Five changes we need from fashion, to protect people, our fellow animals and the planet
Citizen consumers, the fashion industry and global governments are starting to shift their priorities, recognising that a sustainable and ethical fashion industry is not something ‘nice’, but essential to fashion’s continued existence.
But to fully realise a vision of total ethics fashion where people, animals and the planet are prioritised ahead of profit, a lot more must be done.
Here are five key changes we still need from fashion, and fast.
Material phase out: fossil fuel-based synthetics
Synethic materials like nylon, acrylic, and polyester make up nearly 70% of all clothes on the market today. These fabrics are made of crude oil, despite the global urgency of ending fossil fuel extraction to curb climate crisis and protect biodiversity.
These materials are essentially made of plastic, with microscopic fibres shedding when they are washed. That means that each time we wash polyester shirts, an influx of microplastics can enter water supplies, local enviornments, and ultimately, our bodies.
Synthetic garments are also major pollutants in landfills and other clothing dumps that are intentionally concealed from the view of Western consumers through waste colonialism. This process sees Global South nations forced to deal with this waste and the environmental harms caused by it.
Material phase out: animal-derived materials
The breeding, rearing and slaughtering of animals for fur, leather, wool and feather down contributes disproportionately to today’s most serious environmental problems. Methane emissions are far more potent and harmful than carbon in the short-term, and slashing these can curb climate crisis. Yet, the fashion industry’s exploitation of cattle, sheep and goats results in enormous methane emissions.
Animal-derived materials are also land inefficent, requiring far more once biodiverse land to be cleared for production than plant-based, recycled and other innovative materials. As a result, animal materials pose serious wildlife and biodiversity risks.
As we work to ensure fashion respects the life of the Earth, we must also ensure all sentient life on the planet is protected. The use of animals for materials denies animals their autonomy and wellbeing, seeing them routinely confined in cages, mutilated, and slaughtered without regard for their pain or rights.
Material phase out: uncertified cellulose
The third material that the fashion industry must move beyond is uncertified and irresponsibly sourced cellusoic fibres. Materials like viscose, acetate and rayon come from harvested wood pulp that has been cooked at a very high temperature and then left to cool and harden into fibre that can be spun into fabric.
Because these materials are derived from plants, they may seem sustainable. However, more than 200 million trees are cut down to make these fabrics every year. 30% of logged trees in the viscose supply chain come from endangered old-growth forests that serve as natural carbon sinks, and deforestation also harms the lush biodiversity of global ecosystems.
These materials can be made from recycled sources, as well as farmed wood sources that protect native forests. With these responsible alternatives available, there is no justification for continued deforestation for cellulosic materials in fashion.
Action for working people: living wages
It is no secret that the fashion industry routinely underpays its workers. In fact, by some data, as few as 2% of garment workers are paid a living wage. A living wage covers the basic necessities for a healthy and safe life, and anything less than a living wage is a poverty wage. Some garment workers are paid next to nothing.
While more attention has been focussed on the plight of people who sew our clothes, the exploitation of working people occurs further back in the supply chain too. Across cotton and wool farms, feedlots, slaughterhouses, tanneries, dyehouses, fabric mills and other fashion production sites, millions of people are exploited.
It is unacceptable for brands to not pay their workers a living wage, and to neglect their safety and wellbeing. The future of fashion must uphold human rights, and respect the dignity of those whose hands bring fashion to life.
Aligning with planetary boundaries: slow and circular fashion
Fashion, like all industries under capitalism, is designed to seek constant profit growth. This has led to the rise of fast fashion, and today, we produce 400% more clothing than we did two decades ago. At the same time, a truck full of textiles are sent to landfill every second. This system of taking, making and wasting is devastating to our planet. The fashion industry must understand that infinite growth is impossible on a finite planet.
Research shows that fashion must decrease its use of resources and its waste output fourfold in order to align with planetary boundaries. A slower, circular fashion system that repairs old garments while designing new clothing for repurposing, composting or recycling at the end of its life is essential.
By deprioritising hyper-fast fashion trend cycles and celebrating clothing as a creative and artistic medium that takes time, we would vastly reduce the environmental impacts of the industry. Quality is always more important than quantity.