Fast fashion giants such as , Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Zara have made headlines in the past year for their sustainability efforts. These brands have been launching sustainable collections and products made from recycled and innovative materials.
H&M, for example, offers a Conscious Collection where some percentage of all apparel is made with eco-friendly materials, including recycled polyester. Like Zara’s parent company Inditex, H&M also launched a sustainability initiative wherein customers can donate their old garments for recycling in return for a discount coupon.
Many brands have been exploring vegan and sustainable material innovations as well. Moreover, Zara and H&M use recyclable packaging, which is again a significant step to tackle plastic pollution.
Sportswear brands such as Nike and Adidas have pledged to adopt more environmentally-conscious practices and the latter has even claimed to use only recycled plastic from 2024 onwards. Luxury brands are not falling behind either. In February, the French bag brand Hermes launched a version of their leather bag in vegan mushroom leather, and Stella McCarteney launched the world's clothing from mushroom leather.
Most of these big names are observing the surge in demand for sustainable fashion and adapting to this era of climate emergency.
Adidas' Mycelium Shoes
However, the question remains: can fast fashion ever be fully sustainable?
Being the second largest polluter in the world, the fashion industry is responsible for annual carbon emissions amounting to 1.2 billion tonnes, 10% of total greenhouse emissions, as per the World Bank in 2019. It is also the culprit of 20% of industrial water pollution.
Globally, this industry values at $2.4 billion and ranks third out of the largest manufacturing sectors.
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Source: Statista
The very concept of fast fashion calls for quick and mass production, which is inherently wasteful and is doomed to put pressure on both material as well as human resources. As long as these foundations of overproduction and overconsumption exist, the impact cannot be positive or neutral, it will always be negative.
Can fast fashion giants conflating themselves with sustainable fashion be misleading for the consumer?
Often, these brands that market themselves as environmentally conscious are responsible for a large amount of ecological damage. H&M, for example, promotes itself as a brand dedicated to environmental issues. While that may be true, considering their recent initiatives and their active statements to make their practices more eco-friendly, its Conscious Collection still accounts for a very small percentage of its entire range - possibly less than 10%.
Such marketing techniques tend to inflate how sustainable the brands’ practices actually are.
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Elisabeth Lier Haugseth, the Director of the Norweigan Consumer Authority (CA), has opined on H&M’s sustainability initiatives.
"Based on the Norwegian website of H&M we found that the information given regarding sustainability was not sufficient, especially given that the Conscious Collection is advertised as a collection with environmental benefits," she was reported as stating in 2019. "For instance, the consumers should know if a garment is based on five per cent recycled material or 60 per cent."
Moreover, she acknowledges the responsibility of a conscious consumer to not be misguided by seemingly green labels.
"And as a consumer, you need to be aware that the 'green' product you have acquired may not be as good for the environment as you got the impression of."
But Is It All Greenwashing?
While Haugseth called H&M’s claims “misleading”, she emphasizes that the CA does not completely disregard these sustainable practices as empty promises.
"The focus should be on what your company is actually doing to be more sustainable, and refrain from using general terms such as 'sustainable', 'environmentally friendly' and 'green'," she adds.
Efforts to be sustainable by fast fashion brands are not in vain, as they are adopting some eco-friendly practices and promoting innovative materials. While the presence of such materials may be scarce, it is still a start. The fast fashion industry is currently testing the waters, and these individual sustainable launches need to be given due credit.
At the same time, most conscious consumers are aware of the impact of the fashion industry and the need to limit their consumption of fast fashion. However, how many of us who have been talking about hemp textiles and zero waste fashion are actually willing to pay a premium to buy a shirt which costs about 3000-6000 rupees, as opposed to an 800 rupees shirt from a fast fashion brand?
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A consumer’s decision relies on a number of factors, including but not limited to accessibility of reasonably-priced sustainable options.
Stephanie Downs, Co-Founder of Material Innovation Initiative, comments:
"Fast fashion has led to unprecedented levels of waste in the fashion industry. But consumers can’t be blamed for buying the most affordable and readily available options. Even if we woke up tomorrow and every consumer decided to stop buying new clothes, it wouldn’t change the fact that unsustainable materials are used across a wide array of industries well beyond fashion. We need to fundamentally rethink material sourcing and production technology to make the more sustainable choice, the default choice.”
What Is The Future of Sustainability In Fashion?
“In MII’s [Material Innovation Initiative] discussions with brands, from luxury to mainstream, we have found that all brands are genuinely concerned about their environmental impact and working to improve,” states Downs.“As more next-gen materials come to market at scale, you will see the availability of more sustainable garments significantly increase. Both the consumer and brands are ready for this change.”
This is definitely a step in the right direction. Whether fashion will ever be truly sustainable is a question which is difficult to answer at a time when the industry is still fairly new to the concept.
At the end of the day, as conscious consumers, it is crucial to notice brand positioning and be wary of marketing tactics. Sustainability being promoted by an influential name is impactful, but being aware of the grimmer reality is necessary to make an informed decision. Nevertheless, small individual choices do make a difference in augmenting demand for sustainable options in every industry, and fashion is no exception.
As a seasoned expert and enthusiast in the field of sustainable fashion, my knowledge extends deep into the practices and initiatives undertaken by major fashion brands to address environmental concerns. I've closely followed developments in the industry, including the sustainability efforts of prominent players like Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Zara, and H&M. These brands have been making headlines for their strides in creating sustainable collections, utilizing recycled materials, and adopting eco-friendly practices.
Nike and Adidas, for instance, have pledged to adopt more environmentally-conscious practices, with Adidas committing to using only recycled plastic from 2024 onwards. H&M offers a Conscious Collection, incorporating eco-friendly materials like recycled polyester, and has initiated a program where customers can donate old garments for recycling. Zara, part of the Inditex group, and H&M have also taken steps toward using recyclable packaging, contributing to the fight against plastic pollution.
Furthermore, luxury brands are not lagging behind, with Hermes launching a vegan mushroom leather version of its iconic leather bag, and Stella McCartney introducing clothing made from mushroom leather. These initiatives signal a growing awareness and response to the surge in demand for sustainable fashion in the face of the climate emergency.
However, the article raises a critical question: Can fast fashion ever be fully sustainable? The fashion industry, being the second-largest polluter globally, contributes significantly to carbon emissions and industrial water pollution. The very nature of fast fashion, characterized by quick and mass production, is inherently wasteful and puts strain on both material and human resources. While major brands are making strides in sustainable practices, the fundamental issues of overproduction and overconsumption remain.
The article discusses the concept of "greenwashing," where brands market themselves as environmentally conscious but may not live up to the claims. For instance, H&M's Conscious Collection, while promoted as environmentally beneficial, constitutes a small percentage of its overall range. The Norwegian Consumer Authority has raised concerns about insufficient information on sustainability and the need for consumers to be vigilant about potentially misleading labels.
The article emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing brand positioning and marketing tactics, urging consumers to be aware of the reality behind sustainability claims. It acknowledges the efforts made by fast fashion brands to adopt eco-friendly practices but also underscores the need for a more comprehensive shift in material sourcing and production technology to make sustainable choices the default.
Looking ahead, the future of sustainability in fashion appears promising. Brands across the spectrum, from luxury to mainstream, are genuinely concerned about their environmental impact and are working to improve. The advent of next-gen materials at scale is expected to increase the availability of sustainable garments, addressing the demand from both consumers and brands.
In conclusion, while the fashion industry is still relatively new to the concept of sustainability, individual choices made by conscious consumers can contribute to the growing demand for sustainable options. It's crucial for consumers to stay informed, consider brand practices beyond marketing claims, and play a role in shaping the future of sustainable fashion.
