PLANET

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Introduction: Planet

There are four main pillars that are taught in the Fashion Business School: Planet, People, Profit and Purpose. Planet refers to the huge impact that the fashion industry has had on the environment and therefore the theory stresses the importance of sustainable fashion and extending the life cycle of our clothes as consumers. 

The Circular Economy

The circular economy is a framework that was designed in order to tackle global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. Ellen McArthur’s model (fig.1) and research into this area has been essential in enforcing innovation towards the circular economy (Gwilt, 2020). The ideology of the model in regards to fashion aims to ensure that each stage clothes goes through; production, use and after use; are handled sustainably, however, many businesses and consumers are unaware of this phenomenon in practice of how to be more sustainable. Gwilt goes on to say that “the ambitious model for the sector prioritizes clothes and textiles being kept at their highest value during value and re-entering the economy after use, never ending up as waste” (2020).

Figure 1 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, model for a new textile economy
Figure 2 Rini Bankhwal, 2019

Greenwashing

Greenwashing is a term used when referring to brands such as H and M that claim to be environmentally friendly and sustainable to forge an ecologically responsible image. H and M’s Conscious Choice line claims that each product contains at least 50% more materials and is created with consideration to the planet, however, the multinational corporation (MNC) is currently being sued for greenwashing due to false allegations. It has been found that their line is not in fact environmentally friendly as it contains up to 100% polyester (Marino, 2022)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

 In 2015, the United Nations created a list of 17 SDGs that define the ideal world we want to live in. They are intended to be achieved by 2030. Many fashion brands, when trying to be sustainable, look towards the SDGs as a guide. For example, Levi’s WaterLess campaign and Uniqlo are both attempting to tackle the 6th SDG ‘clean water and sanitation’ when producing jeans. This SDG aims to provide clean water for everyone. Whilst many people in the planet have access to clean water, lots of people in rural areas do not have this luxury which has led to the creation of this SDG. Levis Water<Less uses innovative technology to manufacture jeans using up to 96% less water (TD21, 2016). Uniqlo also a similar approach to Levi when manufacturing their jeans. The MNC uses BlueCycle technology that cuts water use by 99% in the jeans finishing process.

Figure 3 United Nations, 2015 -6th SDG

REFERENCES

  • Gwilt, A. (2020). A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion. London: Fairchild Books
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