Hi Everyone, welcome back. Today, we are going to talk about Carbon Footprint. Fashion is an energy-intensive industry; from production to shipping, every step releases carbon.
Let’s start with a little background. The fashion industry is responsible for 4-8.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That makes its carbon footprint bigger than the aviation industry's. It is also bigger than the carbon footprint of Germany, the United Kingdom, and France combined. Now, that is crazy.
Climate pollution is not the only problem that the fashion industry creates. It is also responsible for the demolition of forests, the pollution of water, the abuse of toxic chemicals, the blocking of landfills, and the exploitation of workers.
One of the main problems with the fashion industry is over consumption. Fast fashion is constantly trying to keep up with changes in tastes of consumers, leading to most clothing items only being worn a few times or thrown away because the consumer has already moved on to the next trend. This is creating an overproduction of clothes that will barely be used. For example, when people go on a vacation, they usually want to buy a whole new wardrobe just for that. They may never wear these products ever again, leading to overconsumption.
There is also overconsumption of natural resources. I mentioned in a previous blog post that it takes 7,500 liters of water to make a pair of jeans, which is, again, crazy. As reported in 2020, the textile industry was the third largest source of water degradation and land use. The overconsumption of our natural resources ultimately deprives our environment of its ability to remain healthy and flourish. This is something we need to fix.
The future of fashion is creating business models that are regenerative and restorative. The goal is a circular economy in the fashion industry. This will weed out the threat of more pollution and waste. The goal is to extend the life of garments in and effort to reduce the fashion industry’s environmental impact. This will also maximize inputs and efficiency. If we can repurpose old products, lots of time will be saved by trying to produce new ones. That is what I have learned in my recent project for my AP Microeconomics class, which focused on the fashion industry and a circular economy coincidentally.
The fashion industry is already too far deep into the pool of a lack of sustainability. They need a rebranding. Foundations and initiatives like the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion and the Ellen McArthur Foundation are promoting this. They are calling for a new textile company altogether. There are few companies that successfully pull off being sustainable and successful, but the ones that do, Reformation, Patagonia, and Stella McCartney, should serve as a model to the industry. The Fashion industry needs to explore the use of new materials and test for durability. This way, products can be repurposed and reused, promoting a circular economy.
Anyway, that’s it for today. You can make a difference by promoting a rebranding and finding the most durable and sustainable materials!
Stay Curious! Signing off with a smile.
-Savannah
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