care of many social and environmental issues.

Therefore, by creating market demand for sustainable fashion through objective communication and spreading knowledge in social media, consumers can drive the brands toward a sustainable lifestyle. Because a conscious consumer’s decision for a sustainable lifestyle will reflect in their product demand.

The industry must formulate green production strategies and innovative business models to help reduce its environmental burden and achieve the desired climate target.